The Industrial Review, Social and Political. — 1878-06-29 (London, England)

ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS.  THERE was issued last week, by the Board of Trade, a summary of accidents and casualties which had been reported to the Board as having occurred upon the railways in the United Kingdom during the months of January, February, and March, 1878. The casualties are divided into three classes :  Class I. comprises accidents to trains, rolling stock, permanent way, &c. These caused the deaths of three persons (one passenger and two railway servants) and injury to 158 (123 passengers and 35 railway servants). "During the three months there were reported ii collisions between passengers trains or parts of passenger trains, by which 42 passengers and seven servants were injured; 21 collisions between passenger trains and goods or mineral trains, engines, &c., by which one passenger was killed,. and 67 passengers and three servants were injured; four collisions between goods trains or parts of goods trains, by which one servant was killed and four were injured; Ii cases of passenger trains or parts of passenger trains leaving the rails, by which one passenger and one servant were injured; two ooze.; of goods trains or porta of goods Ultima leaving the rails, by which one servant was killed and 15 were injured; four cases of trains or engines travelling in the wrong direction through points, by which one servant was injured; three cases of trains running into stations or sidings at too high a speed, by which six passengers were injured; one case of the bursting of tubes of an engine, by which two servants were injured; the failure of 85 axles causing. injury to two passengers; three cases of the failure of couplings, causing injuring to one servani ; the fracture of 115 rails, causing injury to five passengers; and two accidents of a miscellaneous description, causing injury to one servant. Class IL comprises "accidents to passengers from causes other than accidents to trains, including accidents from their own want of caution or misconduct ; accidents to persons passing over level_ crossings, trespassers, and others." These are responsible for 103 persons killed and 183 injured, 13 of the former and 126 of the latter being passengers. Seven passengers "were killed and 14 injured by falling between carriages and platforms; one was killed and 93 were • injured by falling on to platforms, ballast, &c., when getting into or alighting from trains; three were killed and four injured while passing over the line at stations; six were injured by the closing of carriage doors, one was killed and three were injured by falling out of carriages during the travelling of trains; and one was killed and six were injured from other causes. Twelve persons were killed and five injured while passing over the line at levtl-crossings—Vi2., seven killed and five injured at public level-crossings, one killed at an occupation crossing, and four killed at foot-crossings ; 55 persons were killed and 29 injured when trespassing on the railways; i 6 persons committed suicide on railways; and of other persons not specifically classed, but mostly private people having business on the company's premises, seven were killed and 23 injured."  Class 111. consists of "accidents to servants in the employ of railway companies or contractors, caused by the travelling of trains or the movement of vehicles used exclusively on railways : "—During the three months there were 126 servants of companies or contractors reported to have been killed and 496 injured, in addition to those included in Class I. Of these 14 were killed and 95 injurea by coupling or uncoupling vehicles; 15 were injured by coming in contact, while riding on vehicles during shunting, with other vehicles, &c., standing on adjacent lines; two were killed and I I injured while passing over or standing upon buffers during shunting; six were killed and 58 injured in getting on or off, or by falling off engines, waggons, &c., during shunting; 30 were injured while  ‘\