Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-06-18
KILLED ON RAILROAD
FIGURES SHOW APPALLING RE-
SUITS OF TREsPAss.
Use of Lines Right of Way in This
Country Is Responsible for a
Death List That Has Be-
come Serious.

A circular issued by the New Haven
railroad says that it is not so much
affected by the genus hobo as some
other roads in this country are, yet in
the last three years AZ persons have
been killed and 994 injured while tres
passing on the company's property. In
the majority of cases the persons
killed or injured were not tramps but
persons who were using the railroads
right of way as a public highway,
generally to make short cut, or young
boys or men seeking to steal rides on
freight trains.
In 1912 152 persons falling under
the class of trespassers on the New
Haven right of way were killed and
108 injured; in 1913 172 were killed
and 100 injured, and in 1914 118 were
killed and 126 injured. During these
years the New Haven and other roads
of the country have been making eff
forts to end the trespassing evil and
avert the loss Of life. but seemingly
without success.
The heaviest toll of life is taken in
the summer, the mortality rising from
the spring months with the tempera-
ture. For example, in the month of
January of this year on the New
Ravens line four trespassers were
killed, in February eight, in March fif-
teen, gain of almost 100 per cent in
a month.
These figures form striking con-
trasts when compared with the losses
of life through trespass on railroad
property In other countries. In Great
Britain between 1901 and 1910 only d.
344 persons were killed and 1915 in
jured. Great Britain. however, takes
strong legal means to prevent loss of
life through trespass on her railroads
right of way, as is shown by the New
Ravens statement, which says:
"If you walk along railroad in Eng
land, believing you can thereby see the
country better or get home more quick
ly, you are arrested and taken before
local magistrate, who fines you $40.
In Canada you can be fined up to $50
and imprisoned for two months, and
there, too. the law is strictly enforced.
In France unless you have a permit
you cannot walk the tracks without
great danger of being fined and even
jailed In Germany the penalties range
up to $25.
"Only Is states in this country have
thus far followed the example of these
European countries in having laws for
bidding such use Of railroad property,
These states are Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin,
Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Missouri,
Minnesota and Washington. The pen
alties prescribed range all the way
from five dollar fine and ten days in
Jail in Maine to $500 fine and year in
Jail in New York.
Gin one town in Connecticut, where
the New Ravens tracks were persist
emily crossed at number of points as
short cut, the railroad erected
standard wire fence in addition to put
ting up warning signs. This fence was
torn down as fast as it was put up.
Finally, unable for this reason to keep
the fence in repair so that it might
serve it's purpose, the railroad attempt
ed to erect other barriers. They were
removed in a similar manner, the last
one being torn down the very next day
after 1t was put up.
What makes the problem an espe-
cially serious one for New England is
the very large contribution which in
dustrial workers make annually to this
death toll. Probably no other railroad
in proportion to its length has SO many
industries located close to the rail-
road tracks as the New Haven. In
many cases the employees of these es-
Establishments elect to use the right of
way as highway to and from their
homes in disregard of all warning
signs. To abate this evil the railroad
has taken the matter up directly with
the heads Of these concerns and has
asked for their cooperation. 1t has
| also asked. school superintendent to
caution their pupils of the danger of
walking or playing on or near the rail
road tracks"