SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF OPERATING ROADS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889 (146,586.16 MILES OF LINE REPRESENTED). TABLE No. 35. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. EMPLOYÉS. PASSENGERS. OTHER PERSONS. TOTAL. KIND OF ACCIDENT. Coupling and uncoup Killed. Injured. Killed. Injured. Killed. Injured. Killed. Injured. ling cars 300 6,757 300 6,757 A comparison of the corresponding totals for the year ending June 30, 1888, with the totals in the above table, disclose a marked degree of uniformity in railway accidents. The figures for last year are as follows: TABLE No. 36. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1888. The facts here disclosed show in a startling manner the dangerous. nature of railway employment. In order to fully appreciate them, the casualties reported should be assigned to the total number employed, as also to the number of employés in the several classes peculiarly liable to the sort of accidents recorded. The total number of railway employés in the United States is 704,743, which, for the present purpose, may be divided into trainmen, switchmen, flagmen, and watchmen, and other employés. The number of employés in each class and the casualties in each class are given in the following statement: 1 704,743 | 1,972 20,028 It is certainly a dangerous employment in which 1,972 deaths and 20,028 injuries occur in a year out of a total of 704,743 employés. This shows 1 death for every 357 employés, and 1 injury for every 35 employés; or, making a similar statement for trainmen, that is to say, engineers, firemen, conductors, and other trainmen, railway accidents are the occasion of 1 death for every 117 employés, and of 1 injury for every 12 men employed. If these figures be placed by the side of corresponding figures for England, the comparison is greatly to the discredit of the United States. According to the report of the Board of Trade on railway accidents for the year 1888, English railways gave employment to 346,426 men, of which number 396 were killed and 2,193 injured. From this it appears that in England 1 person is killed for every 875, and 1 injured for every 158 men employed. Or, if the number engaged in handling trains be separated from other employés, it is found that the English railway system gives employment to 35,239 trainmen. Of this number 107 were killed and 1,185 injured during the year 1888, which shows 1 killed for every 329, and one injured for every 30 trainmen. Certainly, if Government can do anything to secure greater protection to the men engaged in the business of inland transportation, the figures here given provide a sound basis of fact for an argument supporting any measure appropriate to the end sought. Turning now to consider the casualties to passengers, it appears that 310 passengers have been killed and 2,146 passengers injured during the fiscal year 1889. The total number of passengers carried was 472,171,346, from which it appears that 1 passenger in every 1,523,133 was killed, and 1 passenger in every 220,024 was injured. For the year 1888, the rate of casualty in England to passengers from railway accidents was 1 passenger in 6,942,336 killed, and 1 passenger in 527,577 injured. In France the ratio of casualty is about the same as in England, although the statements commonly published when carelessly used seem to imply that railway travel in France is much safer. In either case, however, the comparison shows to the discredit of the United States. But in considering these figures it should be noted that the conditions of travel are very different in this country from what they are in England or in France. Passenger mileage, for instance, for a given number of tickets sold is much greater, a fact which mitigates somewhat the severity of criticism upon railway management in the United States. In conclusion, we most respectfully report that there were a large number of cases reported to this Commission that were amicably settled between the plaintiffs and the railroad companies, without the intervention of this Commission in its official capacity, the Commissioners in such cases having advised such a course as being the most expeditious and judicious. Hence these cases do not appear in our report. Respectfully submitted. JAS. V. KELLY, Secretary. P. J. WHITE, JAS. W. REA, A. ABBOTT, Board of Railroad Commissioners. 0 |