The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-01-19

Of them due to collisions and derail-
ments. The total numbe- of employees
killed In 1911 was 1902. OF these 200
were killed while coupling and W.
coupling cars. in spite of The fact that
1913 per cent. Of the locomotives and
cars In service have been at heavy
expense equipped with automatic
couplers. One thousand. four hundred
and Twenty-Five were killed by being
which, of course, were being operated
by their fellow-employes 1t is impos-
sible 10 see how anybody can attrib-
ute these fatalities to defective equip
ment; the best car or locomotive car
XVI an employe who gets in its way
quite as easily as the poorest. One
hundred and n1ncty-seven were killed
while getting on or off GERS or engines.
Three hundred and ninety-one were
allied by falling from rains. locomo-
ives, or cars. Part of these deaths
were due to defective equipment. al
though probably most Of them were
0ot. Seventy-eight employees were
l. W SoAIlIIS III CslIlldCt Willie Ilu-
ing on cars with bridges. tunnels, sig
nal apparatus, or some other fixed
structures above or at the side of the
track. Most of these deaths were due
to the fact that, owing to the increased
size OF equipment and to other causes
overhead and lateral c~'earances be
tween cars and structures have become
too small. This is a defect in railway
plants for which the railway manage
ments are responsible and which they
alone can remedy. The deaths of 43O
were due to industrial accidents" re-
sulting from handling of tools, ma
chinery. supplies. etc, getting on or
OF locomotives or cars while at rest.
and from other causes not connected
with the movement of trains, and
therefore no more chargeable to haZ-
ards Of transportation than an acct
lent happening on a farm or in a mill.
1t Is admitted that some of the rail
and are excessively centralized; but
owing to the conservative policy that
has prevailed on most roads for many
years, of making extensive improve
ments from earnings and to other
causes it may be said with more truth
that the railways of the United States.
as a whole. are undercapitaliZed than
that they are overcapitalized. 1t is
we'll known hat within recent years
large increases have taken place in
the value of their real estate. 1t Is
also well known that many have made
extensive reductions of grades and
notifications Of curvature. have built
expensive stations and terminals, bal
lasted and tie-plated their tracks, laid
heavier rails and better ties, con-
structed stronger and more durable
bridges. installed i~nterlocking and sig
mailing systems. replaced wooden
structures by structures made Of
cement, masonry, and steel, etc. Be-
sides all this, during the ten years
freight cars per 1000 miles increased
27.5 per cent, the number Of passen-
ger cars II per cent, and the number
of locomotives "a per cent. Further
more, the equipment added and that
with which old equipment was re-
placed, a of much greater capacity
and much more expensive than that
superseded. Meantime the mileage
OF additional main tracks and sidings
per 100 miles increased SO per cent.
The density of passenger traffic per
mile increase Ga per cent. and the
density of freight traffic As per cent.
The assessors evinced the belief that
there was a large increase in the
value Of railway property by advancing
taxes per mile from $245 to $4O1. or
81 per cent. Yet between 1893 and
1909 the railway stocks and bonds out
standing in the hands of the public in
creased only from $47,43S to $59.259
per mile, or but Is per cent.-Railway
Age Gazette. :.