The record of one day's railway accidents in this country includes the killing of twenty-seven passengers upon a Missouri Pacific World's Fair excursion train and the smothering of six men in the St. Clair tunnel at Port Huron, the latter disaster being chargeable to a Canadian corporation.
Every year in recent reckoning, except 1897, has witnessed an increase in the total number of lives sacrificed by American railroads. In spite of improvements in coupling and in road-bed, which have greatly lessened certain classes of accidents, the total rises steadily. It now approaches twenty-five every day of the entire year.
Nor is the increase due to the fatal grade-crossing or to the numerous deaths of persons struck by trains while trespassing upon tracks. Between 1895 and 1902 the number of railway passengers carried increased only 25 per cent.—trolley roads having cut into the "short-haul" business. The total of deaths increased 40 per cent. The number of passengers killed increased 103 per cent. And the present calendar year has already scored more deaths of passengers than any former year in our railroad history.
There is a general impression which will require strong evidence to dislodge, that this growing slaughter of passengers is due in part to the desire of railway companies which were over-capitalized in the reckless financial debauch of 1900–1 to make a "show of earnings" by cutting operating expenses beyond the limit of safety.—New York World.