Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-13

ments. The total numbe: OF employees
killed in 1911 was 1902. OF these 100
we're killed while coupling and un-
coupling cars. In spite Of tho fact that
1913 per cent. Of the locomotives and
cars In service have been 1T heavy
expense equipped with automatic
couplers. One thousand. four hundred
and twenty-nine were killed by beng
struck or run over by engines or cars.
which. Of course. were being operated
by their fellow-employes 1t 10 imDos-
sible TO see how. anybody can attrib-
ute these fatalities to detective equip
ment: the best car or locomotive caA
kill an employe who gets in it, way
quite ~ easily az the poorest One
hundred and ninety-seven were killed
while getting on or on cars or engines.
Three hundred and ninety-one were
killed by fsltnG from trains. locomo.
tives. or ears. Part Of these deaths
were Que to defective equipment. a.
though probably most Of. them were
not. ssventy-eight employees were
killed by coming in contact while rid
ing on cars with bridges. tunnels. sig
nal apparatus, or some other A1eA
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 olearsncss be-
tween cars and structures have become
too small This is . defect in railway
plants for which the railway manage
ments are responsible and which they
alone can remedy. The deaths Of 40
we're 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 charyeable to haz-
ards Of transportation than an acci-
dent happening on . farm or in . mill.
II 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 It may be said With more truth
that the railways Of the United States.
as a whole. are undercapitalized than
that they are overcapitali1ed. It IL
we'll known that within recent years
large increases have taken place In
the value 81 their. real estate. 1t II
also we'll known that many have made
extensive reductions Of grades and
rectifcations Of curvature. have built
expensive stations and terminals, bal.
lasted and ue-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 al this. during the ten years
from 1899 to 1909 the number Of
freight ears per 1000 miles increased
27.6 per cent. the number OF passen'
ger cars ~ per cent. and the number
| Of locomotives ~ per cent. Further
more, the equipment aAdsd 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 IS per cent
| The density Of passengVr trafnc pei
| mile increase 81 per cent. and the
density Of freight frame IS per cont
Tho assessors eyiuced the belief that
there was large increase in the
| value Of railway property BY advancing
taxes per rifle from ,@24b to $4o1. OF
"a per cent. Yet between 1899 and
| 1909 the railway stocks AID bonds out
standing in the hands Of the public IN
creased only from $47.43s to 1925
per mile. or but IS per eent.-Railwa1
Axe Gazette.