The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-11
TWO DELEGATES
 FOR ALASKA AT
 ROAD CONGRESS
Both Steese and Gotwals ln- form Gov. Bone Will At
 tend Chicago Meeting.

Col J. c Steeep and Col. J. C. Gotwals will both be in attendance as delegates for the Territory to the 12th American Good Roads Congress, which opens in Chicago next Mon
 day according to an announcement made today by Gov. Scott C. Bone
 Colonel Steese wired from Washing
 ton accepting the appointment of Governor Bone to represent Alaska and Colonel Gotwals also wired that he had changed his plans and would attend the conference.
 The growing demand for wider and safer roads and stronger bridges has awakened the officers and directors of the American Road Builders As sociation to the need for action and , the program committee has provided for an exhaustive discussion of the subject at the coming meeting. which l is combined with the National Good ! Roads Show
 Grade Crossing Evil
 The elimination of grade crossings | will be one of the phases considered i Out of 12000 persons killed on the i highways of the country last year ! 1000 were struck down at grade | crossings Investigation has shown | also that one motorist in every three is careless at grade crossings, I approaching the railroad tracks at reckless speed and without taking | due notice of approaching trains. i
 The Pennsylvania and Southern Pa | cific railroads, especially. have been . heavy sufferers from grade crossing accidents. On the Southern Pa cific lines alone during the past three years 1909 motor cars and trucks ! were wrecked at grade crossings. In 490 cases. or more than 20 per cent. | the motorists deliberately ran into /, the trains. In 122 instances autos plunged through the crossing gates. 1 Nine crossing flagmen were struck down
 Many Motorists Killed
 In 970 cases in which motorists ran in front of the trains 136 per sons were killed and 405 were in iured. In 490 cases motor cars stalled on the crossing and were de- molished Forty-three cars actually collided with the danger signals.
 An investigation conducted recent ly by the Maryland State Roads Com mission demonstrated that most high way accidents occur on long stretches of road instead of at the curves and are due 10 speeding or reckless driving, rather than skid ding.
 A total of $4500 900 was paid out in death claims by American insur- ! ance companies for the 12,000 per sons killei on the highways last year. In addition to the fatalities there were 100000 non fatal injuries.
 Automobile fatalities in 1918 were 9.542 In 1919 the number increased to 9,826. Considering the 12,000 ac- cidents last year and basing their calculations on the experiences oi St. Louis. Cleveland, New York, Chi cago and other cities for the frs six months of 1921 experts estimate that this years fatalities on the highways will reach 15,000. A total of 690 persons were killed on New York state roads and city streets dur ing the first six months last year. Of this number 403 met their death in New York City.
 Displays Are Assured
 At a recent drawing of space for the Good Roads Show in Chicago 95 per cent of the 10000 square feei of space was taken, breaking all rec ords and necessitating the use of additional buildings to house the ex- hibits Approximately S1.50o000 worth of labor saving road maehin cry and appliances will be exhibited.
 At the Good Roads Congress to be