New-York tribune., 1905-04-10
THE RAILROAD DEATH ROLL.

The Interstate Commerce Commission reports
that in the last quarter Of last year there were
fewer casualties from railroad accidents than IN
the preceding quarter Yet in those three months
no fewer than 95l persons were killed ana a.
O27 injured That is an appalling record II
becomes the more appalling when we expand II
so as TO take IN a whole year Thus IN ISOS
there were 1856 passengers, 1905 employees ana
$50 others killed, and S.23l passengers 6O,4S1
employees and 7.s41 others injured, dreadful
total Of o,S40 killed and 1858 injured Most
appalling and most discreditable OF all does II
appear when we contrast 1t with the statistics
for the United Kingdom. There in the same
year 14s passengers, 476 employees and 302
others were killed. and 2,6S1 passengers, 6,7S2
employees and ia others injured, total of $40
killed and 9637 injured. Thus there were in
this country more than ten times as many per-
sons killed and nearly eight times as many in
jured as in Great Britain and Ireland. That
contrast is not creditabIe to America.
When such figures are quoted the common
answer is that. Of course. there are more acci-
dents here because our railroad service is so
much more extensive than that of England. That
is as untrue as it is facile. In some respects
our railroad service is greater but in some it is
smaller than that of the United Kingdom. 1t is
true that our track mileage is nine times as
=
is surely not the sole or the chief factor in de-
termining the number Of accidents. Our train
mileage much more pertinent basis of COM
parison-is only about two and half times as
great. In that fact there can be no justification
for our having eight times many casualties.
Again. we have more than twice as many rail
road employees as the United Kingdom, but,
again, that does not Justify us in killing and
wounding nine times as many Of them. So far
as the number of passengers is concerned, we
do not carry more than the United Kingdom,
but, on the contrary, less than two-thirds as
many: and yet we kill and MAIN between three
and four times as many. AS for the Others, v
meaning chiefly trespassers upon the tracks, we
have nearly twice as large population for them
10 be drawn from, but we kill and injure more
than twenty-six times many.
The more the contrast is analyzed, the more
discreditable it seems to the United States. It
ought 10 be suggestive and instructive as well.
The appalling contrast between the respective
numbers of "others'-not passengers or en-
ployes-killed and injured, for example-only
526 in the United Kingdom to 1920 in the
United States-shouId emphasize in the most
convincing manner the desrability of doing
away with grade crossings as rapidly as possi-
ble and Of requiring railroads, cities, towns
and villages. to be so fenced in that nobody can
get upon the tracks save by deliberate effOrt-and
then of making it a misdemeanor thus to tres
pass upon the tracks. Cost a great DEAL would
it; Yes, but what is the lack OF it costing in a
yearly slaughter roll OF thousands? So, too, the
contrast between the numbers of employees
killed and injured-7.25S there against 64O7S
here-should suggest diligent and practical in
qury into the question whether our appliances
for the safe working of trains are as up to date
and as efficient as those of the islands across
the sea. We may have in this country the
biggest railroad system in the world, but it is
by no means so certain that it is in all respects
the best-especialIy in that supremely impor-
tant respect the safety Of human life and limb