Evening journal., 1922-04-17
pEsr RpcoRD IN HISTORY.

6eT,HE railways OF the United states in the year 1921
Il made the best accident record they have ever
thirty-four years since accident statistics
have been compiled by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission" says the Railway Age. Undoubtedly the rec
ord the made It is not probable that
any better record was made before statistics began
to be compiled"
The statistics OF accidents in 1921 the Commission
has Just made public are quite complete, but they
are near enough indicate beyond any question to
Delawareans what the complete statistics will show.
The total number Of employees duty killed in train
or train service accidents in 1921 was lOs6 This was
a reduction Of OIL AS per cent, as compared with
1920 II is the smallest number Of employees on duty
ever killed in any year for which statistics avail
able The number OF passengers killed was 2O5 This
is reduction of "a. or ION per cent, compared
with 1920. II is the smallest number Of passengers
killed in any years for which statistics are avail
able except 1895 1895 and 1915 The total number OF
employees on duty and passengers killed in train and
train service accidents 1901 as compared with
$3.50 In 1s2O--a reduction Of "A per cent, and the
smallest reported history. The total number OF
n-respassers"that is employees and all
persons having right to be railway property
killed was s1O6 as compared with 4,S2s in 1920,
reduction OF over 2s per cent
The foregoing statistics do not include fatalities re-
sung from industrial and other nontrain" accidents
that M occurring in shops and other places
which not due to the operation OF trains The
number OF persons killed in such accidents in 1920
lss. and in 1921, 400 reduction OF ~ per cent
The only of persons the fatal accidents to which
showed an increase was trespassers. The number OF
these persons killed in 1920 2166 while in 1921 II
was 24S1. an increase OF 14h per cent.
The Commissions statistics OF accidents for the last
fifteen years in the safety Of railway
operation in the United which probably has not
been surpassed and may have been equaed in any
other industry in this country the railways Of
aHa aFfn
their maximum in 1902 In that year the total persons
OF all classes killed was 1889 or these ASA were
employees and 61O passengers The number Of fatal ac-
cidents has ucuated from year to year since then but
has shown a generally declining tendency In 1921 the
handled about one-thrd passenger busi-
ness and about one-ha freight business than IN
1907 but the number Of employees and passengers killed
was almost exactly sc per cent less than in 1907
There has been corresponding reduction n the
number OF trespassers and other classes Of persons
killed Automobile accidents have seriously interfered
with efforts to reduce the number OF people killed at
highway crossings Nevertheless, when the complete
figures for 1921 are available they will show that the
total number OF persons all classes killed only
about six thousand It only about one-half the
number killed in 1907 and was than the number
killed in any year since 1899
When It is considered that the total number OF per-
sons killed in about the IN 1889 while
then the number OF employees has increased about
40 per cent the passenger traffic handled about 225
per cent and the freight business handled about 400
per cent idea OF the increase in the safety OF
operation which has occurred within the last thirty
years and especially during the last fifteen can
be formed.
The great increase in safety OF operation has been
largely due to improvements in the railway plant II
has been very largely due to the education
of employees need OF observing the rule OF safety
first in their work. the great majority Of accidents
always has been due TO man failures rather than to
plant failures