Railroad Accidents Part 2

And when you are pulling into a station and intend to take water and are going to run by the pipe a few feet, don't use the emergency brake to stop with, because, if you do, some one is liable to get hurt.

Nearly every one has been on a train when this has been done contrary to Rules 42 and 43, and if you enginemen could hear some of the uncomplimentary remarks that are made about you and the company on such occasions, you would feel like thirty cents. And when it is raining to beat the band, stop your trains so that the pa.s.sengers can get off opposite the station building and avoid getting wet, do not pull them by a couple of hundred feet just because the locomotive is thirsty. Pull up to the tank after the pa.s.sengers get on and off, so says Rule 24, and the women, and men, too, for that matter, will think you are a dandy and vote for you the next time you run for school trustee; and perhaps, by so doing, you may prevent your best girl spoiling her dress.

And when you are running an engine you want to know that its grease-cups are screwed on tight and that its brake-shoes are not cracked, if you do not want to have cases like the following:

Fred. C. Mitch.e.l.l, while waiting for a train on station platform at Lucian, Feb. 1st, was struck and fatally injured by a grease-cup plug from engine No. 206.

Chas. C. Wilson, standing on the platform at Newton, June 30th, to take pa.s.sage on a train; brake-shoe on engine No. 716, running through the station at 60 or 65 miles an hour, broke, and part of it struck him on the foot.

One of the rules most frequently disregarded is No. 11, prohibiting a train on the double track pulling through a station while another one is standing there unloading pa.s.sengers.

About nine times out of ten you can do it without an accident, but the tenth time some one will get hurt and you will get a vacation from 30 days to life. I know it is tantalizing, when you are pulling a fast train and are, perhaps a little late, to be compelled to stop and wait until the other train has pulled out, and its last car pa.s.sed the end of the platform nearest you, when you could sneak through the station and save a little time, and perhaps no harm be done and no one be the wiser; but don't do it, because the rule says you must not.

If that part of the rule which says, "When two trains are nearing a station from opposite directions at the same time, and only one of them is scheduled to stop, the train making the stop must reduce speed and let the other through the station before it arrives" was complied with, the trouble would be largely overcome.

You men who are running stations should see that your platform lamps are not only kept clean and properly filled, but that after dark they are burning so that pa.s.sengers won't get hurt falling off platforms in the dark, and that the platforms are kept clear of freight as per Rule 17; that baggage and express trucks are placed where patrons won't fall over them, and, if there is a fast train coming, especially a mail or newspaper train, notify the pa.s.sengers and get them inside the depot, the only safe place at such times. Especially is this necessary on the double track. If there is a broken plank or a hole in the station platform, nail a board over it until the carpenters can get around to fix it. See that the platforms are kept clear of snow and ice; but when there is ice on the platform throw ashes or sand over the ice so that people won't slip on it. And if you have people waiting for trains at your station, especially in the night-time, see that the fire in the stove in the waiting-room is kept going so that they will be comfortable and not catch cold. It will take you less time to do these things than it will to make a report of an injury, and then cases like these won't be put up to your claim agent to guess at:

Mrs. J. P. Gedney, injured at Ontario, June 24, 10:27 p.m., was at station to take pa.s.sage on train No. 17, went out of a lighted waiting-room onto a dark platform and fell.

Mrs. Mollis Schmella and Dr. Cleveland, injured, pa.s.sengers on train 31, arrived at Altruria 8:30 p.m., Sat.u.r.day, Aug. 21st; raining; got off train, no lights on platform; doors of depot locked, and fell from platform to track.

M. O. Hudson, pa.s.senger from Elton to Woodbridge, on train No. 47, arriving at latter place Aug. 28th, at 12:30 a.m., got off coach and ran up to baggage car to get baggage; in doing so ran against train signal on platform, was thrown down and injured; no lights on platform or in signal.

S. W. Thomas, pa.s.senger on train No. 48, injured at Harkrader, Oct 21st, at 11:20 p.m., was getting off chair car, which stood 150 ft. south of the platform; there were no lights, and the porter had no lantern, and when he stepped from the car step to the porter's box he slipped and fell.

And sweep the car platforms, so pa.s.sengers won't slip on banana peels, and then such a case as the following won't happen:

H. T. Witheridge, injured at Wingate, Aug. 4, 1903, caused by his slipping on a banana peeling left on the platform of a coach in train No. 176 by the car cleaners.

