Railroad Accidents, Their Cause and PreventionRichards, R. C. (Ralph Coffin)
History
Railroad Accidents, Their Cause and Prevention
Richards, R. C. (Ralph Coffin)
Railroad accidents
Among the many cases of this kind, I have selected some which will
illustrate the matter. They are selected for the purpose of calling
the attention of employees to accidents which might be avoided by the
exercise of care on their part, and do not include any cases caused by
such negligence on the part of the person injured as should bar a
recovery.
Herbert Janson, wife, daughter, son and George Griffith killed;
Morris Peck and Henry Blume injured, December 18, at 9:00 p.m.,
while driving across the tracks at Haskell; caused by sleigh being
struck by engine running forty miles an hour. Headlight not
burning, as required by Rule 55. No flagman at this crossing at
night.
H. S. Sorner, who was riding in an automobile across the tracks at
Morton, April 14, was struck by engine; automobile was demolished
but occupants not seriously injured. No gates or flagman at this
crossing.
Jacob Reich and Elbert Harris struck and killed while driving on
13th St., Montgomery, May 29, at 5:30 p.m., by engine. Gates up.
The piano wagon on which these men were riding was demolished as
well as the piano, and the horse killed.
K. L. Manson, injured, rural mail carrier, struck by switch engine
No. 869, at Woodmont Ave., Custer, June 12. There are gates at
this crossing, but they had not been operated for a year on
account of being out of repair.
Gertrude Schiff, aged sixteen years, and Gustave Schiff, aged
twenty years, were injured while driving across the tracks at
first crossing east of Granton, August 9, at 6:35 p.m., by being
struck by engine. No whistle was blown for the station and bell
not rung. The station employee, whose duty it was to be on the
crossing to flag same when trains were passing, had left there
only an instant before the accident in order to go to the station
house to assist in loading and unloading baggage for another
train.
H. L. Connors, driving across the tracks near Lowell, November 18,
was struck by engine. No whistle sounded or bell rung for the
crossing. Whistling post not in right place.
M. A. Graves, while crossing the tracks at 9th Avenue and Wilbert
street, Ontario, May 8, was struck by switch engine. No one on the
engine knew that the accident had occurred.
Edward Langdon struck and killed by engine at 7:21 p.m., August
6, at Water and Orchard streets, Berlin. No one on the engine knew
that an accident had occurred; train traveling twenty-five miles
an hour. Ordinance provides speed limit of twelve miles an hour;
gates at this crossing, but not in operation. If Rule 6 had been
complied with this accident would not have occurred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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