The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-08-25


enues on permanent improvements as
on dividends, if that was possible
There is, then, a basis of interest as
well as Of morals for cooperation be-
tween the public and the railroads to
prevent the recurrence of these trag-
edies.
with a deep sense of the respon-
sibility Of management in this mat
ter and pledging this Company to do
everything in its power which is rea-
sonable and consistent with the func-
lions for which it was chartered, ap-
peal to the public generally for such
cooperation in avoiding these serious
and distressing accidents. In practical
ly all cases they can be, and in most
cases are, readily and easily avoided
by the automobile driver acting upon
the familiar warning to stop, look and
listen at railway crossings. While
familiarity with the crossing sign
posts and the regular schedules OF
trains may breed contempt of danger,
surely every one Of US when using a
highway can afford to sacrifice enough
of his time and his pride of opinion
to have a practical assurance of safe
ty. On the other hand, the demands
of commerce and of public transpor-
tation do not permit railroad to stop
all its trains at all highway crossings:
if that was possible it would be cheap
er for the railroad to do so than to
pay the damages. 1t is clear, however,
that it is necessary that one or the
other of the parties to a crossing shall
stop If the largest measure of protec-
ton Of life and limb and property is
to be secured. If not from selfinter-
est, can not the automobile driver
yield the precedence as matter of
courtesy to age, for the railroad is
older than the automobile!
Eliminating Grade Crossings
THE ideal of safety will be accom-
plished only when all grade crossings
of railroads are separated. In this
respect Southern Railway Company is
doing something every year and as
much as its resources and other obi
cations make possible: indeed, it may
be claimed that the Company is,
speaking generally, making progress
more rapidly than most municipalities
which have an obligation in the prem
Uses: but by cooperation of. munich
palities and railroads many dangerous
crossings have been eliminated
throughout the South, and more will
be every year. Furthermore, on every
bit of construction work of Southern
Railway Company now in progress, or
recently completed, involving the re-
location or double tracking of line
(nearly four million dollars has been
spent on such work during the past
year,, provision has been made at
large additional expense to separate
all important highway crossings of the
revised line. wherever physically prac-
ticable, and this policy will be contin-
ued for the future.
Given the history of our tranSpor-
tation and highway systems and the
enormous cost of adjusting them to
modern conditions, the elimination of
grade crossings is and in the very
nature of the problem must be a grad
ual development with the growth OF
population and wealth, but, meanwhile,
good judgment on the part of all con-
cerned can do much to anticipate the
OOhCAlo VI Tile QOS1I dOiO
expenditure of large sums of money.
The same sober sense of responsible
ity for life on the part of automobile
drivers which actuates most locomo-
tive engineers, and in addition the
willingness of the automobile driver in
such high interest to subordinate
his time and convenience to that of
the greater number represented by a
railroad train, can check waste OF
life and limb and property which is
now increasing every year.
ITO this end appeal confidently for
the counsel of every responsible man
and woman in the South, whether or
not he or she drives an automobile.
Words of caution and common sense
around the family dinner table can
have more influence and can save
more lives at railway grade crossings
than all the warning whistles ever
blown by locomotive engineer"