Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-31
MOHLER ON ACCIDENT ABROAD
American Public is Not Informed on
the Happenings in Europe.
MORE MIsHAPs OCCUR ABROAD
Papers Are FuIl of These, Even More
so Than the Papers IN This
Country, with the same
Causes.


Causes.
A. L. Mohier. vice president and general
manager Of the Union Pacific railroad com
pany. has come to the defense OF the
American railroads Mr.. Monier declares
that there is a genera belief abroad that
there are a great many more wrecks In
this country than there are anywhere In
Europe. but that this belief is entirely I'M
founded In his recent trip to Europe he
discovered that the same conditions OF
railroadinK exist there that are found
here. and he believes, personally. that
there Is an even greater average OF &C
Cidents
THE Great American Public has been
taught that there are never any railroad
wrecks on the railroads Of Europe says
Mr. Mohler but II the people Of this
country had real good opportunity OF
learning Just what accidents actually do
occur over there. they would change their
minds"
Mr. Mohler has just returned from
months vacation In European countries
and since his business, when at home is
to look after a big railroad system, he
paid more or less attention to the operation
OF rail lines on the European side OF the
Atlantic.
Listen TO this extract from the Paris
edition Of the New York Herald for Dec.
1.-TWO French trains came into collision
at Port Bou yesterday owing to a signal
mails error Doesn't that sound natural?
Change the name OF that town and you can
find tho same thing over here Looks like
European slgnalmen can make errors just
like American signalmen, don't III
Train wrcckern Therc, Too.
Here's another from the same issue OF
that paper Traces of a massive stone
which had been placed on the line were
clearly visible Shows they have train
wreckers over there just like we do here.
Here's an article in the London Mail of
Dec G. telling OF a wreck on the great Lon
don a. Northwestern Line In which two
passengars were Killed and forty injured .
Brakes refused to work. SOUNDS Just like
an American accident and shows that Eng
lash brakes are sometimes at fault just like
ours are"
"'At that time says the article, many
passengers were standing in the aisles Of
the wrecked coaches" Doesn't that sound
naturalg. | guess English trains are some
times crowded, too.
I'VE on this side OF the water, have
been taught that when passenger is
killed IN England the party responsible
for the accident is promptly punished, but
this article makes no mention of an
arrest
"And here's a description in eight lines
Of a wreck OF an express train at Ar
banats, France, in which number were
killed, An american editor would have
played that for a double column, sure.
Cause OF that wreck, Fog We can dup
Here's the London Standard telling Of
a complete tle-up OF the Great Western
main line. for several hours because the
trucks on a freight car jumped the track.
Ever hear of an accident OF that kind over
here?
Have Grade Crossings.
And here's the Paris New York Herald
OF December % telling of an express train
dashing onto a grade crossing. striking a
wagon. killing six passengers and injuring
three. SO they must have grade crossings
over there and French engineers and French
farmers are just like American engineers
and American farmers.
THE same paper, on December 10, con
tanned an article roasting the Western
State railway Of France, owned by the
government. which possesses an unenvi
able and long standing reputation for FIRE.
eral discomfort and disorganizatlon tn,
TRADE being called out by a complete tie-uI
OF the road one evening Just at its busiest
hour because Of the derailment of a frelgh
train.
Here IL the Christmas issue OF the Parli
New York Herald with half its front pag,
filled with photos and a story OF a baC
wreck at Montereau, France An express
train collided with milk train. Result
three killed. forty-nine injured. The ex
press was late and running sixty miles al
hour, Don't that phrase sound like al
American reporterO II was biting col,
and three hours elapsed before help ar
rived
Right below the big Montereau accident
in the same paper. you see an account Of
wreck OF an express near Bordeaux II
which four were killed and forty-one in
iured.
And here's the London Mail OF Januar,
with an account of wreck near Cap
Town In which eighteen were killed an,
thirty-four injured.
These all go to show that they hav
railroad accidents In Europe Just as oftei
as over here and. i believe. a great dea
more SO. Hou see. the wrecks have men
toned were chronicled In papers printed Il
English, and all took place within thirt
days. How many more were printed 4
French. German. Spanish Italian, Swiss
Austrian and other languages / don
know. l had 10 stick to English news
papers and these wrecks and accident
came directly TO my attention.
THE next time anybody tells you the
don't have wrecks in Europe, tell him 70
know better. Tell him you know they dc
but that the news. not being OF direct IN
torest over here, is not played up like IN
American wrecks are"
PRAISE Enp nmAuA,c ecuoo,