Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-05
MODERN CAR OF JUGGERNAUr.

The public is aware OF the almost
daily fatalities that seem In eparaole
from our railroad traffic bit less Is
known of the slaughter caused by auto
mobiles. This modern invention has,
however proved a veritable car of jug
gernaut When the number of railroad
travellers Is compared to the portion of
the public that use automobiles. the
fatalities caused by the latter exceed
the railroad horrors great deal.
The New York Herald, baslng its es-
innate on statistics kept by the Chica-
go Tribune, claims that as contributors
TO the record OF life tragedies in the
United States automobiles now outrau
cyclones, shipwrecks on the great lakes
and the bubonic plague. According to
the count 1858 persons We're killed or
seriously injured by the road locomo-
tives in 1907. Fatalities increased more
than so per cent, 1924 persons having
been killed outright, as compared with
200 in 1906. The increase In the num-
Der injured was almost equally appall-
ing. Where ISL we're severely hurt in
1906, last years total was 1,244 this
count including only those cases report
ed In the newspapers.
But these figures are far from being
complete. Statistics compiled in Massa-
chusetts. show that in three months
ending September q, there were Al
deaths caused by automobiles in that
state alone. New York's record of 'ac-
cidents" Is equal to that OF Chicago,
Philadelphia, st. Louis, Boston, Balti-
more and Cleveland. with a total pop
ulation of more than six million, com
bined. Forty eight persons were killed In
that city in the course of the year and
12S others were injured. and all this
slaughter is due principally TO wreck
less driving. which again means indif-
ference to human life.
There Is another phase of this sacri-
flee of life under the wheels of the mod
ern car OF Juggernaut, and that is
that Sunday has come to be the great
day of automobile accidents. Some one
has noticed that the day of rest has be.
come the time for extended automobile
trips by all sorts and conditions of peo-
pie, and natural result is to make
that day the record one for accidents
In continental Europe, he says, Sum
day is the racing day for automobiles,
and all such speed work is liable to
yield fatalities. In the struggle of 81
competitors at Brescia, Italy-23
Italians, seven Germans and four
Frenchmen--Baron de Martina was hor-
ribly killed because of the breaking of
the steering gear of his car. Two men
of consequence were also killed in Italy
Sunday, at Magenta, because their
chauffeur failed to observe that the
gate at ii grade crossing was closed, and
freight train made short work OF
them.
This observer goes on to tell of q
number of fatalities in New York and
other American cities. on the first day
of the week. and concludes;
III the reader will think back he
Will recall that a majority of the auto
mobile slaughter has occurred on Sun
day. In all this there is a warning
TO the people who make their tours
upon that day, when death may ride
with them, unless due care be taken.
The fact that the automobile as an in
strument of destruction bears most
heavily upon the occupants thereof
ought to have it's effect. Surely that
vehicle is now at the front as the most
dangerous of modern conveyances."
OF course, the automobile has come
TO stay, and it's use will become moro
popular than It is now Can anything
be done to render 1t safer than II is.
and less fraught with the elements of
tragedy?