The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-20
TREsPAssINc ON RAll ROADS.

SermOnlzlng.
TREsPASsiNG ON RAILROADS.
The chairman of the committee on |
safety Of the Chicago & Northwestern
railway has sent out communication
containing statistics giving the num-
Der OF killed and injured trespassers
on the railways of this country which |
should be studied carefully by every
Citizen in the land This report is so
siiuminative and SO important that we
lgive 1t herewith substantially in full
together with its suggestions for rem
ledying our deplorable carelessness in
this direction.
J our attention is called to the fol- |
lowing statistics showing the number
OF trespassers killed and injured on
the railroads of this country during
!he last twenty years, which are TAX
en- from paper read by Interstate
commerce Commissioner McChord at
the first cooperative safety congress
held at Milwaukee in October, 1912:
Trespassers killed, S6,T33.
Trespassers injured, 94,646.
4 Total treSpassers killed and injured
on the railroads in this country, 49,
/ 379.
/ According to the reports made of
isuch cases to this company and the
New York Central lines, these cases
should be divided as follows
Young people under eighteen years
lof age, residing in the vicinity Of ac-
tcident, many of them under ten years
.iof age, 25,0o0
Tramps and foboes. 36,276.
Citizens of the locality in which the
accident occurred, mostly wage earn
ers. 120,1O3.
When you stop to think that in
twenty years there were $4,000 young
people killed and injured on our rail-
lToads-enough to make a mile post
for every mile of travel in trip
around the world, and that in nearly
/ every city, town and village there Is
some child without an arm or leg
Host trespassing on the railroad, or
little grave in the cemetery OF some
child (perhaps an only childl killed
4 Tipping on the cars; and that dur
!, ing the last few years of the twenty
year period referred to fourteen tres
tpassers were killed and fourteen in
liured each day of the 365 days in the
year; and that four-fifths of the kill
led and injured, or 1913 were not
tramps, but young people and chill
dren and respectable citizens mostly
wage earners of the vicinity In which
1.-THE accident occurred, fourteen times
las many trespassers killed every day
and every year as there are passen-
gers killed, because we are the only
civilized country in the world that
either has no laws penalizing tres
passing on railroad tracks, or, where
we have such laws, neglect to enforce
them; and while all kinds OF laws
have been enacted and enforced TO
secure the safety and protection of
passengers, none have been enacted
and enforced to prevent trespassing
: although the lives and limbs OF the
I145,106 trespassers (Which number is
exclusive of the tramps) are just as
valuable to their families and to the
state as are the lives and the limbs
lof the passengers-yo will, / think,
agree with me that something should
he done Immediately to stop this
unnecessary waste of life and limb
It would actually cost the state and
Municipalities less to enforce tres
mass law than 1t does to pick mp and
bury the dead and care for the Grip.
tples, to say nothing of che saving OF
human lives and limbs, the most val
Enable possession we have IN the
world. and at the same time protect
the children-perhaps our own emil
Edren-who may be among the number
Inf those killed and injured If nothing
lis done to stop the trespassing.
Believing the school, public ana
nrfvate. is the place to commence to
} teach that trespassing must be STOP
J ned. your attention is called to the
, matter in hopes that If YOU asree with
me the proper instruction will he CIV
en- to the pupils in your school, and
that they be especially warned of the
danger Of:
bridges.
: Lettering about railroad stations or
, cars.
Flipping on and off trains, cars or
engines
Crawling under, between, or over
cars.
Crossing tracks without looking and
/, listening to see whether a train is
} coming.
Crawling under gates when they're
: down.
Yours truly.
RALPH c. RICHARDS,
Chairman Central Safety Committee.
AID TO AGRICULTURE.