Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-15
53OOD|E IN YEAR
IN C|TYS
Captain Mills Tells Rotarians
$500 Were Killed by Crossing
in Middle Of Block
SPEECH STARTS CAMPAIGN

Half the street accidents result from
( people cutting across in the middle Of
the block according to Captain William
/ II. Mills. assistant superintendent of
/ police. lie gave ont figures az the
/ Rotary Cub luncheon AT the Bellevue
Stratford today. showing how careless
uesS costs many lives yearly.
This and other addresses started tho
Rotary Clubs "croSs mt crossing,
campaign. The club has declared war
on the practic" of crossing the streets
elsewhere than at regular crossings.
( Other speakers were William II. wilson.
director of public safety; James Robin
son. superintendent Of police; Harry &.
Davis, assistant director of public
( safety: T.. +. Nightcngalc. an insurance
adiuStcr. aud Lieutenant Sir Arthur
Whittcu Brown. who with Cantaiu Al
cock was the first man to make II non
stop flight across the Atlantic,
5%O0 Persons Killed in Near
According To Captain Mills there
were $500 persons injured in street ac-
'idcntS during the last year. Of these.
y" said, 2I3 were killed outright. $50
were run down by trucks. 220N by tour.
ug cars. and l4UN 10y trolley cars. Of
tn" total number 221O persons were in
mrcd. he said. because they did not use
street crossings bat tried to cut across.
There will be- 80, GOO posters. hc said
distributed about the city. calling at
/ tcntiou to th" necessity for using street
crossings
/ Sir Arthur Brown. discussing the
aerial flight situation. said cities Of this
/ country should provide airdromcs where
dlrigiblcs and airpluucS could land for
water and other supplies aud should
tax" steps to prepare for the commercial
development that is sure to follow
Transatlantic flights.
Berlet Reviews situation
t. j. Bcrlct is chairman of the club
"cross AT crossings committee" After
the luncheon he said:
Too many have been killed or
MANNED through carclcssnoSs ana
! thoughtlcSSncs>. MotOrcarS and truck
drivers are a. II rule blamocSN. The
success of the campaign We will wage
will depend largely upon the publicity
and attention il commands.
1--WE are sure that if the great body
of citizens once understand the vast
risks involved in crossing between
/ crossings. either to themselves or TO
! children to whom they set a bad OK
ample. they will Join in the work and
/ help make crossings all that their name
| implies.
"A big percentage of the ira file ac-
/ cideutS occur between street corners.
when children or older persons dart or
hurry out from the sidewalk directly
! into the path Of trolley cars. wagons
or automobiles. The vigilance of the
driver may be- momcntarily relaxed, be-
cause he surely has the privilege Of
resting from the driving strain be
tween streets. or the accidents may re-
suit even if his watchtulnoss is keyed
to the highest pitch.
Committee Personnel
Members of the cross at crossing
committee are Frank W. Buhlcr. Al
bert L. Chcvalier. John Davies. Lee !.
Eastman. Charles - Eiscnlohr. T..
Miner Fenton. William Freebooter. A.
II. Geuting, Charles c. Hcyl. Paul b.
/ Huyette. G.. II. Jackson. Carter Helm
/ Jones. W. Frepand kcndrick, Richard
u. Leonard. Frederick j. Mitchell.
I Theodore Sicfcrt and William A.
Stuard.