The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-01-17
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS
Wills TARTLE YOU.
Appalling Array of Figures
Showing That We Lead The
World.

An admiral paper onAmerican rail-
way accidents is that by Edward
Bunnell Phelps, in the November
Worlds Work. Mr.. Phelps thinks that
we have had loose statements and gen
eral figures, but outside of technical
journals no scientific demonstration
of the subject, so that it has not been
sharply visualized 10. the people, and
hence there has been no effective pro-
test. Years of study given to the sub
1ect convince him that the first re-
quisite is a realization of our lamen-
table lack Of leadership in effort to
reform the evil. The situation is set
out for the year 1908, that being the
last for which the writer could obtain
complete in all countries.
The number of passengers killed in
railroad accidents that year in the
United States to each 100000 car
ried was OIL; in the United Kingdom,
1.3; Europe at large Ia. The number
of passengers carried in the United
Kingdom was one and three-fourths
as many as in our country and on
one-ninth the mileage, thereby great
ly increasing density of traffic and
hence liability to accidents. The
railroads of the United King
dom killed one passenger to every
1861, $50 carried, while we killed one
to every 1856, 451 carried. For every
100000 passengers carried we injur-
ed 11.S4; the United Kingdom, 2.S6;
all Europe, 10. In train accidents,
only for the year 19O1-O5, we killed for
each 100000 passengers carried 81
81; in the United Kingdom it was
1.27. In the number of passengers so
injured for the same years to each
100000 carried. with us it was 1928;
In the United Kingdom, AS.
For the five years ended with 1905,
the number of passengers carried in
the United Kingdom was 5,959, SIG, 1856
ION one-ninth our mileage). From
accidents from trains, rolling stock,
permanent way" etc., there were kill
ed, seventy-six; injured, 1907. In
this country in the five years ended
3S9, OF which from the same accidents
with June, 1906, were carried 3,559,O24,-
were. killed, 1,126; injured, 25,7O5.
The case of employers was worse.
In the old country thirty-four were
killed and 638 injured; in this coun-
try 3,617 killed and 1884 injured.
A vital element in the probulem and
new to it as far as we know, is the
increased strain on trainmen, which
Mr.. Phelps considers in connection
with the number and increase of our
accidents. We give the figures of his
table of percentage. discarding deci-
mails. 1t covers the decade ended with
June, 1905. Trainman is used
meaning engine men, firemen and con-
ductors. For this decade our increase
in the number of passengers killed,
215 per cent; increase in number of
ShpiOyCo, 20 pei Ccll., luCItdSe III
number of employees killed, IS per
cent; increase in number injured, 100
per cent; increased average strain
on the individual trainmen, 6S per
cent; increase of average strain, meas
ured by average ratio of increase to
each trainman ofnumber of tons of
freight and number OF passengers car
ried one mile, 23 per cent Mr.. Phelps
is much impressed with this increas-
ed stran on the trainmen as a factor
in the increase of accidents. More and
more work, as his figures show, is
put on the men, AN Mr.. Phelps thinks
that only a painstaking investigation
by the National Government will re-
veal what an element this is in caus-
ing the American Lead in Railroad
Accidents" (which is the title of his
acknowledgements News.
CA9ToHrA.
s Bear tn. TM' Kind YOU Va. Away: Bought