go under this shed, depositing their passengers at the doors of the three ferry houses. The city proposes to buy the block in front of the group and turn it into a handsome approach or esplanade. The estimated cost of the three ferry houses is about $850,000, and it is expected that the buildings will be completed in the early fall of the present year.
Accident Bulletin No. 13.
The Interstate Commerce Commission has issued Accident Bulletin No. 13, showing railroad accidents in the United States during the three months ending Sept. 30, 1904. The number of persons killed in train accidents was 411, and of injured 3,747. Accidents of other kinds bring the total number of casualties up to 14,239 (1,032 killed and 13,207 injured).
Table No. 1.—Casualties to Persons.
| Kind. | Passengers | Employees | ||
| Killed | Inj’d. | Killed | Inj’d. | |
| Collisions | 124 | 1,201 | 86 | 784 |
| Derailments | 104 | 922 | 86 | 470 |
| Misc. train accidents | . . | 31 | 11 | 339 |
| Total train accidents | 228 | 2,154 | 183 | 1,593 |
| Coupling or uncoupl’g | . . | . . | 59 | 721 |
| While doing other work about trains, etc. | . . | . . | 46 | 2,613 |
| Overhead bridges | 4 | 23 | 23 | 293 |
| Falling from cars or engines or while getting on or off | 34 | 478 | 142 | 1,951 |
| Other causes | 10 | 518 | 303 | 2,863 |
| Total | 48 | 1,019 | 573 | 8,441 |
| Total, all classes | 276 | 3,173 | 756 | 10,034 |
The total number of casualties reported as occurring in this quarter is less than for the corresponding quarter of the preceding year. The number of employees killed in coupling accidents (59) is 11 less; in train accidents (183) it is 37 less, and every item in that column is less, the total (756 employees killed) showing a falling off of 160. This is a gratifying showing, which it is to be hoped is not due alone to a diminution of the number of men at work. But the fatal accidents to passengers make an unprecedented aggregate, practically neutralizing the diminution in the number of employees killed. In Bulletin No. 10 (quarter ending with December, 1903) the number of passengers killed in train accidents (147) was more than three times the average of nine preceding quarters; and now we must record a total more than 50 per cent. greater than that in Bulletin No. 10.
Of the 228 passengers and 183 employees killed in train accidents 217 cases are accounted for by six accidents, and these 217 were nearly all passengers. The six cases were as follows:[1]
| Killed. | Injured. | ||
| (a) | Derailment No. 10 | 88 | 0 |
| (b) | Collision No. 23 | 63 | 162 |
| (c) | Collision No. 24 | 24 | 45 |
| (d) | Collision No. 11 | 18 | 183 |
| (e) | Collision No. 5 | 16 | 52 |
| (f) | Derailment No. 2 | 8 | 45 |
| Total, in 6 accidents | 217 | 487 |
The first and fifth of these cases (a and e) illustrate the need of special inquiries into particular accidents if full and impartial statements of the facts are to be secured. The derailment (a), as will be seen by the statement of circumstances given below, was due to a bridge failure. From the conclusions of the coroner’s jury which investigated the case there would appear to be
Causes of Thirty-six Prominent Train Accidents (Class A).
Collisions.
| No. | Class | Kind of train. |
Killed. | Injd. | Damage[2] | Ref. to record. |
Cause. |
| 1. | M. | P. and F. | 4 | 8 | $2,046 | 38 | Crossing collision; freight cars pushed into passenger train; 4 passengers killed. Conflict of testimony as to whether signalman withdrew clear signal from freight train after it was too late for the train to be stopped. |
| 2. | R. | F. and F. | 0 | 2 | 2,100 | 51 | Operator, 27 years old, with good record, gave clear block signal before preceding train had vacated block. He had fallen asleep and failed to put signal at stop after passing of train. |
| 3. | B. | P. and F. | 0 | 26 | 3,070 | 33 | Extra freight ran on time of regular passenger. Conductor of freight overlooked passenger train on time-table; engineman, new to this run, depended on conductor. These men on duty 18 hrs. 10 mins. |
| 4. | R. | P. and P. | 0 | 17 | 3,135 | 56 | Mistake in despatcher’s order; operator, 15 months’ experience, delivered order before repeating it back to despatcher. |
| 5. | R. | P. and P. | 16 | 52 | 3,700 | 2 | Operator gave clear block signal when preceding train was still in the block. (See note in text below.) |
| 6. | B. | F. and F. | 1 | 9 | 4,000 | 35 | Operator, 24 years old, in service 2 months, overlooked order to hold extra train. Order lying on desk covered by other papers. |
| 7. | R. | F. and F. | 0 | 0 | 4,150 | 53 | Occurred 5 a. m., in dense fog. Leading train unexpectedly stopped; second train allowed to follow from a block station on caution signal 2 mins. behind the leading train; was not run under control. Men in charge on duty 16 hrs. 30 mins. |
| 8. | B. | P. and F. | 2 | 5 | 4,400 | 8 | Conductor, engineman and fireman of empty engine forgot about a passenger train; fireman’s experience 27 days. |
| 9. | B. | F. and F. | 2 | 3 | 4,400 | 65 | Conductor and engineman misread name of station in meeting order; operator had neglected to require them to read order aloud to him. |
| 10. | B. | F. and F. | 0 | 2 | 6,086 | 11 | Despatcher, 18 months’ experience, gave meeting order to one train only, disregarding duplicate rule. |
