Middletown transcript., 1911-04-08
M1DDLErowN, DEL, APRIL 8, lsll
RAILROAD KILLINGS

proved safety appliances is attacked
in an action begun today in the Fed
eral Court here by the Louisville and
Atlantic Coast Railway System
BaltO. Euening Sun.
For weeks the newspapers
have been flooded with inspired
articles on the perils of tres
passing on the railroads right
of way; and the public has had
no end of pathetic declaration by
the railroad authorities at the
killings and maimings that some
times result from this unwise
practice.
Indeed, these railroad mag
hates would like to fool the people
into believing they are really
very tender hearted and oh Sc
loath to take human life. But
are they Z? Let US see.
On American railways in the
ten years from 1900 to 1909, 95,-
864 persons were killed and
the appalling total of $685.
wounded. Amazing but true.
So recently as in 1907, II, ,839 per-
sons were killed and iii, ,016 in
jured, passengers and employees
these, not trespassers. But the
thing that makes this awful ar
ray of railway slaughter-house
figures in very truth appalling,
is that they were largely unne-
cessary, largely the results of a
cold -blooded disregard of human
life upon the part of the railroad
managers, prompted by the greed
of money. The news item from
The Evening Sun that we quote,
gives the key to the bloody busi-
ness. The Louisville and At
1antic Coast Railway System at.
tacking the law that seeks to
make their trains safe! The
same fight is being made in Ohio
by railroads against safety ap-
pliances. It is a fact that all the
railroads in this country have for
over 30 years been fighting to the
last ditch against many of
the various improvements in the
equipment and handling of cars
that have made life more safe
Incredible, but true as gospel.
The Miller buffer platform, the
automatic coupler, the uncoup-
ling lever that put an end
to pancaking brakemen -
these and many more were Bit
terly fought, and it was only
when the Interstate Commerce
Commission were given enlarged
powers that they were able to
coerce the railroad managers in
to showing some regard for the
safety of their employees and
their patrons, the travelling pub.
lie.
The Vanderbilt, phrase now so
infamous-"the public bed
has too often expressed the at
titude of these naughty railway
Rutocrats towards the people.
Thus at 9th and Berks streets,
Philadelphia, the Reading Rail.
road has killed on an average one
person every day for the past 80
years. But what did the pious
President Baer care for that.
And not till an outraged public
sentiment, plus the assumption
forced him to take some action,
by the City Of half the cost,
would he consent to end the
slaughter by the elevation of the
tracks.
Again, in the investigation of
that dreadful wreck at 56th
street tunnel in New York City,
it was brought out in the evidence
that the directorate of the New
York Central Railroad had ex.
pressed the opinion that there
would some day be a slaughter
there, but that it would be
cheaper to pay for the killings
than to expend over a million to
install an electric motor. They
have already spent more than a
million in settling damage suits
and the law has forced them to
provide the motor also.
The truth is that until very re-
Gently, the railroads have AFRO.
gantly defied all laws of State or
Nation that in anyway interfered
with their plans, and violated
them with impunity. They have
owned judges and legislatures
and generally played the role of
irresponsible dictators. No whim
or crouch of czar or sultan was
more arbitrary than that of rail.
road president. Thus since the
barbarian Omar in $40 put the
torch to the priceless treasures
of the Alexandrian library, has a
more wanton piece Of sheer van.
An. R.a~.-- e,nn~n kl1ox vr1o11, Alo.A