Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-12-22
a HARVEST or DEATH.

state commerce commission the num
Der Of passengers killed by the rat
roads OF the United States In train ac-
cidents for the year ending Jnne ~.
was I64, and the total number Of in
jured was 4.424; the total number Of
employees killed was S35 and Of in
jured $40.
Casualties from other causest aided
to these, make totals Of 321 PASSENGERS
and 1928 employees killed and s.sis
passengers and 39.00i employees IN
jured. These numbers are larger Nv
a considerable percentage than the
corresponding numbers Of the year
last preceding.
The number Of employees killed
and injured In coupling and u~ncoupiing
cars has increased by a very large
percentage. This increase. and The
increases which appear In nearly all
OF the other Items, are to d consider
able extent explained by The well
known and widespread increase Of
railroad trsiic. Again, II was found
that the reports made by some Of the
railroad companies for the first few
months Of the operation Of the acct
dent report law were incomplete, In
the matter Of collisions. and TO some
! extent ns regards other accidents, II
was found that some roads had ie
,iberateiy omitted from their reports
Ncertain accidents which. when theil
attention was called 70 the fact the.
aid they had understood to be right
fully omitted, because the train affect
ei WA engaged In trafic wholly within
the state. II was claimed that sucl
traeit Gas not subject to a fedora
law. Care was taken to correct thi
erroneous view. and the accidents Il
question were included IN supplement-
al reports. II Is probable. however, tina
many such cases were never discover
Cd. This throws great discredit upoi
the yearly reports, upon which, In tn
past, statistics have been based. an
which, We believe. indicate very nue.
y &&M EMEAtE
less than the actual number ~ acc
dents.
Notwithstanding the great inerea
In various Items OF the record Iii
list Of fatal accidents 10 passenger
In train accidents is no larger tina
last year. The only other Item While
does not show an increase Is Novsrhea
distractions II Is not unlikely tina
the decrease In this class III accident
has been brought about by the II
creased use Of mir brakes. doing ava,
10 ONE extent. with the necessity Q
requiring train men 70 ride on ID
tops OF box cars.
In advance Of the annual report
Ii appears that The number of men en-
pluyed In the train service on Jun
30, 1908 WAS abont Il per cent large
than on June 20, 1907, q fac
which In part explains the II
crease in deaths and injuries
This ii the percentage. taking III
country as a whole. On the roads {
densest traffic, where the liability I
accident Is greater than on roads {
light traffic. the increase has bee
more than IL per cent. The enormou
expansion ~ freight traffic has led |
the employment OF new men 80 rapid
that the percentage 81 innsperience
men In the service was. IN the yes
under review. larger than hefni
, for many years. and an increase
1.-The number 81 inexperienced men u
ually Is accompanied ~ Increase
, the number Of accidents
! The report calls attention 10 the "a,
: that certain disastrous collisions ha,
j been accustomed BY The misc ndu,
Tor negligence Of telegraph operator
> or slgnalmen under y years u AZ,
and say that The congress mieht we