When pa.s.sengers are carried on freight trains Rule 12 says the car in which they are riding must stop at the platform to unload them. Don't do it out in the yard, and, if you have to do switching after unloading the pa.s.sengers, stop at the station platform as you are pulling out and give the pa.s.sengers a chance to get on and not compel them to go into the yard in order to do so. If at night, they might fall into a culvert or over some obstruction alongside the track and get hurt, and, if the platform at the station is short, arrange your work so as to make one stop where the pa.s.sengers can get off safely, and notify them, so they will know when they can do so; and be sure to a.s.sist them in getting on and off, especially the old men and women, the children, and the cripples (that is what Rule 23 says, you always do it for the young and pretty girls) and then we won't be trying to conjure up excuses for cases like the following, or pay for them either:

Miss Belle Saunders, injured at Milwood, Dec. 14, was a pa.s.senger on train No. 16 from Homer to Milwood. A mixed train. It was stopped some distance from the pa.s.senger station; the pa.s.sengers were allowed to alight, and in getting from the track to the street going down the embankment she fell and sprained her left ankle. It has been the custom to stop this train at this point for some time and allow the pa.s.sengers to get off there, the busses coming up as near as they could to take them to the hotel.

Mrs. A. Zuehlke, injured at Granby, Oct. 10th, at 6:10 p.m., in getting off a train on which she had been riding as a pa.s.senger; the station platform is so short that only the platform of one car in train can be stopped at it.

Mrs. Mary H. Crawford, pa.s.senger, injured at Beulah, Oct. 13th, getting off train No. 35; porter allowed her to fall, and she stepped between platform and car steps.

Many of the roads have the steps on coaches that come near enough to the ground so that such accidents are practically impossible, but on the Pullmans and on cars of some of the roads they are so high from the station platform as to require a ladder to get on them. Why they are not all made on a proper and safe standard no one seems to know.

Another cause of injury to pa.s.sengers, especially children, who always want the windows open, is by the windows falling and injuring them.

Nearly always their little hands or fingers get hurt; or by ventilators falling on their heads. When you have an accident caused by a window falling examine it immediately and, if the catches are all right, show the injured person or, if a child, the man or woman in whose charge it is traveling, that is was not the fault of the window catch, and at the same time call the attention of some intelligent pa.s.senger and of your brakeman to the matter and have them try the window catch, and send in their names and addresses with your report.

If, however, the catch is defective report the fact, but don't advertise it, and whenever you find any defective catches or anything else wrong about a car in your train call the attention of the first car repairer you meet to the matter and have it repaired, and report it to your superintendent. If the car repairers would make an examination of the windows, their catches, and of the ventilators, for the purpose of finding out their actual condition, we would get rid of many such cases. Do the same thing with the matting in the aisles, and when there is a hole in it get it fixed, or get a new one. If you can't do that, take the matting up and so prevent any one falling on it.

Ruth Darman, child five years old, injured December 25th, near Correctionville, was riding in coach 269, train No. 39; caused by ventilator window falling and striking her, injuring her head.

J. E. Wills, pa.s.senger on train No. 25, January 25th, stumbled over the zinc at end of matting, which was out of condition, in coach No. 659.

Mrs. Jones, pa.s.senger, injured September 23d, at Junction, was riding in coach 480, train 65, when train stopped at Junction. She walked to rear end of coach and in doing so caught her foot in a hole in the aisle matting and fell forward on her face.

Nora Holm, 3 years of age, injured near Henshaw, July 24th; caused by a window in coach 338, train 9, falling on her arm, on account of a defective spring.

And, speaking of aisles, so far as possible get pa.s.sengers to keep their valises, suit cases, and bundles out of the aisles so that other pa.s.sengers won't fall over them. If the gla.s.s in a door gets broken, when the train is running, be sure that the gla.s.s is taken out of the frame, so that pa.s.sengers won't catch their hands on it. Take pains to see that your pa.s.sengers, especially the old and infirm, the women, and children, are provided with seats, and when some pa.s.senger, whether man or woman, who has paid for only one seat or is riding on a pa.s.s, is occupying three or four seats, have them make room for those standing. Pay some attention to ventilation--in cold weather open the ventilators on the side the smoke trails on, and then there won't be any draught. In other words, comply with Rule 20 and then cases like the following, which seem to be on the increase, won't happen:

Mrs. Alice Gahriels, pa.s.senger from Clinton, Iowa, to Lincoln, Neb., on train No. 3, June 2d, while returning from the dining car between Cedar Rapids and Belle Plaine stumbled over a valise which was left in the aisle of the chair car and fell and was injured.

Mrs. Little, pa.s.senger, injured at Van Buren Street depot at 9:52 p.m., March 9th, was alighting from train No. 594, and in doing so took hold of frame of vestibule door of coach. The gla.s.s in door had been broken and this lady's hand was seriously cut on the broken pieces which had not been taken out of the frame.

EJECTMENT OF Pa.s.sENGERS AND OTHERS FROM TRAINS

Everyone is supposed to know that neither pa.s.sengers or tramps should be ejected from a train when it is in motion, and, in the case of pa.s.sengers, the ejectment must only be made at an open station, so that the person ejected will have a place of shelter if at night or if it is storming; that women and children of tender years must not be ejected at all; and that if a person refusing to pay his fare is in such condition as to be unable to care for himself, he must be placed in custody of the nearest station agent. So says Rule 21, which also tells you to make a report of the ejectment, giving the cause thereof and names of the witnesses on Form 992, a blank which every conductor running a train that carries pa.s.sengers should have in his set of blanks, and use it when he puts anyone off.