| 11. | R. | P. and F. | 18 | 183 | 6,500 | 3 | See note in text below. |
| 12. | B. | F. and F. | 0 | 0 | 6,500 | 10 | Engineman fell asleep and entered yard too fast; fireman, 22 years old, 3 months’ experience, did not think to awaken engineman; assumed until too late that latter was watching speed. |
| 13. | B. | F. and F. | 3 | 1 | 8,400 | 13 | Men in charge of northbound careless about rights of southbound. (See note in text below.) |
| 14. | B. | P. and F. | 2 | 8 | 9,933 | 5 | Brakeman of freight, 4 a. m., went forward to flag passenger train from opposite direction, but his signal was not seen; torpedoes not used. Brakeman’s experience, 9 months on this road; 20 months elsewhere. |
| 15. | R. | F. and F. | 2 | 1 | 10,620 | 54 | Occurred 4 a. m. in dense fog: 5 cars broke away from rear of freight standing at tank and ran back; rear brakeman was on forward part of train. |
| 16. | M. | F. and F. | 1 | 5 | 11,620 | 19 | Engineman of empty engine, northbound, ran on time of regular southbound train. A conductor and an operator by lax conduct contributed. |
| 17. | B. | P. and F. | 2 | 10 | 14,400 | 7 | In fog, 4 a. m.; freight ran beyond end of double track without right. Engineman claims lost his bearings; fireman’s experience, 6 weeks. |
| 18. | R. | F. and F. | 0 | 0 | 15,999 | 30 | Flagman not out far enough. |
| 19. | B. | P. and P. | 2 | 50 | 16,400 | 57 | Westbound train ran past meeting point: (See note in text below.) |
| 20. | M. | F. and F. | 0 | 6 | 16,900 | 39 | Southbound entering sidetrack struck by northbound double-head train. |
| 21. | B. | F. and F. | 0 | 6 | 20,000 | 6 | Freight ran past fixed stop signal and through crossover into empty passenger train. Engineman, 19 years’ experience, asleep. One passenger car and 3 freight cars destroyed by fire started by illuminating gas leaking from tank. |
| 22. | B. | F. and F. | 0 | 0 | 25,000 | 12 | Men in charge of northbound extra forgot about southbound regular train. |
| 23. | B. | P. and P. | 63 | 162 | 36,000 | 58 | Conductor and engineman of westbound train forgot meeting order. (See note in text below.) |
| 24. | M. | P. and F. | 24 | 45 | 65,000 | 16 | Misplaced switch; believed malicious. (See note in text below.) |
| Total | 142 | 601 | $300,359 | . . | |||
| Derailments. | |||||||
| No. | Class | Kind of train. |
Killed. | Injd. | Damage | Ref. to record. |
Cause. |
| 1. | D. | F. | 0 | 1 | $485 | 25 | At derailing switch. Track circuit having failed, operator used emergency key to unlock lever; the lock being then out of service, operator allowed signal to indicate clear while derailing switch was open. |
| 2. | D. | P. | 8 | 45 | 3,750 | 89 | Two rear cars of passenger train, running 50 miles an hour, derailed on straight line. After accident track was out of line, but cause of derailment not determined; no defect found in rails, fastenings or ties, nor in cars. |
| 3. | D. | P. | 0 | 4 | 8,600 | 86 | At 25 miles an hour, on 8-degree curve, forward truck of tender jumped track. “Unable to locate cause.” Elevation of outer rail 5 inches. |
| 4. | D. | F. | 2 | 3 | 11,730 | 84 | Runaway on steep grade; entire crew except fireman held responsible. One brakeman had only 7 months’ experience. (See note in text below.) |
| 5. | D. | F. | 2 | 0 | 12,000 | 47 | Occurred 9 a. m.; open draw, signals at stop; engineman killed. |
| 6. | D. | P. | 2 | 8 | 12,000 | 24 | At derailing switch. Engineman and fireman killed. Engineman had received order to run slowly at this point, but was running fast. |
| 7. | D. | P. | 0 | 0 | 13,000 | 28 | Excessive speed over reverse curve. |
| 8. | D. | F. | 0 | 0 | 14,300 | 21 | Runaway; cars derailed on bridge, knocking it down. Runaway was started by 3 cars which, unattended, bumped against train in yard. |
| 9. | D. | P. | 0 | 0 | 17,936 | 90 | Train ran on burning bridge; origin of fire unknown. |
| 10. | D. | P. | 88 | 0 | 26,309 | 48 | Bridge gave way under train. (See note in text below.) |
| 11. | D. | P. | 4 | 34 | 31,270 | 82, 83 | Train derailed on trestle and cars fell to stream below. Cause, malicious loosening of rail. All the men on the train being disabled, no danger signal was sent back, and 8 minutes afterwards a train consisting of engine and caboose, following, ran into wreck. Part of the personal injuries due to this second derailment. |
| 12. | D. | P. | 0 | 19 | 38,670 | 46 | Broken tender wheel; brakeage probably due to overheating by brakes sticking, unknown to men on engine. Wreck partly destroyed by fire from gas ignited from light in mail car. |
| Total, derailm’ts | 106 | 114 | $190,500 | . . | |||
| Grand total | 248 | 715 | $490,859 | . . | |||
- ↑ These six cases were reported in the Railroad Gazette, as follows:
Derailment No. 10, Eden, Colo., (August), page 377.
Collision No. 23, New Market, Tenn. (September), page 482.
Collision No. 24, Litchfield, Ill. (July), page 250.
Collision No. 11, Glenwood, Ill. (July), page 250.
Collision No. 5, Midvale, N. J. (July), page 250.
Derailment No. 2, Pendleton, Mo. (September), page 482.
In reprinting the text of the Bulletin we omit some details which have already been made familiar to the reader by our former accounts of these accidents. - ↑ Damage to engines, cars, and roadway.
