The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-12-22
ON ENGLISH LINES.
LOSS OF LIFE BY ACCIDENT HAS
BEEN eELITTLED.
Recently Published Statistics Prove
That Claim to Greater Safety
There 10 Not Supported
by Facts.

More people were killed on English
railways last year than at any period
during the last 16 years. This start
ling fact-just brought to light In
government report-makes no refer
ence to the terrible Salisbury accident
which happened on July 2. this year;
and added another monumental holo-
caust to the category of English rail-
way fatalities. England has always
made a point of emphasizing and ad-
vertising the reckless disregard OF
human life," exhibited by American
railway management. Since the awful
Salisbury disaster, however, in which
so many Americans lost their lives.
there has been significant silence; and
now that the board Of trade report Is
published, it reveals another case Of
stone-throwing from glass houses.
AS matter of fact, during the past
three years, there have been so many
serious disasters on English railways,
the conclusion is justified that, TAX
ing the total mileage Of the two coun-
tries, England has no reason whatever
to boast of its immunity from acci-
dent Considering that America has
more miles of railway than all the
other nations of the earth put to-
gether, the statistics of fatal accidents
compare very favorably with those OF
other countries. When 1t is borne In
mind that England only has 3S,431
miles of track, and that the greater
portion of this is double" and often
"four-track" system-greatly reducing
the element of natural danger-and
considering that, even with this
double and four-track system, some OF
the accidents in England are quite as
terrible as those on the worst Ameri-
can single-track lines. the United
States has cause almost for gratula-
ton rather than otherwise.
When, again, inquiry is made into
the cause of accidents on English rail-
ways, the fact is revealed that many
mishaps are due to the Grass negli-
gence of underpaid, overworked Of
fcials; or else to defects In the con-
struction of the neutrality-suspicious.
English roadbed," costing 100000 q
mile. 1t will be remembered that the
cause of the disaster at Salisbury was
the sharpness of the curve at the sta
tion--a clear case of miscalculation
on the part of the engineers respons-
ible for the construction of this sec
ton. Without accusing government
officials-who are certainly above
such practices-of deliberately Jug
Cling with accident statistics, 1t must
be pointed out that the figures in the
board Of trade report exhibit certain
peculiarities which, to say the least,
do not set forth the full facts. For
instance, it is pointed out that while.
In 1905, 1899 persons we're killed and
6,459 injured by accidents due to the
running of trains, or the movement
of railway vehicles, strong emphasis
is given to the fact that only 80 pas
sengers we're killed. 1t Is almost i'm
piled by the report that the other L.
066 deaths didn't count"
At the same time, 1t must be re-
membered that many of these "other
Deaths" not included in the fatal 80.
we're caused directly by peculiarities
of English railways. Certain of these
accidents could not possibly have hap
pened on American trains. For in
stance, 33 deaths were due to persons
falling out of carriages during the run
ming of trains, while 46 persons were
injured from the same cause. These
fatalities are directly attributable to
the fact that nearly all English rail-
way carriages open by a number of
doors on each side of the train. These
doors are often fastened by old fash
toned spring-locks which fail to
catch" or by other crude devices.
AS a consequence. passengers are II
able, while a train is moving rapidly
especially on local lines-to lean up
against these doors. which are not
locked. In many instances, doors fly
open and passengers get killed. And
yet, in the board of trade report such
fatalities are not included under the
head of accidents" but are set down
as carelessness on the part of travel