The Washington herald., 1913-08-18
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS
DECREASE in BRITAIN
Reports to Board Of Trade Show
Smaller Number Of Fatal Aeei-
dents Last Year.
GENERAL IMPROVEMENT NOTED

Reports to the British Board Of Trade
by the railways of Great Britain show
that in 1872 1.oIo persons were killed by
train accidents and s,7o0 injured. as COM
pared with LOO killed and s.s45 injured
in 1911. Not only was there smaller
n. .lber of fatal accidents in the last year
than in the preceding. but the record
also was encouraging wen compared
with the average yearly mishaps In the
period from 1901 to 1910. In the decade
,O46 persons were killed each year. Ihe
average injured in the ten-year stretch'
73is per year, was, however, lower thah
in either 1912 or 1911.
OF the total killed last year from ac-
cidents to trains only nineteen were
passengers-a figure which stanas gu.
strikingly in contrast with raiiroau
records in this country. which ite-
quentIy have shown as many deaths re-
sultant from a single wreck. assn
gers injured in mishaps to trains num-
bared sSa Ninety messengers were killed
from other causes while travelling ana
21s injured. OF "other persons there
were .s5s trespassers to meet death, IN
Guiding suicides, and 127 injured. and %
were killed while crossing the tracks, anu
70 hurt. In addition to accidents con.
nected with the rnuning OF trains ana
| the movement OF cars, a large nuHper Vi
mishaps occurred on railroad property,
| which accounted for the deaths OF 4u'
and injuryA TO $3.50 persons
A summary of the reports from all
the roads goes on to show py process
of dissection that in the ten years
ended with 1911 one passenger
killed by wrecks on the average IN
every 81. .o0O. 900 trips, and one injured
in every 100000 trips. as compared
with one killed in 1912 in every 6s.lOo.-
600 trims and one injured In every
| .s95, 900 trips. This statement was
worked out without taking INTO N
! count the thousands OF season tickets
| sold in the year. For this reason the
report says that the travelling risk was
even less than was displayed In the
trip figures. , -,
In a table issued by the boaru VI
Trade to supplement the foregoing ng-
ures II was shown that in 1912 one
| Messenger was killed by the movement
| of trains. exclusive of accidents, OF
every 1i4O0.0OO trips. and one injured
| in every 603, 900 journeys. as compared
with the ten-year average OF one III
| IL 600 90 killed and one in 100000 hurt
| Railroad employees TO the number OF
$50 were killed in the year and 5'S's
injured. as against an average per year
OF s7s killed and 1870 hurt from 1905
| to 1911.
| II is satisfactory to note the improve
ment. as compared with the previous
| wear" saws the Board Of Trade report
4 "in the number of accidents to railway
| men while working on the permaneh
way. sidings. &c. In 1911 the casualties
| under this head were 81 killed and IL
injured. and in 1872. 81 killed and $ in
iured. The whole subject of the protec
ton of men at work on the permanen
| way has received careful consideration
and as Il result Of this consideration TN
| railway companies decided in 1913 u
amend Rule 213 in the Railway Clearins
House code so as % to make the dute'
| of the danger and lookout man clearer
C) TO provide that no man should ac
as lookout man until ne had been passe'
lby the engineers department of the rail-
way company concerned as competent
and 90 to remove a doubt in regard &
the responsibility for ceasing work in
fog or falling snow. II was also declare'
that all companies should supply al
plateIayers employed on the permanen
way with whistles or horns
The report placed the number of EN-
ployes killed on railway premises iron
causes not connected with the movemen
Of trains or cars at 50. and the total o
injured at - 49S. Included in this lis
were persons hurt through contact wit
live rails and wires on electrified roads
The number amounted to IL and non
was killed.