Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-13
THE HRYN ATHYN HORROR
May Smash Some Railroad Statistics
for 1e2t--one Of the Coolest OF
Earth's Products, Once a Gu.
rIosIty Of Science, Now
Manufactured Here
Bv GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

TNHE Reading Railroads holocaust NJ
L Bryn Athyn may markedly affect rail-
road statistics for 1921.
In a moment II knocked great hole In
the fine statistical record Of gradually de.
clining railroad accidents over period OF
years.
Railroad managers have prided themselves
over the increased efficiency in operation
which was lessening the number OF fatalities
to passengers.
The figures for the entire country present
the remarkable record Of only one fatality
to every 6,613,0 passengers carried IN
Now comes the Readings awful wreck,
with It's tinder box cars, and the record for
1921 of a low death rate will likely be
The Bryn Athyn horror killed one eighth
as many passengers as were killed on all the
railroads of the United States during the
year 1920.
THIS is how II may affect general rail-
4 road statistics for 1921
No matter how fine showing the Penn.
sylvania Railroad, the Burlington the
southern Pacific and hundred other roads
may make in safeguarding passengers lives
in the aggregate the Reading, perhaps, has
shivcred the showing to pieces.
1t required thirty two years Of constantly
increasing care in management for Amcrl.
'uu TullTOaOS 10 attain tnP 10" HSuItS VI
1920 of the number Of passengers killed In
transit
In 1888, thirty.two years ago, 315 pas
sengers travelling on railroad trains were
killed outright or fatally injured.
Last year, 1920, only 900 were killed in
the entire country.
II is pretty nearly equivalent TO the popu-
iation of Philadelphia going travelling by
train without n single fatality occurring.
Considering the vast increase in travel in
generation this figure is remarkable.
TT is a difficult thing, however, when it
comes to the number Of trespassers on
railroad property who met death.
There were 4534 of these killed or injured.
Even at that, 1t was the lowest record in
thirty years.
Reckless automobile drivers are appar-
emily growing fewer in number-or else ac-
quiring little common sense.
Grade crossing accidents to automObilists
have remained at Il standstill for the last
three years.
This. too. in spite of the increase of
1000. 900 automobiles In use every year.
between 1910 and 1917 grade crossing
accidents increased 135 per cent.
Safety first propaganda, increased
efficiency of railroad employees and safety
education In schools and in the newspapers
are very evidently reducing the death roll in
''''' p"i 'ANNihA'
TNWENTY -FOUR years ago Prof Barker.
L of the University Of Pennsylvania. OK
hibitcd in his laboratory what was hailed
as one Of the greatest end oft the century
discoveries.
1t was several gallons Of liquid air
brought over from New York in a milk can.
II was about the coolest thing that ex-
perimental science had produced up to that
time.
It was announced thnt the liquid was OBJ
tained by reducing air to n temperature Of
800 degrees below zero.
| noted in this column n few days ago
the fact that Prof. Dcwar. of London. had
startled the savnnts over there with similar
exhibition in 1890.
This was in connection with the centenary
celebrations of the Royal Institute.
In that case it was liquid hydrogen the
scientist produced.
CHARLES r. TRIPLER popularized
~ liquid air In this country by public leo
lures, one Of which was delivered in this
city.
But Triplcr and the other scientists had
their own troubles.
The railroads regarded the stuff as they
would dynamite or nitrOglycerin, and de-
Clincd to handle It,
Up in Scranton n lecture on the subject
but it had to he postponed. The express
companies refused TO transport the liquid afr.
The lecturer wns compelled to go to New
York and carry two gallons of it back to
Scranton before he could fill his engagement,
Mr.. Tripler had, believe, contract TO
cool the Walnut Street Theatre by LIQUID
air in the summer of 1899.
There was also talk Of introducing 1t on
Pullman cars running across the alkali
deserts of the West in summer. But 1t
ended in talk.
A Nd now this liquid. the coolest thing in
"A the world Is an everyday article of
manufacture in Philadelphia
II Is 50 cold that II one were to stick his
finger into 1t for a few seconds the digit
would become so brittle it could be broken
off like the end Of an cycle.
1t Ia used to create what in combinst;o,
Is one Of the hottest things in all creation.
This may seem paradoxCal but it's n
fact
The atmospheric air we breathe Is changed
by mechanical process into n liquid.
In the course of manufacture liquid oxy-
gen Is maintained at temperature of 81 1
degrees below zero
THE oxygen gas Of commerce produced
l. from this liQuefaCtion Of the oxygen ot
the atmosphere Is used in the Oxy. ncctvIenf
metal cutting process.
This latter in tsolf is one Of tho raco,,
| mechanical triumphs. The fame. ne !.
| known. cnts through steel like l,pif,
| through cream cheese.
But after all there Is apparently notbin,
| new under the sun.
| Liducfed oxygen and hydrogen were sim.
! posed to be discoveries Of the last twentv
| five years. until Or. Bprthcot. ono of 81
| secretaries of the Academy Of Scionoon
claimed the honor for France as far bocl
as 1777.