The princ.i.p.al trouble in ejectment cases is when pa.s.sengers are put off away from a station or when tramps are put off while the train is in motion, resulting often in a serious injury, and, while very frequently the patience of trainmen is severely tried by these "hoboes," don't put them off when the train is moving. After all, they are human beings and we don't want to maim or kill them. So stop the train; and don't shoot them unless in self-defense. I mention the following as a few sample cases:

Charles Williston, while in an intoxicated condition, attempted to get on train No. 16 while same was in motion, at Alger, March 16th. Baggageman and express messenger was standing inside door of car and saw this man getting on; went to the front door, had the cross bar in his hands, and ordered the man off. In getting off, Williston fell and his leg was run over.

Edw. Hock, injured at Smithville, March 25th, by being ejected from extra freight train, while same was running six or seven miles an hour. Hock had got on train, having been told by someone that he could ride on it--having mileage--and conductor made him get off while train was in motion, and in getting off he was injured.

Louis Nelson, colored boy, had been stealing a ride on train No.

extra 112; was ordered off by conductor at Avon, May 19th; after he got off conductor shot him in the arm.

James Mills, injured at Pewaukee, October 21st, got on milk train for the purpose of stealing a ride. Was ordered off by brakeman while train was in motion. In getting off he fell and was run over.

When pa.s.sengers are injured _by stones or anything else thrown through or at the windows of cars_ render them such a.s.sistance as you can; have the company's surgeon called to treat them, and if the stone or object which broke the gla.s.s or which caused the injury comes in the car pick it up and mark it so that you can identify it in the future and send it in with your report, as per Rules 35 and 40. It is as unfortunate that so many such cases occur as it is that there is no way by which railroads can prevent them, and until the State and munic.i.p.al authorities take a hand in the matter they will continue to happen and pa.s.sengers will continue to lose their vision.

INJURIES TO PATRONS AND DAMAGE TO THEIR PROPERTY

Next come the accidents in which patrons are injured and their property damaged. It is generally understood, and has been the custom on all railroads, and Rule 50 requires, that before going onto a track on which cars are placed to be loaded or unloaded by patrons or employees it is the duty of the person in charge of the crew to go along the track to ascertain if there is anyone in the cars, loading or unloading them, or wagons close enough to the cars to be injured or damaged by their movement, and, if so, to give ample warning in order that such persons, wagons, and gang planks may be moved to a safe place. In the mining district especial care should be exercised in handling cars being loaded or unloaded by the mining companies'

employees, many of whom do not understand our language or the danger of the business, in order that ample opportunity be given them to get off the car before it is moved. How often that rule and custom is violated is shown by the following cases:

Ludwig Hoffmeister, injured at Montmorency, July 12; some cars were switched down against the car from which he was unloading apples, without notice to him, and he was thrown down and injured.

H. Schurmann, laborer, injured April 2 at Hennessy. He was in car piling tile when the car was struck by a car of coal dropped in on that track, knocking the tile down on Schurmann.

Foster & Roberts Co., for value of building at Lewiston, May 3.

Engineman and fireman left engine and went into factory to get a drink; the engine with car ran away and knocked building down.

Car loaded with salt; was being kicked down main line at Hawkins, October 12, brakes broke, car ran in on side track and struck another car, knocking it against side of building belonging to Blumenthal & Co., breaking in the walls and damaging machinery.

June 8, switching crew at Kempshall backed a box car against the ammonia pipe which carries ammonia from the brewery to the bottling works of the Kempshall Brewing Company, knocking down the pipe, which was only twelve feet high, allowing the ammonia to escape.

No one will pretend that these accidents and consequent injuries and losses could not have been avoided by the exercise of a little forethought and care. Why not do it and stop them in the future, avoid the injuries and save the money they cost?

ACCIDENTS TO TRAVELERS ON THE HIGHWAY

The increasing frequency of accidents to travelers crossing the tracks at highways, one-third of which the country over are fatal, are caused by the increased number and speed of trains, increase in the population of the territory through which the roads run, by the failure to always give the required signal of the approach of the train, frequently by freight trains pa.s.sing through stations at a speed prohibited by Rule 6, by failure to have gates or flagmen at crossings where they are needed, by failure of gatemen and flagmen, when provided, to properly perform their duties on account of ignorance or carelessness, generally the former; but chiefly is the increase caused by failure on the part of the persons crossing the track to exercise any care whatever. Gates and flagmen are generally disregarded by adults and, as a natural consequence, by children, and the result is death and injury. I think that as a matter of dollars and cents it would be profitable to the companies to increase the number and quality of flagmen and have greater supervision given to this cla.s.s of the service, as it seems to me a self-evident proposition that the lower the grade of labor the more supervision there is needed.