Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-07-01
SIX THOUSAND ARE
KILLED EACH YEAR

| Inc NUMBER OF persons kllIeu d
grade crossings and while trespassin&
on railway property in the United
States is about 5000 annually, says
the Railway Age Gazette. This is 81
per cent Of all the fatal accidents
which occur on our railways. 1t is
double the number of passengers and
employers killed. 1t is, therefore, q
| terrible anomaly that far more public
attention is given, and far more reg
ulation is directed to reducing acct
| dents to passengers and employees
than to other classes of persons
Neither the public nor most public
authorities seem to understand the
true situation if they understand it,
do not appear disposed to deal with it
intelligently, fairly and effectively.
| Here and there, however, there is
a public official whose utterances
show he has studied the statistics re-
garding and the causes of grade cross
ing and trespassing accidents; that
! he has arrived at correct conclusions
as to the only practical preventives
| OF them; and that he has the cour-
age to express himself frankly re-
garding them A notable example is
afforded by Alex. Gordon, member
| of the railroad commission of Cali
| fornia, whose recent address on acct
dents at grade crossings and to tres
passers. Mr. Gordon shows that a
large majority of grade crossing ac-
| cidents are due to the needless multi
plication of crossings of highways
| over railways, and to the carelessness
| of those using the crossings. The
popular impression is that most OF
them are due to highways being
opened across railways and many OF
them are more of menace than a
convenience to the public. The rem
edy ordinarily suggested for grade
crossing accidents is the elimination
of the crossings, at the expense of
| the railways. In view of the fact
| that most grade crossings result from
| highways being opened across rail
| ways, the adoption of this remedy
| is most unjust to the railways, un
less they are allowed to pass the
burden along to the public through
their freight and passenger rates.
| In the long run, this is what is bound
| to occur. How impracticable, from
the standpoint of both the railways
and the public is the abolition OF
| grade crossing accidents by the I'M
| dicated by some figures given Jby
| Mr. Gordon regarding the situation
in California. There are 10000 grade
| crossings in the state alone. There
fore, estimating the average cost oil
| separating them at 100000, the cost
of eliminating all of them would be
| $500, 100000. But, as Mr.. Gordon
says, his estimate of $4,000 as the
average cost of separating grades
Is very conservative. The average
cost throughout the country up tC
| the present time has been nearer $50,
90, On this basis the total cost oil
separating all grades in California
would be half billion dollars; and
California is but one state out Of
fortye-ight!
The universal separation of grades
as a remedy for crossing accidents is
not practical because the cost of i
twould bep rohibitive. There are other
remedies the application of which
would cost very much less, and which
can be made effective. Mr. Gordon
mentions a number of these. One
point which his discussion brings out
clearly however, is that if this class
of accidents is to be reduced there
must be done, cordial and energetic
cooperation between the railways ant
public officers The railways should
be required to adopt all reasonable
measures to safeguard their cross
ings If, after they have done this
their warning signals are disregard
ed, their watchmen are defied or theil
|
aften the case all over the United
States, it becomes the obvious dut.
Of the public authorities to step il
and arrest and punish the offenders
Otherwise, all the efforts made by thu
railways will continue to be compare
lively fruitless.
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