APPALLING SLAUGHTER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7139, 1 November 1901, Page 4

APPALLING SLAUGHTER.

According to the recently-issued annual report of the United States railroad system the death roll exacted by the iron horsa is appalling, and this coupled- with the wounds and injuries inlliclcd, gives a result nearly approximating to the total British loss during the South African campaign. During tho last year the number of casualties throughout the Statos caused by railway accidents was 58,185, tho actually killed numbering 7865," and the remainder being more or less seriously wounded. The railway employes suffered the most severely, no fewer than 2550 being killed, whilst 89643 were injured; This means that, taking the entire railway staff, one out of 399 were killed, and one out of every 26 injured during the year. The actual passengers came off not so badly, for only 249 are reported killed and 4128 injured during the year's travelling ; but even that is a heavier list of killed and wounded than the most sanguinary engagement of modern times has yielded. The most disastrous penalty of all has fallen upon people who, while neither omployes nor passengers, havo been struck down on the tracks by ruthless passing trains. The army of unfortunates, which includes trespassers and would-be suicides, offers up 484G killed and 4680 vended and injured at tho shrine of the idol of express speed. If America's casualty bill is so enormous, what must the price paid in' killed and woundod for the privilege of railway travelling the world over be?