Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-11-18

The shocking catastrophe last
week TO q special train full Of stu
dents on their way to q football
game has called renewed attention
to the dangers Of travel by rail,
says the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Readers Of newspapers can
hardly fail to have noticed day
after day, and almost every day,
the reports coming from ell parts
OF the country OF serious and fatal
railroad accidents, but few can
have imagined that they reached
the appalling proportions which
the Official hgurea for the quarter
ending March 81 last show
There we're sixteen hundred and
filty trains In collision, eleven
hundred and e~ighty-One trains de-
rallied, eight hundred Ond twentg
seven persons killed and eleven
thousand one hundred and eighty
one Injured, which is at the rate
Of three thousand and eight killed
per annum, and forty-four thou
sand seven hundred aud twenty
four injured. Were we engaged
in 9 wal showing such q number
Of casualties, or did q pestilence
prevail prostrating and destroying
IS many persons, the whole COM.
try would be stirred up about Il,
and prayers would be offered In
the churches Tor tie Almighty to
stay His hand. It is sale TO say
that rigid care and precautiOn
might have prevented q great
many Of the accidents which have
happened.
Were 3 like condition In regard
to accidents to develop in England
there would be 8 Parliamentary
Commission and endless newspap.
or discussion and agitation, and
doubtless means would be found
to improve snch E record. Max.
ing allowance for the smaller mum
Der Of people carried on g shorter
mileage, and with 3 shorter aver
age run, and bearing in mind that
the average speed there is higher
than here, We still hnd their rats
Of accidents much lower 10 proper
ton than ours, aud the difference
can only be accounted for By th'
greater care exercised.
We &c q people are very easy
going and careless in such matter
and too prone to leave things z
take care Of themselves. 10 would
seem, however, as though the rail
read corporations would be mOve'
70 take uP the question Of the pre-
ventiOn Of accidents IN earnest
In addition TO the loss Of propert
caused By them, the damages the.
ere called on to pay for killed AM
injured must have swollen 70 a
enormous figure yearly, and sell
interest, laying aside motives
humanity, should cause them I
do something promptly. Il wOul
cost vastly less TO make every e.
penditure necessary 70 seCuI
safety than to pay for the acc
dents Vhich are 70 constantly o
curing.
The community Is honnd to pr,
vide come way OF protecting itse
against the increasing risk
a. vel. AID the roads ara likely [
6nd hat Legislatures, OOuIts On
iuries will 60 on making il mo
snd more expensive for them
kin AMI maim people, uattl q
nolnt ID reached where they vi
diminish the risks in order u pr
tsct their own pockets. The
seems TO be 20 other way Of rpac
inv them. Lat them Once bec9u
aa9iaaed that the present rate
aeeident cost more than It Won
Il maintain better rOadbeds, 2
onlv the best materials, aud
alWavs adopt at once every sale
appliance that has been tested q
found valuable, anda change "
come. What has been said
Great Britain holds good on
continent, and the authorities h'
ara bound to leave no mea
nnfried to check aud diminish
dreadful slaughter we ere comp
led to red Of pretty much ev'
dav. 4 .idents viii happen