EXPRESS TRAIN WRECKED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1389, 15 March 1912, Page 5

EXPRESS TRAIN WRECKED.

REMARKABLE ESCAPES. By ToleeraDh—Pres« Aosociation—CoDyrlehl Now York, March 13. At Hyde Park, New York State, the second section of a Twentieth Century, Limited, train was wrecked. Four passenger coaches were thrown into the river, and partially submerged. It is remarkablo that no ono was killed, though several persons were badly injured. DISASTER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. (Rcc. March' 14, 10.45 p.m.) New York, March 11. A train collision has occurred at Albuquerque, Now Hampshire. Three persons are dead and five are missing. Twenty others were injured. REDUCING THE DEATH RATE. America has long been notorious for its railway accidents. During the year ended June 30,1911, no fewer than 10.390 persons were killed on tho United States railroads and 150,159 injured. Because every hour of every day of the 305 days in tho year someone was killed on the railroads, and 35 per cent, of them were railroad men," said Mr. R. C. Richards, tho chief claim agent of the Chicago and North Western Railway, "and because evory five minutes someone was injured on the railroads," the manager of the North Western (says the "World's Work") decided to stitrt a safety campaign. "We began the work last summer by. holding meetings of the division officers and men to explain to them the fearful and unnecesary waste of human life, and to get their co-operation." After holding these meetings on. all seventeen divisions of tho system, "safety committees," composed of men and officers, were appointed on each division, and in the shops, roundhouses, yard*, anil larger stations. These committees meet once a month, tho company paying them for their time, tho men serving not less than six months nor more than twelve months. The members have "safety-first" buttons to designate their office and nunuthority. AVhen these committees discover defective conditions, customs, or careless practices, they are expected to see that the necessary improvement or remedy is brought about. Although the system has been in effect for only ten months (in full effect only five months), it has already brought about much better conditions. In April the personal injuries reported showed a decrease from 809 cases to 420. More remarkable still, among the employees who have hazardous occupations, such as trainmen, tho decrease that month was 02 per cent., and during that month neither a passenger, nor a trainman, nor a switchman, nor a station-man, nor a bridge-man, nor a car-repairer, nor an inspector was killed, lu less than eleven months . the North Western had 54 fewer deaths and 1559 fewer injuries than it had during ihe same period a year ago—a decreaso of 1013 eases.