Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-07-25


of them due to collisions and derail-
ments. The total number Of employees
killed In 1911 was 1902. OF these 200
were killed while coupling and un-
coupling cars, In spite Of the fact that
99.S per cent of the locomotives and
cars In service have been at heavy
expense equipped with automatic
couplers. One thousand, four hundred
and twenty-nine were killed by being
struck or run over by engines or cars,
which, OF course, were being operated
by their fellow-employes II is impos-
sible to see how anybody can attrib-
ute these fatalities to defective equip
ment; the best car or locomotive can
kill an employe who gets in its way
quite as easily as the poorest. One
hundred and ninety-seven were killed
while getting on or off cars or engines.
Three hundred and ninety-one were
killed by falling from trains, locomo-
uves, or cars. Part of these deaths
were due TO defective equipment. al
though probably most of them were
not Seventy-eight employees we're
killed by coming In contact while rid
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 clearances 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 480
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 acci-
dent happening on farm or IN mill.
It is admitted that some of the rail
ways of the United States have been
and are excessively capitalized 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 II may be said with more truth
that the railways of the United States,
as whole, are undercapitalized than
that they are overcapitalized. 1t is
well known that within recent years
large increases have taken place In
the value of their real estate. 1t is
also we'll 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 interlocking and sig
mailing systems, replaced wooden
structures by structures made OF
cement, masonry, and steel, etc. Be-
sides all this, during the ten .yedrs
from 1899 to 1909 the number Of
freight cars per 1000 miles increased
BIB per cent, the number OF passen-
ger cars IL per cent. and the number
OF locomotives "a pSI Veht' vi lhSi
more, the equipment added and that
with which old equipment was re-
placed, was 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 s401. or
81 per cent Yet between 1899 and
1909 the railway stocks and bonds out
standing In the hands of the public In
creased only from $47,43S to $59,26s
per mile, or but Is per cent.-Railway
Age Gazette.