Evening journal., 1915-09-11
SATURDAY SEPT. II. 1915
TREsPAssNG ACCIDENTS STILL INCREASE.


MAYHEM Col John W. Aydon was alive and active here
w publicity agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company. Deawareans heard much more than they do
about the dangers attending trespassng on rail-
roads He did for his company much good work, both
in the columns of the newspapers and the lecture
platform IN fact the general public hereabout is still
interested acutey in the subject
While the number of passengers and employees killed
by American railroads has been decreasing for
years the most numerous class OF railway casualties
fatalities trespassers continues to increase says
the Railway Age Gazette in editorial in this weeks
issue. The condition is ascrbed to the indifference Of
Legislatures, courts and commissions that failed
to pass and enforce laws TO stop trespassing while in
the twenty-five years for which the Interstate
Commission has reported accident statistics the
total trespassers killed has amounted to 11S4S0 or
over SO per cent Of all railway fatalities
Comparing the last ive-year period for which the
statistics available 1910 to 1914, with the period
1890 1894 the Gazette shows that while the
in the number of passengers killed per cent and
in the number of employees killed 80 per cent. or
than the increase in mileage volume OF trafc
and number Of employees, the number OF trespassers
killed 526 per cent greater in the later period
Comparing the period 1910 1914 with the previous
hve-year period 1905 1909 the number OF passengers
killed decreased 1913 per cent and the number OF
ployes hlled decreased per cent while the number
of trespassers killed was IL per cent greater
Railway travel has not for many years been espec-
tally hazardous and it is becoming safer every year."
says the Gazette Working a railroad, while prop
perly classed a less dangerous occupation
according what department employe in is also
each year attended with less degree of risk But
passing railway tracks and trains has always been
and sti continues TO be very unsafe occupation and
is not growing less So"
It complains that while regulating bodies Of all kinds
have been busy passing laws and issuing orders
prevent railway accidents the railways themselves
the efforts to remove one Of the
serious blos their record with the result that
fatalities to passengers well to employees have
been steadily decreasing To the most numerous class
Of railway casualties, however the fatalities TO tres
passers the bodies that have been most vigor-
GUS in regulating the railways have shown indiner-
and this in spite Of the fact the peo-
pie killed while unlawfuy using the railroad tracks
a short cut stealing rides cars and engines
has continued to grow from year to year
For many years railway casualties increased very
rapidly it is pointed out, mainly because the number
OF people exposed TO railway accidents all kinds the
mileage Of railroads the number OF trains run and the
volume of traffic handled increasing very rapidly
The fact that the increase In was less than
the increase in the chances OF accident frequently
overlooked.
If the improvement respect 10 the safety Of railway
travel and employment be largely attributable as some
maintain. TO regulation. what must we attribute the
continued increase in the number OF fatalities
passers? AS matter Of fact. the reduction other
accidents is mainly creditabe the mana agements OF
the railways while the continued increase in fatalities
TO trespassers is mainly due TO bad government The
railways have policed their tracks arrested tres
passers by thousands. only them turned loose
because the judges have refused convict them and
local communities have declined stand the
expenses of their Incarceration.
That the percentage OF fatalities to tres
passers has not been larger is due rather to the
tivites Of the railways in keeping up agitation
gardine the evils OF respassng than any assistance
they have received from Legislatures courts
missions
While the railways have succeeded in reducing their
traffic the number of trespassers killed has almost
invariably huctuated with those factors In other
words it has governed almost entirely by the in
in the chances of accident The railroads
there the trains there are run the great.
is the hazard that they will kill persons who in
sist in walking the track and apparently the more
people there in the United States the more tres
passers there
The railway accident record is bad enough without
being exaggerated. 1t has always been widely pub
lished and hence has received than its proper
share of attention compared with the casualties in
other industries We sometimes OF an accident il
which people have been Slaughtered like sheep" Bu
properly understood nor adequately dealt with unit
action is taken by constituted authorities tc
the sheep from the goats and protect goats
from the consequences Of their natural propensity