The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-09-15
SAFETY FIRST
MEETING HELD
GENERAL PUBLIC INVITED TO CO.
OPERATE WITH LOCAL COM.
MITTEES IN CHARGE.
Other Meetings Will Be Held During
the Next Few Weeks to Promote
Safety for Everyone.

Co-operation of the public in safety
first methods Is essential TO the sue
cess Of the street car and railway en-
ployes, according to the speakers at
the safety first meeting held last night
at the Carroll Club auditorium. and al
tended by number Of prominent bus:
mess men and employees in the local
industrial plants.
The first speaker was Charles B.
Scott. president of the Bureau Of Safe
ty at Chicago, III. The other speakers
were Samuel Reid, field agent OF the
Bureau Of Safety. and William Fish,
Of Pittsburgh, vice president OF the
West Penn Traction Company and it's
affiliations. City officials Of Wheeling
and surrounding towns, schools and
others also made short talks.
In connection with the discourses,
an interesting program was rendered
by Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Kincheloe and
Mrs. Anna Hilton-Otto. During the
evenings entertainment they rendered
number Of musical numbers.
Cooperation is Necessary.
Mr.. Scott, the principal speaker,
said the street car companies, ral-
ways and other industrial concerns
! have made certain regulations for the
protection of their employees and pa
irons, Dul III OluSl " afoiA o''ieS''''
the cooperation OF the public was
needed. Series of meetings on public
safety were advocated. and the general
public was urged 10 attend them.
The speaker said the placing or
guards on cog wheels in the factories,
and the insulation Of wires have re-
duced the number Of accidents 10 per
cent. The thoughtlessness of men
claims the greater number OF victims
of accidents They do not heed the
warnings of the signs that are dis
played above railroad crossings or on
public roads, or in the plants.
Every Is minutes during the day
there Is some workman killed while
performing his duties. In the various
industries Of the country there Is some
employee injured every 10 minutes,
he said.
The number Of trespassers on the
railroads who are killed every year is
| Sc, 900, and there are $4,000 injured
because they do not heed the warn
| ings of the signs placed at crossings,
while $4,000 OF these unfortunates are
persons under the age Of Is years.
The others are men and women VINO
are either going or returning from
their work One Of the greatest rea-
sons for so many catastronhes Is De-
cause so many of the working people
will try to squeeze between the cars,
hoping 10 save a few minutes time.
Many Killed at Crossings.
During the past year lao work
men were killed at crossings just be-
cause they did not look where they
were going.
While there have been fifteen per.
| cent OF a decrease in the saving or
! lives because Of the safety first move
ments the other eighty'fire per cent
take the chances Of gambling with
| their lives and loose.
The only remedy is to have the en-
ployes of public transportation com
panes 10 meet at periodical gather
| ings and discuss these matters. SINCE
| these meetings were inaugurated the
| number Of accidents have been re-
duced fifty percent, the speaker said.
! The street car companies and ralI-
ways are buying new equipment in the
interest Of the safety first movement.
/ According TO the speakers the work
ingmen will derive more benefits by
looking out for their own safety than
they would If they were injured and
! expected some compensation frUn
their employees. 1t was demonstrlt.
cd that safety first methods paid
, better in the end.
: Dwelling again upon the number ct
| accidents that occurred al rail way anu
street car crossings the speaker SAID
+ that all parents should warn their
children 10 look both up and down tia
street before they crossed it,