El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-28

fedora! government, from one point
OF view, is a very expensive inven-
ton. 1t is great source of pleasure
| to multitudes of people, and an i'm
| portant aid to civilization, but the toll
! 1t takes of human lives is nothing short
| of frightful.
Very Destructive.
As the motor car has grown more
! popular, it has naturally become more
/ destructive. In the year 1906 automo-
/ blles killed 3G6 persons in this country
In 1907 they took 5SS lives. In 1908
! they wiped out 7S6 people.
These are the figures of the census,
which estimates that, at rough guess,
| 1000 persons will be killed by motor
ears In the United States during the u
months of 1910. 1t would be close to
! the truth to say that the automobile
IN this country costs three lives a day.
The tax is undeniably a heavy one
In rural districts the chief sufferers
are the automobiles themselves-the
most common kind of accident they en-
counter being collisions with railroad
! trains. One might suppose that drivers
of motor cars would be so on their guard
| against dangers of this particular sort
that such happenings would be rare. but
the fact is that they are of constant oc
currence-as one may perceive by an at.
tentlve perusal of the newspapers from
day TO day.
Racing With Trains.
Nothing is more common than to hear
of instances in which automobiles have
deliberately raced with locomotives, the
object IN view being to get over the
crossing before the arrival of the train
at that point. 1t is literally race with
death, and must be extremely exciting;
but most people would rather get their
excitement in some less hazardous way
On the other hand most fatal auto
mobile accidents in cities find their vic
tins in foot passengers who are run
over on the streets. During six weeks
in October and November of last wear
Ii children were killed in this manner
IN Greater New York. Indeed. mortality
from this cause in laroe eenters of pop
ulation is largely among bows and girls,
a great majority of whom have no
Fairgrounds other than the streets, and
are obliged to take their chances with
the motor cars, lodging them as they
come along
New York Slaughter.
Sixty eight persons were killed by au-
tOmobiles in Greater New York during
the year Locust about half of this
number meeting their tragic fate on
Manhattan island In many of these
cases. where people Were run over, the
drivers of the cars were probably not
to blame. 1t is difficult to run a gaso
line propelled vehicle through a city
crowded with traffic ON foot and ON
wheels. But who, generation ago,
could have imagined that the time would
ever arrive when locomotives would be
allowed to run on the Streets-and not |
on rails, at thatf
A custom long established among the !
prudent demands that before attempt
ing to cross a railroad, one shall pause
and look both ways, to make sure that
no train is coming. If a train is seen
siderable distance away, one waits until /
it has passed. But in these DAYS any
important city street is more dangerous
to cross than a rallroad-especially In |
view of the circumstances that automo. |
biles are not restricted to tracks. a |
motor car may even whisk unexpected |
around a corner at any moment, catch |
ing the wayfarer unawares. But people |
ordinarily do not wait: thew simply take |
their chances, and dodge.
Occupants Sufferers.
They do not always escape, however. /
as the mortality records show. But il |
is interesting to learn that, taking tt I
whole country over. two out of ever /
three automobile victims are occupants |
of the cars which suffer the accidents. |
Some are killed in collisions with loco I
motives, in the manner already describ. !
ed: others are upset while going at hinh |
speed 1.-THE vehicle often turning tur. |
tle"l; still others run over embank.
ments, and yet others are blown uD by
explosions of gasoline. There are a
good many ways of dying in motor
mishap.
1t goes without saying that a great
majority OF the fatal accidents to PEG
pie riding in automobiles are attribut.
able to fast driving. Most persons who
drive such vehicles have little or no
knowledge of mechanics, and lack the
special training which would enable
them to do the right thing quickly and
instinctively in perilous emergency
The average man is elated by the abilit-
to command superhuman speed by the
Gus power recklessly, not realizing the
danger. and it is not surprising that in
frequent instances he should bring de-
Struction upon himself and others.
The Speed Maniac
This is what is called the fspeed
maniac" Put a great force in the hands
Of an ignorant person. description aD.
Dicable to very many motorists-and he
will surely misuse it. If he himself
were the only sufferer, one might be
but he kills other people. Oh,
yes; it happens every day. And is this
dangerous individual punished? Not at
ILL., He pays small fine, perhaps, and
goes on his way rejoicing. The law
-arely makes any attempt TO inflict a
penalty for misdeeds of the kind.
In fact, jail sentences for such of
ences are almost unknown The court
ecords everywhere show an amazing
ack not only of convictions in cases of
he sort, but even of indictments for
killings. They can hardly
,e said to be rated as anything so i'm
,ortant as misdemeanors. No wonder,
hen, that they continue. Manslaughter
y automobile is today the safest of all
orms of crime-the term being not in
he slightest degree inappropriate where.
5 so often happens, deliberate indif
erence to putting others in ~eril is ac-
ountable for the fatality.