New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-25
RAILROAD MORTALITT.

The railway accident in Spain on Wednesday
night in which thirty lives were lost, was one
Of the worst recorded in over a year. Nearly
hundred persons Were burned TO death or suifo-
Gated In the Paris tunnel in August last, but 1t
would hardly be fair to compare the mortality
on an underground road with that on a surface
line The largest destruction IN the United
States last year resulted from the striking Of a
loosened stick of timber on freight train by
an express which was moving in the opposite
direction on another track near COnnellsville,
Penn. BY that unique combination Of circum-
stances seventy-s1x deaths were caused. BY col
hsions the total number of persons killed in
America last year was much smaller than that.
The loss on the New-Jersey Central near West
field In February was about twenty three, and
that on the Pere Marquette in December TWEEN
ty-1ve.
The relative safety Of travel in Europe and
America has been repeatedly discussed, but
without absolute agreement in the conclusions.
One or two important factors are generally
omitted-dOubtless because they are not avail
able-in such comparisons. According 10 a re
port printed in Engineering a few days
ago, only twenty-five passengers were killed by
train accidents last year in the United King
dom. For the twelve months ended June 30,
1903 period not exactly corresponding TO the
other, it will be observed-the mortality in the
Had the ConnellsyiIle horror been included in
the statistics, the showing would have been
worse. Rightly TO judge the numerical SUI
periority thus shown, one needs 10 know how
many passengers were transported in the United
Kingdom and in this country II does not seem
TO be easy to get light on this point. Obviously,
If ten times many people are carried here as
in England, Wales Scotland and Ireland and
IL only six times as many are killed, it is safer
here than in the United Kingdom. On the
other hand, If only three or four times as many
passengers are handled on this side of the At
lantic, and eight times as many are killed, then
II is not so safe.
A less satisfactory basis OF comparison is that
which Slason Thompson of Chicago, adopted
In valuable analysis of the subject made by
him last year. Apparently there are ten times
as many miles OF track in this country as I'm
the United Kingdom; but, If the figures for The
former represent single track and those for the
latter indicate double track, the difference IS
not so great Accepting the first supposition
and taking mileage alone as the standard,
mortality ten times as great as that of the
British railways would not be disproportionate
II America has only five times as much track,
mortality six or eight times that of the United
Kingdom would not be so credtable. mas
much as Engineering" one of the besreuthori-
ties in the world insists that the figures given
tor the length OF British roads should be
doubled it is possible that Mr.. Thompson has
unintentionally erred both in his premises and
conclusions.
One Of the weakest points in the equipment Of
American railways is the limited extent TO
which block signalling is employed. Moreover
IL has been repeatedly asserted that engineers
| enjoy a greater freedom here than in England
| II they run past danger signal without harm.
they are less frequently punished than in the
mother country. Hence there has been much
| talk about the expediency Of installing appa-
ratus which viii either make an official record
| every time an engineer disregards signal or