Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-03
SLAUGHTER ON AMERICAN RAILWAYS.

SLAUGHTER ON AMERICAN RAILWAYS.
Accident Bulletin No 21," issued by
the Interstate Commerce commission,
and a report by Consul General
Thackara of Berlin, issued by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor,
contain material for a striking COM
parison of the results in life-involving
railway accidents in the United States
and in Germany. The bulletin relates
only to accidents on American railways
in the months of July, August and
September, 1906. 1t shows that in
that period LISP railway passengers
or employees were killed and 1858
injured, a total of 1850 casualties.
Consul General Thackara's report
shows that for the whole year 1904 on
the railroads of Germany $50 persons
altogether were killed and 2,167 in"
jured. Later unofficial statistics show
that in the last six months 375 passen-
gers or employees have been killed and
over 600 injured on American rail-
ways.
For purposes Of comparison, how
ever, the casualties in railroad opera
ton in Germany and the United States
in 1904 will be considered as the data
for that year are the latest available
from German sources. In that year
1O,046 passengers or employees were
killed and 84,155 injured on American
railways, as against 953 killed and
2,167 injured on the railroads of Ger
many The mileage of American rail-
ways is largely in excess of that OF
Germany, 1t is true, but according to
the records for the year 1904 the Ger
man railroads carried 949,29O,O 600
passengers, as compared with 49,
$4,000 carried by American roads.
In other words, the number of passen
gers carried by the German railroads
was nearly so per cent larger than that
by the American roads; the number
of casualties, involving death or In
Jury, was 80 on the American railways
to 1 on the German. Our exhibit is
appalling and furnishes ample justia
cation, If any were needed, for the de-
mand throughout the country for leg
islation corrective of methods OF rail-
way operation under which 1t is posi-
BILE for American railroads to main
tain such a blood-stained record from
year to year.
While Germany's annual loss OF life
in railway accidents is comparatively
small, the German authorities are max
ing every effort to reduce 1t. Consul
| General Thackara writes that the rail
way administrations of Germany has
obtained a tract of land small dis
lance from Berlin and has built an ex'
detrimental railway for the purpose OF
making tests. OF these he says:
The tracks Of the railroad form an oval
with a straight double track $40 feet long
the total length Of the line being 6'16l feet
| Electric motor cars are used. Experiment.
are made with different materials for bed
ding, with various kinds OF rails, sleeper'
made of oak. pine and beech wood ant
OF iron, in fact everything which is usef
in track construction. Tests are also to b'
carried on with various systems of auto
matte block signals switch-locking devices
electric, steam and benzine motor cars fol
railways-or. In other words the plant Il
intended to be a station for testing every
thing which would tend to increase thu
| Car ~
system.
Contrast with this the opposition o
American railroad managers to prac
tically every attempt to enact legisla
ton for the higher efficiency of thu
service and the protection Of the live
of passengers and employees. The au
tomato coupler, the block system ant
other safety devices have been opposes
and their installation deferred. TIL
Interstate Commerce commission ha
Just declared that 1t will be "a mum
Der of years" before the block system
can be installed on American railways
although this has been a subject o
agitation for years. Neither defens
nor excuse can be offered for suel
homicidal negligence as is shown II
the list of killed or injured on Ameri
can railways in the last few years.
Consul General Thackara conclude
his report on the German railway witt
the significant statement that the Ger
man railway administrations max
thorough Investigations OF ever
wreck, big or little. and invariably
someone is held responsible and pun
ished for occurrence" Emulation
by American authorities of that en-
ample might serve TO convince GU
railroad managers and magnates tina
the American railroad is not merely
card In the game Of frenzied finance