Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-06
SAFETY ON RAILWAYS.
The United states Mech Better on
Than People Think

HSOpAc
There is a somewhat prevalent idea
that America is an unsafe country in
which to travel as compared with Eu-
rope. The perfection of the English
railways In particular Is frequently
held up as an example. and IL is said
over and over again that the traveller
who gets on train I'm the British
isles Is absolutely sure TO be landed
safely at his destination, while quite
the contrary conditions exist here.
Examination of the relative statistics
for the United States and Great Brit
ain brings out the fact. however that
the proportion OF passengers who lose
aeir lives on trains in the former
country is less than that in the latter.
The official figures show that. whereas
one person has been killed in England
for 6l,923.000 transported a mile. In
the United States there has been the
loss OF one life i'm every O., 16S.143 car
ried the same distance. this i'm spite
or the many difficulties in construction
and in climatic conditions which our
railways have to meet.
An equally favorable showing for
American management and operation
as compared with the British is made
from other points OF reckoning. The
number OF passengers carried on this
side OF the water is 20.915, T63 ,SSt and
on the other side $500 100000. In ac-
tual fatalities only 165 more can be
charged up to American railways than
to British, while the mileage repre-
scented is nearly ten times as great.
What is shown by these comparisons
with the British railways seems to be
borne out to great extent when the
transportation systems OF continental
Europe are considered. The total rail-
way mileage OF Europe is 177363-or
was year or two ago. when the Off
cial statistics were collected. That OF
the United States at the same time
was zO7.977. The number OF passen-
gers killed abroad was $50; the num-
Der who lost their lives I'm this coun
try 321. In Europe $3.50 EMPLOYEES
We're killed and in the United States
1888, but when this is considered on
the basis or the tons OF freight carried
one mile 1t appears that about thirty
employees are sacrificed abroad for
every billion tons transported that dis
lance, whereas in America the number
is less than nineteen.
That undue prominence is FREQUENT
ly given by sensationalists to railway
accidents appears from examination
OF the following table OF accidents re-
suiting from causes to which all men
are exposed without regard to their
employment" taken from the Casual
~ eompany's compilations: In 1895 of
all accidents 24.14 per cent were 10
pedestrians In city streets or on coun-
try highways. 1880 per cent occurred
indoors, a somewhat smaller proper
ton was attributed to horses and We
hicles, and nearly 16 per cent occurred
outside OF the victims house or some
other building. Even recreation was
responsible for 615 per cent. while rail-
road travel was charged with but AT
per cent. OF these latter accidents
only one I'm ten was to passengers.
In other words, accidents incident to
travelling on the railways average less
than one-sixth OF the number which
happen to people who are passing to
and fro through the streets about their
daily occupations.