Logan Republican | 1908-04-01 | Page 7 | Causes of Railroad Accidents

Causes of Railroad Accidents. ' According to tho records of tho in- ' terstato commorco commission there were 7,432 derailments on railroads n the United Slater during the year sliding Juho 30, 1!I0T. Thcso accidents resulted In tho death of 515 persons and tho Injuiy o". G.S9S. This was an 'ncicsse of l.S-71 do-allT.onts over tho lireious r:ir, with a proportionate In- i I crease In fatalities and Injuries. A I study of the causes shows that a little moro than two-thirds of these accidents acci-dents were due to defects In equipment, equip-ment, the remainder to defects In roadway. road-way. The trouble Is attributed largo-ly largo-ly to the enormous Increase In traffic, which in tecent years has exceeded the cairyiug capacity of tho roads, necessitating ne-cessitating the use of every car and engine en-gine capable of running, and subjecting subject-ing tho pecmanenent structures to unexampled un-exampled strain.