Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-12-31
TOLL OF RAILROADS
IS 10000 PER YEAR
Maximum Legal Indemnity
Would Be $101,150,0 900
If Collected.
A. 8. Henning, in the chicago rrtbupe.

A. 8. Henning, in the Chicago Tribune.
II the railroads of the United State,
were to pay the maximum legal in
demn1ty OF $4,000 for each life they
took during the yea ending June 81
last they would disburse SOL, LOO. 900 tt
widows. orphans and other dependents
of the victims.
The report OF railway accidents fol
the last fiscal year now being prepared
by the Interstate Commerce commits
sion discloses d death roll of 10,150 per
sons, the greater number of whom
We're employees. During the same period
100, 600 persons were injured in railroad
accidents.
Confronted by this graphic evidence
of thee eadliness of the American rail
road the commission has decided that
radical steps must be taken to achieve
a greater measure of safety for en-
ployes and for the travelling public. AL
though the efforts OF the commission
so far have resulted in some progress
shown by the official figures to be
slight. For the last fiscal year this
number killed was only S14 less than
for the previous year.
Kill 100000 in IS Years.
During the last Is years more than
10000 persons have been killed on
American railroads and more than g.
900, 600 injured. The property, loss due
to wrecks since 1907 totals s52, 600. 900.
The ravages OF war pale into in
significance before these silent indica-
tons OF the destruction Of human life
accompanying the peaceful operations
OF our railroads." said an official Of
the commission, discussing the forth
coming report.
THE causes of death and injury are
legion. They include derailments, COL
lisions, boiler explosions, miscellaneous
train accidents, and industrial acct
dents to employees.
There is a dreary monotony in the
of the reported cases of these
accidents" says a report Of the com
Year after year derailments
and collisions due to identical causes
are reported"
Most Victims Employees.
Under the present law. railroads are
required to report by telegraph to the
commission all accidents in which
human life is lost. There are more en-
ployes killed than passengers many
employees losing their lives in the OPP
GRAFTON of trains in railroad yards. In
wrecks moro passengers than employees
are Killed. There are a surprisingly
large number of t~respassers killed on
railroads. This class includes
persons moi employed nor passengers.
The Interstate Commerce commission
is doing all it car under present laws
prevent accidents: It prescribes
appliances and enforces the law
limits the hours OF service of
train employees and telegraph opera
tors. This law was passed by con-
gress when it was shown thai many
wrecks were due to h over working of
train crews.
Great speed has been developed on
American railroads during the last dec
ade, and this speed seems to be in
Difference to public demand. The
weight of trains has increased to such
extent that it has caused terrific
on steel rails, Notwithstanding
increase in the weight and size of
rails. Ten years & rails of less
100 pounds were largely Used on
roads.
Now the prevailing rail weighs 100
pounds to every So inches and on the
systems the main line rail weighs
no pounds to the yard. In the recent
hearing before the Interstate Com
commission, Samuel Rea, presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania system,
that the Pennsylvania is maxi
Ing plans for laying 125-pound rails on
Its main lines.
The high speed of trains has devel-
oped a defect in rails that is danger
Gus, particularly as the defect cam
be detected under present meth
DDS In the making of the rail or after
1t is completed. A heavy train running
at a high speed develops the defect and
a derailment takes place
causes loss Of life and injury to
persons. This defect is what Is
known as transverse fissure. Its elm
lnation calls for better mill practice,
experts of the commission say, and
they are now engaged on a series OF
Ing the making Of rails in the United
Whenever a wreck is reported to the
commission which involves the loss OF
life, an investigation is made by in
spectors II possible and a report pub
lished. This ends the matter SO far as
the federal government Is concerned.
Publicity Not Enough.
Something besides publicity, the COM
mission has found by experience, is
to effect a reform. 1t has
recommended that 1t be given authority
to supervise to a large extent the ply
would include the prescribing
Of signals and equipment, the character
Of rails, compulsory use OF steel
and a variety of other pre-
measures, including the reg
Of speed.
The New Haven investigation showed
wv wrecks In which a couple OF
scores of lives were lost were caused l,y
precisely identical conditions that had
wrecks on the same line a few
previous. To make the matter
worse and to nccentuate the fact that
these wrecks could have been pre-
1t was shown that the commits
sion in the case OF the earlier wrecks
had made recommendations which the
had deliberately ignored. The
commissions experts think there Is a
vital need for a compulsory use Of the
block system and for the use OF auto
matte stops in certain situations, and
also for q uniform code Of signals and
rules.
Train Order System Had7
It Is stated that the inherent weak
ness OF the train order system is dis
closed by the fact that Of AZ collisions
Investigated. % were due to failure OF
or engine men to under
stand or obey orders.
Had TO Put In Money.
From the London Evening Standard.
A minister was once preaching at q
little chapel or the subject Of Civ