The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-09-20

studying IL ali the Time. Inc Saf0ty
first people probably know who to
put on crossings and how fast to run
trains thru town. We, the people,
have shown that we do not know how
to keep ourselves out of danger
from autos or trains, for after each
accident we have had in past years
we have had to acknowledge that the
person or persons injured have con-
tributed to the accident, and num-
berless hair-breadth escapes have
happened, where the individuals
were entirely at fault and the cases
were never reported.
What People Must do
Before railroad accidents will
cease, the people must train them
selves not to rush upon railroad
tracks disregarding approaching
trains. They must learn of all the
unexpected thing that may happen
from unseen trains and from trains
that are visible, but not seen be-
cause the person does not look in
that direction. There are narrow
escapes every few days at the Bridge
street crossing, where a flagman
does his best to control people. Peo-
pie cross in front of trains with the
fagman waving them to stay off.
Autos disregard him and in some
cases would run over him il he did
not Jump out of the way. Only
few days ago man driving car and
eating lunch crossed the tracks at
high speed and narrowly missed
killing the flagman and then being
run over by a. train. The fiagman,
seeing that he was determined to
cross, stepped aside and the driver
zig-zaged so he had to dodge the
other way to save himself. Then he
missed collision with a train only
because the engineer applied the
brakes and slowed down to let him
get by. A, short time ago a man
driving team was crossing the
tracks and the horses, being more OBJ
servant than their driver, stopped
and backed up to keep from being
struck by a train. A short time ago
the driver of a school wagon on the
Aberdeen branch drove on the track
in front of an approaching motor car
when it was in plain sight, and man
was killed. A cOroner's jury of al
legged intelligent citizens said in their
verdict that it was an unavoidable
accident. II they meant that it was
unavoidable for the driver of the
school wagon to get on the tracks
when he had all day and all the road
then the jury ought to be held &C
countable for perjury.
People not Obedient>
In many places where people will
not obey fiagman on the crossing,
the company have installed gates or
arms to obstruct the crossing in
times of danger, and at one of our
neighboring towns such distractions
had to be abandoned because pedes- !
trains would dodge under them and |
auto drivers would crash into them.
Down at American Falls the company
installed an electric bell to ring when
a train was approaching, and a red
object to wave to call peoples at
tention to the danger and last week
Dave Burrel watched while train
approached and eleven teams were
driven across in front of it, and not
one of the drivers looked to the right
or left or paid any attention to the
ringing of the bell or the swinging
signal.
Public Counting Danger
Last Thursday when the shocking
accident had just happened at the
Alice street crossing and the
mangled forms were being borne
away, Agent Young looked up along
the track, where the freight train
was moving out, and some small
boys were. standing by the track,
holding their hands up to the sides
of the freight cars and touching
them as they rushed by. These cars
subject to constant strains, have
nails, spikes and slivers of wood and
iron protruding in places, and one of
these might have slashed boys
hand or jerked him under the
wheels.
A few days ago when freight
rain was passing Bridge street some
pupils were waiting on the east side
md some of the small boys hung on
% the sides of the cars until the flag
nan got them off by the yelling pro-
'ess, for they were on the opposite Ii
tide of the train from him. The
public have share in the respon- [
'ibility for such acts and accidents +,
out of them. Il
Freaks of a Jury
These are some things which the I
'ublic are doing in their liberty I
owing way, and yet an alleged intelli- t
'ent coroner's jury last Friday even {
ng signed verdict saying it is I
negligence for the railroad II
company not to have a flagman at I
he crossing of Alice street. Only a
ew months ago representatives of t
he city and the railroad company I
at down together and decided that r
was advisable to put on one flag a
nan at Blackfoot, and the company q
oft it to the city to decide which t
rossing to have him on, and they z
hose Bridge street to be guarded ?
nd Alice to be left unguarded. r
his being true, the jury should have t
aid it was criminal NEGLIGENCE on the Il
art Of the city and the company, O
or the city made the choice. The t
reliability is that a prejudiced G
awyer of two-by-four caliber wrote D
ut the verdict and the jurymen ex- n
rcising about the usual amount of t
signed it. "
Different Brand Of Jury O
Just a year ago, a woman was Il
illed on the street by an auto, I'M Il
err similar circu INST ancnS-in hoth | 4,