The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-21
ny rnEDEKIC \. uAsI<IN.

L
DRY Stays It's tons OF thousands. Ane
list of persons killed by accident in
the United States in ono year Is nearly
? twice as long as that OF tho slain
4 on both sides during the entire RUSSO
Japanese War. In a single year 525,-
1 600 persons met death by accident in
the United States. This is Ave times
as great AZ the loss OF life In the six
largest battles OF the Civil War. The
railroads In one year claim more than
! 100000 souls as the toll for their aid
| In extending the blessings and the
! dangers OF modern civilization.
| Tic American Museum OF Safety Dc
| vices Is representative OF movement
which has for Its purpose the rrotec-
! ton OF human lives from preventable
accidents. Its second annual exhibition
| recently held III New York was par
ticipated in not only by individual in
| ventors OF safety devices that had
passed the committee OF experts be-
! fore being admitted to space. but also
| by such corporations as the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. the Carnegie Steel
Company, the Travellers Insurance
Company, OF Hartford, and tho Amer
/, lean Bridge Company. It IS believed
tHdt next year the NUMBER OIL OK
| hibits Will be doubled. DR.. w. II.
| Toiman. the director, Is planning a
trip throughout the CO ntry in the
! fall for the purpose OF interesting the
| people of every section in the move-
| inent. Many of the large railroads and
| Industrial corporations, as well as ac-
cldent and other insurance companies,
have already taken cognlzance OF. It's
Importance. Organized labor is Joining
hands with them. All recognize the
necessity of movement having for
Its object the cutting down OF our an
| nual casualties that are increasing
year by year. which. in measure cast
discredit upon us.
| More lives are lost In tho United
States from accident than In any OF
| the countries OF Europe. Some Amer
leans have attempted the explanation
| that their countrymen are more i'm
peiuous of disposition. and in Inc hurry
land scurry OF getting there" often
take raise step where tho moro
lphlegmatic European might look a
/ second time. They further urge the
american mechanic often works hts
muscle beyond mis- brain, and In conse-
uuence Injuries his arm in belt, or
cuts his hand on circular saw, or
kills himself In an explosion OF fire
DAMP
4 w MT 'eI tileSS reasons
for the great loss of life In our coun-
try arc true is not relevant matter
| or discussion. For the fact remains
that Americans have not taken as
| many safeguards against accidents as
| have the Inhabitants OF the Old World.
| This Is true especially in Germany,
where the individual Is virtually COM
manded to safeguard himself in ways
that in this country might seem
| trivial and an insult to ono's intelli-
gencc.
The American Museum OF Safety De-
vices is organized for the express pur-
pose OF assembling and demonstrating
the best methods and devices for pro-
tecting the workers In mining. trans
portatton. textiles, building trades,
| agriculture. chemical and varied in
Idustries. 1t aims only to exhibit the
| devices for safeguarding the lives and
limbs of workmen and preventing ac-
| cidents under the ordinary conditions
to which the general public is OK
posed. and no other.
! But short time ago, James r.,
Morgan, Of the Bureau of Statistics
OF New Jersey, paid visit TO the mu-
scum. His attention was arrested by
tho View Of circular saw In the
shops OF tie Brown & Sharp Manu-
featuring Company. where rubber
mat with corrugated surface is placed
| in front OF the table. THAT Is a brand
new idea to me-" said Mr.. Morgan. $50
simple and SO cheap that no employer
can afford to object to It on tho score
of expense. I cannot help thinking"
he continued. "of a particularly dis
tressinE accident. where a poor fellow
slipped and fell against the saw, which
cut right through his chest and into
| his ribs. II rubber mat had been
| placed in front Of the machine, very
likely the workman would not have
slipped" This is only typical in
stance. Each day brings its shock
| Of horror In tho tales of death and
| casualties from causes which tho en-
cheering and technical profession
know arc preventablo. Many of tho
victims arc bread-winncrs, whose
families thus become q charge on
charity, the city or tho State. Only
recently in mining disaster 100000
was asked for the care of the orphans
of tho men who persisted. Tho United
States leads tho world in this form of
employed In England, tho average kill
Cd Is 1.5s; In Italy, 1870; in Germany.
l.SS; In France. .85; Belgium. 1.G2; and
In tho United States, 2.3G.
Tho Old World has pointed tho way
to better protect life and labor by tho
1 cStdpllSulHeUl OF museums OF SAFETY,
similar to which the present move
ment aims IN this country. Ten cap
! ital cities Of Europe have them. Such
museums are to be found in Berlin,
Paris, Vienna, Milan, Budapest, Stock
| holm, Zurich. Moscow and Munich.
Those IN Germany are supported en-
trely by tho government, which says:
eve regard tho saving of life OF para
mount Importance. Every life saved
is Sensational asset" Not long ago the
director Of the Berlin Museum request
ed $4,000 marks for tho enlargement
,of the building. already overcrowded.
Tho request was instantly granted, 1t
being intimated ut the time that lie
could have all the money he needed, as
the government was only too glad to
maintain this lire-saying station at
its highest point Of efficiency. Tho
museum III Amsterdam was opened ten
years ago. The city furnished the
building. while tho national govern
ment appropriated an annual sum, and
the Association for the Development
of Manual Training and Handworls
1 In Holland added to 1t for an endow-
ment. Tho museum has expanded SOW
| ItA;.. lx,t..,