Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-10-31
TOLL OF DEATH BY
R. R. TRESPASSERS
STATISTICS SHOW OVER HUN-
-nED THOUSAND billed ~
Score or YEARS.


/ FOCAIELLO. oct 27-Not a day
( passes in FocateAo police court but
/ 0ne or more inoiyiouals are haied
Deiore the Judge on Il charge Of tres
! passing, or III other words, beating
a. over the railroad hne. A casual
| glance at the motley array-such as
thirty ]. w. VS. that were lined ny
/ one day this week-shows that they
come from nearly every walk OF So
clety. Some of them are conscien-
uous workmen, others mere critters
VI the sea OF life, careless as 10 what
becomes OF them. but none the less
d problem to the carrier system. LA
DiIJy attaches for death.
There are two sides to the trespass
problem Let US take the other side
Tor a moment, instead of extending
sympathy 10 the fellow who is getting
over the road the best way he can.
A total of 1856 persons have been
killed as trespassers on railroad prop
erty in this country in the last twenty
three years.
That is over SO per cent of all the
deaths on all railroads from all causes
in that length of time. 1t is over
thirty times as mahs as passengers
killed in accidents to trains, which
might have been prevented by the
adoption OF such modern methods of
prevention as steel cars, automatic
stops and signals.
Notwithstanding these ASTOUNDING
disclosures, legislatures, both state and
national and railway commissions do
very little TO minimize the slaughter
OF trespassers, while constantly in
sisting on more rigid discipline for
the prevention of train accidents.
Railroads, in the meantime, continue
to expend their millions toward the
perfection of safe travel. The Union
Pacific alone pays out 100000 annual
ly merely to maintain its automatic
block signal system, the establish
ment of which has involved millions.
This table of statistics showing the
fatalities by classification charged to
the railroads of the United States from
1900 TO 1912 inclusive is conclusive
of the need for state and NATIONAL leg
islation calculated to prevent tres
passing and cooperative with the
railroads in the great progress they
are making.
Trespassers -.---..---.---.-....---10 100, 566 53.S
Employ tss through lntlE
own fault or mischance 49.497 81
Other persons through
their own fault or mis-
chance ------...----------.--.------- Is, 3Z6 20
Employees, in accident to
trains ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 15,oSV IL
Passengers, own fault or
michance -..-.-----..--.----....- 4,219 %
Passengers. in accidents
to trains ................-........... 5000 II
OF the 1850 employees killed in ac-
cidents to trains. the statistics show
that at least so per cent of such ia
talities are due to the victims own
negligence or carelessness.
From these figures, which are COM
piled from official records kept it ap-
pears. then, that of the 1882 per-
sons killed on trains or tracks in
twenty three years 1850 or 91-2
per cent came to their deaths through
their own fault or nischaDce, while
1892 or only S.S per cent, met death
in outright train accidents.
And in spite Of such facts. the SIS
per cent is invariably made more con-
spieuous in the public eye. through /
the channels Of publicity and the law
makers and lawbreakers than the 91.2
per cent.
The railroads, in other words. are I
eft unaided by law and public senti- |
nent, and but for their own resources, /
oowerless to prevent the great major (
ty of fatalities laid by a ruthlessly I
unjust discrimination at their door.