Evening star., 1936-01-12
Fifty Years Ago
i'm The Star

Washington had street safety prob
lem so years ago, although there were
c no motor cars
Safety Problem. much less dense
than at present.
In The Star of January 9, 1886, is
printed a letter from a reader citing 10
cases of accidents, two fatal, during the
preceding month and asking, do you
think any other city in this country
can furnish a record of criminal care
lessnesS to equal it?" The Star on the
same date said:
The showing given in another column
of today's paper by a correspondent who
has made a collection of the published
casualties resulting from fast or careless
driving in this city during the month
of December is one which may well
challenge the attention of those who
make laws for the District, as well as
of those charged with the duty of ad-
ministering them. 1t is doubtful whether
this record can be equaled in a single
month by any city in the country, how
ever large its population, and its pro-
portions are so formidable as to indicate
alike recklesSneSS on the part of drivers,
efficiency on the part of those whose
province it is to protect the rights of
society 1t is no doubt true that our
smooth and quiet paVementS are in a
measure responsible for the number of
such casualties, since they facilitate
faster driving here than is usual in other
cities where the street surfaces are
rough; but this is no excuse for those
~.
of others. 1t is. on the other hand, a
conclusive reason for greater care on
their part.
Because a man happens to be in or
on carriage or other vehicle it does
not by any means follow that his buSi-
ness is any more important or pressing
than that of a person who happens to
be on foot, nor has the former legally
any right of way over the latter because
he is for the time being able to run him
down by brute force. On the contrary,
foot passengers are entitled to the right
of way at regular street crossings, and
while they are bound to exercise due
caution all drivers should on their part
be compelled to bring their horses to
walk at crossings and in turning street
corners Under no other conditions can
human life and limb be safe in any city,"
A severe cold snap with an accom-
paniment of snow visited Washington
81. half a century ago,
olelShlnS on and The Star Of Janu-
the Avenue. ary II says:
Gloves, mitt te rs,
earmuffs and tippets have been con-
Spicuous features of both male and fe-
male attire since Saturday. Occasion
ally a sharp north wind has whiStled
through the city, filling the air with fine
snow. The Sleighing yesterday and to-
day has been splendid and every one
who could command the use of any sort
of conveyance on runners has been out
to enjoy it. Pennsylvania avenue was
thronged yesterday afternoon, notwith-
standing the fact that it was Sunday.
The horses in nearly every case appeared
to be unmanageable and insisted on
stepping out at full speed, despite the
desperate efforts of their drivers to re-
strain them. 1t was altogether a pretty
spectacle and the Sleighing parties had
it all their own way, as there were few
other vehicles on the road A corps of
mounted policemen, however, interfered
with their sport somewhat. Now and
then policeman would give lively chase
to some especially reckless driver and
eeScort him to the station house, where
the culprit was required to leave security
for his appearance"
The law at the time forbade driving
faster than miles an hour.