The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-02-14

P'9Sl'il'ltS WI dVNlOtul anu or the tie
struction of human life and personal
Injury incident to the operation of rail
ways.
During the past year about $4,000.
: 600 were expended in the installation
OF safety appliances, all for the pur.
pose of reducing to the lowest possible
degree the chance of accidents. That
this expenditure has not been in vain
: Is shown by the comparative report OF
the loss of life and of personal injury
on account of accident For the year
ending June 80, 1907, the total number
, Of employees killed on the Union Pa.
cific system was 66. and injured $50,
out of a total of $1,000 employees. and
$50 of the injuries were very slight.
During the year 1906, GO employees
were killed. During the year ending
June 80, 1907, there were but three
passengers killed and 166 injured In
1906 two passengers were killed and
l35 injured. During 1907 those EN-.
ployed as postal clerks, express mes
sengers, etc, one was killed and 80
injured, compared with killed and
10 injured during 1906. Other persons
who lost their lives during the past
year through railroad accidents of the
system number 30, with injuries to As.
against 46 killed and az injured in
1906. The total killed in all accidents
for the year 1907 was 1906. The total
injured 1904, against ia killed and
1888 injured in 1907.
When it is taken into consideration
that the increased business handled
by this company is indicated by in
creases of 266 per cent in tons of
| freight carried one mile and 1897 per
cent in the passengers carried one
mile, 1916 per cent in the total train
mileage, and 5.7l per cent in the total
car mileage, the decrease in the loss
of life is remarkable.
The principal train accidents during
the year, include collision between
a running wild freight car and a
freight train near Cheyenne on August
20, 1906, in which one engineer was
killed, one fireman and one brakeman
| injured. This accident was due to
failure to properly set the brakes in
| Jne cheyenne yards.
On September 4, 1906, through de-
fective track near Red Buttes. Wyom-
ing, passenger train was derailed
One trespasser beating his way over
the line was killed and another tres
passer and ten passengers injured.
On October 9, 1906, a passenger train
was derailed by broken rail near Wa
mego, Kansas. One conductor and
forty-six passengers were slightly in.
jured.
On October 10, 1906, freight trains
collided at Ridge, Wyoming, owing to
overlooking of train orders. Two en-
gineers, one fireman and one brake
man were killed and two firemen in.
jured
On December 8, 1906, one brakeman
was killed in a collision between |
freight trains near Point of Rocks, Wy
oming.
On January 2, 1907, at Brule, Ne |
braska, two passenger trains collided, |
causing the death of one passenger |
and injury to seven passengers, four
mail clerks and four employees The |
cause of this accident was improper
tagging and control of trains.
On March 25, 1907, through failure
to observe signals, two freight trains |
collided at Gilmore, Nebraska. There
were no persons injured.
On May Is, 1907, freight trains col
lided at Red Desert, Wyoming, due to
carelessness of an engineer and caus-
ing slight injury to one engineer.
In all the above cases, employees re-
sponsible for the addicents were dis
charged, after careful inquiry made
into the accidents by special boards
of inquiry, which have been provided
for during the past year, and which
consist of officials of the road together
with persons of prominence. integrity
and reputation who may be selected to
fill place upon the board.
Carefully compiled statistics, the re-
suit of close inquiries, during the year,
have supplied a basis upon which the
management of the road are acting
with view of reducing accidents to
established three years ago for the
trying out of the watchfulness of en-
ployes relative to the signal system.
A school of instruction, or a board of
examiners passes over the system
each six months drilling both new and
old employees in the matter of trans
portation rules so that all may think,
know and act uniformly in the per-
Torrance of their respective duties.
With an education system and with
the protective measures that are EN-
ployed, it is more than likely that dur
ing the next year, there will be a still
further decrease in the number of ac-
cidents, and in the loss of life and per-
sonal injuries on the Union Pacific
HARDNESS DECREASES.