Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-23
RAILROADING

A MERICA is easily the greatest rail-
"a way country on earth. Indeed, in
~ the United States and by its citi-
zens the principal transportation prop
lens of all the world have been solved.
The railroading supremacy of the Unit
ed States is demonstrated in most con-
vincing fashion by the array of hgures
prepared by Slason Thompson OF the ou-
reau of railway news and statistics
Only a review of this kind, entering
into particulars and giving all details,
can give the citizen a grasp Of the rail-
road situation in the United States.
More than half the total railroad
mileage of the world is in English
speaking countries; and this gives them
trade advantage over all the rest OF
the world that Is almost incalculable:
In the United States alone the mileage
is greater than that of all Europe, IN
Guiding the British isles. The American
mileage per square mile is As per cent
greater than that of Europe, while the
disparity in density of population TO
mileage Is in the proportion of more
than five to one in favor of the trans
portation facilities furnished to the peo-
pie and commerce of the United States
The total railroad mileage of the
whole world is 5SO277. The total for
America is 293,97S miles; the total for
Asia 81, 655: the total for Africa 1853;
the total for Australia 1915.
Conditions in the United States are
peculiar in one respect. Sparseness or
population to railway mileage makes
passenger traffic generally improbable.
Rhode Island is the only state In the
Union having a greater density or pop
ulation per mile than the average for
all Europe; while Connecticut, Massa-
chusetts, Maryland, New York and New
Jersey are the only other states that
approach European conditions.
There is gratifying indication that the
question of safety is entering into rail-
road plans to greater extent than 1t
has ever entered in the past. But the
conclusion to which a most elaborate
and painstaking investigation has
brought the investigators is that the
greatest and most reliable safety con-
trivanoe that can be used in railroading
is THE SAFE MAN.
In the twenty years since the Install
nent Of block signals on American
roads began, over one-quarter OF their
mileage has been fitted with labor and
life saving appliances.
However, the brief notes on promi-
nent collisions and derailments that
accompany accident bulletins. meager
and unsatisfactory as they are, support
the contention that safety in railway
travel and employment is to be sought
not through mechanical contrivances
alone. but through the sitting and
schooling of men along lines of special
fitness for the particular work re-
quired of them.
Out of 665 reports examined no less
than 202 give negligence or error Of
some member Of the train crew as the
cause of the accident; 206 name reck-
lessness, carelessness, overlooking or
disregarding orders or taking chances;
ffty-two are attributed to disobedience;
!
ence; forty to defect of equipment,
and twenty to defect of roadway. No
less than nineteen of the prominent
accidents were due to malicious acts,
for most of which that defect in our
social system which produces tramps
was responsible. Misadventures, cy-
clones, washouts, etc, caused seventy
four. After a study of accident statis-
tics extending over five years, Mr..
Thompson expresses the opinion that
the control of accidents is a matter of
MEN, NOT MECHANISM.
Laws and regulations and all sorts Of
artificial contrivances for the protec-
ton of railway traffic have been multi
piled. but the obvious TRAINING AND
DISCIPLINE of the only force that has
the remedy for accidents literally and
figuratively in it's hands has been neg
lected. And by discipline is meant not