The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-17
burlington Route Is Continuing Good
Work of its Crusade Against
Accidents on Its
Road.
"a BULLETIN IS ISSUED
BY Studying It, and Remembering
Some OF the Salient Features,
Fatalities May be
Reduced.

Safety first work is not a passing
fad, but an excellent thing that has
come to stay. Thus the Burlington
route is keeping eVerlastingly at It.
The following from the Office of the
superintendent at Ottumwa is recetv-
ing much favorable mention and
! ought to get results:
The season is approaching when we
may look for increased danger OF
highway crossing accidents. Our
safety committee has started move
ment toward the prevention Of cross
ing accidents, or lessening in large
degree their frequency. Every agent
can assist in this campaign by using
his influence to promote greater care
on the part of drivers OF cars and
teams, and impress upon them the
fact that crossing accidents are very
numerous and practically every case
happens because of gross careless
ness on the part of the person who
tries to cross in front OF the train.
Motor car owners are doing much
to eliminate accidents. They have
circulated letters and have spoken
words of caution, and that these ef-
forts are achieving results there can
be no question for, while the number
OF motor cars going into use is in
creasing by leaps and bounds, it does
not appear that the number OF acct
dents Is growing in anything like
equal ratio.
There is one warning more import
ant than any which has not been
called sharply enough to their atten-
ton: The warning placed by us at
intersection of our tracks with pub
lie highways at grade, Danger! Look
and Listen for the cars" Failure to
take this obvious precautton results
each year in death and injury to hun
dreds of drivers on the highway.
Grade Crossing Dangerous.
Railroad crossing at grade is dam
gerous-to the man who takes |
chances. This danger can be min
imized and indeed entirely eliminated
by the use OF ordinary caution" and
common sense and the realization
that here Ia the place where fool
hardy acts must not be committed.
The driver who observes the swift
approach OF a train knows that the
engineer will pass over the crossing
without stopping, while the engineer
takes it for granted that the driver OF
the vehicle will look for safe op-
portunity to cross. It needs no argu-
ment to convince a fair minded per-
son that it is the business of the drfv-
er to watch out for the engine.
Analysing any number of grade
crossing accidents. we Will find that
so per cent is due to drivers using
poor judgment. falling to stop before
the road was clear and actually run
ming into the side of the train.
To automobiles 20 per cent hap
pen because of "throttling' down on
! high" to such low speed that at the
crucial moment the motor stalls on
the railroad track. This would not
happen il gears were shifted to in
! termediate before venturing across;
Is per cent of deliberate disregard OF
| warning of crossing flagmen: 10
per cent to drivers trying to beat the
train to the crossing: 5 per cent
! trying to cross after crossing gates
| have been lowered; 80 per cent to
various causes. It will prove instrrc-
tive to consider few examples:
| Failed to look and 1isten-A young
man and his wife, with their two
children, started for town in their
automobile. After going a mile they
came to a railroad crossing. They
failed to look or listen when they
reached the crossing and were struck
/ by swiftly moving passenger train.
All four instantly killed.
Stalled on Crossing.
Stalled on crOssing-One Of the
terrible accidents of this class was
responsible for the death of a retiF-
ed farmer and his wife. This couple
had reached the age when they felt
that prosperous circumstances justi-
fled them giving up hard work and
settling down to enjoyment of the
fruits of their labor. A home in town
was purchased, also a good automo-
bile. While this ex-farmer was still
an inexperienced driver they went
for a ride one day, following a high
way that run parallel with the rail-
road. A freight train approached
running in the same direction they
were moving. At a certain point the
highway makes a turn and crosses
the track at right angles. At the
turn the automobile was throtled
down and almost stopped. The en-
gineer thought the driver was stop
ping to let the train go by. But sud
denly the machine lurched forward
The front wheels went over the rails
and stopped. Evidently in trying to
reverse the driver killed" the engine
as so frequently happens-probablJ
he became confused and forgot how
to shift his gears. The train was
only one hundred feet away and rush
ing upon them. A moment more and