The Cairo bulletin., 1904-11-13
SAFETY TO RAILROAD TRAVEL

| SAFETY TO RAILROAD TRAVEL
Writing in the North American Re
view on the subject, Should the
Safety Of Employees and Travellers b
Promoted by Legislation Congress
man John j. Esch makes some i'm
)ortant recommendations for the mex.
congress, toward decreasing the
frightful loss OF life from rair9ag
| disasters.
Congressman Esch says
When the combined losses Of both
the Japanese and Russian armies fol
the five days of awful fighting, from
August 26th to the fall of Lao Yang
was announced to the world as
amounting, In killed and wounded, 70
over 10000 tnen. all the world shud-
dered When the Interstate Com
merce commission, In its last annual
report. made public the fact that, for
the year ending June 30th, 1908, the
passengers and employees killed and
improvements reduced the per cent
Of casualties by almost one-half, ant
continues:
Thus far, the safety Of trainmen
only has been considered. The re
suits of but a short operation of the
safety-appliance law have SO largely
reduced the casualties among train
men. by obviating the necessity of
their going between or on top of the
cars. that it may be asked: Can their
safety be further promoted By legls-
'fHtion safeguarding them, as we'll as
switch-tenders and other employees,
against collisions and derallments,
from which causes, for the twelve
months ending March 3lst, 1904
there were siS killed and $3.50 in
iured? Whatever legislation would
protect trainmen against collisions
and deraiIments would likewise pro
tect baggagcmen, expressmen, rail-
way mail clerks and the travelling
public. Such legislation. therefore,
as II would is worthy OF most careful
consideration.
Such legislation should have two
objects: first, to afford safety against;
carelessnoss. forgetfulness. lack Of
injured on the railroads Of the Unit
ed States amounted to a frightful To-
tai Of 1851. the statement excited
little comment Wreck has followed
wreck with such regularity, during
the last twelve months. as to make
the reports of them in the daily
press no longer sensational. but rath-
er commonplace This deplorable
record Of casualties has been on the
increase for years; and. for the year
ending March Bird, 1901, IL shows i27
passengers killed. 5000 injured. 3.l7g
employees Killed and i3,025 injured
making 4 grand total of 1897. being
create by almost G.O00 than the
losses which resulted from the three
days fighting at Gettysburg"
Mr. Esch then proceeds 10 show
that 81 per cent of railroad casual
ties occur among the employees, ana
how the legislation by congress re
curing safety appliances and other
discipline or faults of omission in
general; second. TO afford cafety in
spite of such careles5ness, forgetful-
ness. lack of discipline and faults Of
omission. In connection with the
first object. a study Of the quarterly
accident bulletins of the interstate
commerce commission. for the twelve
months ending March Slst. 1901. be
ing the last statistics obtainable,
shows:
Nine collisions. with a total of g
killed and IS injured. and property
loss Of s77770. caused by excessive
hours on duty. and the falling asleep
Of engine men. hagmen or operators.
Twelve collisions. with total Of
: killed and ~ injured. and property
loss OF 500 .255. caused by the employ
ment Of young or inexperienced men.
Twelve collisions. with a total of
AZ killed and 223 injured. and proper
y loss Of s224s2i. caused by the mis-
reading of train orders by engine
men and conductors
Thirteen collisions. with a total
of ~ killed and POS injured, aud prop
erty loss Of s1o7.05T. caused hy 7fgnor-
ing signals and disObedicnce of or
ders on the part OF engine-men. con
dnctors and brakemen.
The writer then states his belief
that "a federal law. supplemented by