Chapter M: O. Hudson, passenger from Elton to Woodbridge, on train No. 47,

arriving at latter place Aug. 28th, at 12:30 a.m., got off coach
and ran up to baggage car to get baggage; in doing so ran against
train signal on platform, was thrown down and injured; no lights
on platform or in signal.

S. W. Thomas, passenger on train No. 48, injured at Harkrader, Oct
21st, at 11:20 p.m., was getting off chair car, which stood 150
ft. south of the platform; there were no lights, and the porter
had no lantern, and when he stepped from the car step to the
porter's box he slipped and fell.

And sweep the car platforms, so passengers won't slip on banana peels, and then such a case as the following won't happen:

H. T. Witheridge, injured at Wingate, Aug. 4, 1903, caused by his
slipping on a banana peeling left on the platform of a coach in
train No. 176 by the car cleaners.

When passengers are carried on freight trains Rule 12 says the car in which they are riding must stop at the platform to unload them. Don't do it out in the yard, and, if you have to do switching after unloading the passengers, stop at the station platform as you are pulling out and give the passengers a chance to get on and not compel them to go into the yard in order to do so. If at night, they might fall into a culvert or over some obstruction alongside the track and get hurt, and, if the platform at the station is short, arrange your work so as to make one stop where the passengers can get off safely, and notify them, so they will know when they can do so; and be sure to assist them in getting on and off, especially the old men and women, the children, and the cripples (that is what Rule 23 says, you always do it for the young and pretty girls) and then we won't be trying to conjure up excuses for cases like the following, or pay for them either:

Miss Belle Saunders, injured at Milwood, Dec. 14, was a passenger
on train No. 16 from Homer to Milwood. A mixed train. It was
stopped some distance from the passenger station; the passengers
were allowed to alight, and in getting from the track to the
street going down the embankment she fell and sprained her left
ankle. It has been the custom to stop this train at this point for
some time and allow the passengers to get off there, the busses
coming up as near as they could to take them to the hotel.

Mrs. A. Zuehlke, injured at Granby, Oct. 10th, at 6:10 p.m., in
getting off a train on which she had been riding as a passenger;
the station platform is so short that only the platform of one car
in train can be stopped at it.

Mrs. Mary H. Crawford, passenger, injured at Beulah, Oct. 13th,
getting off train No. 35; porter allowed her to fall, and she
stepped between platform and car steps.

Many of the roads have the steps on coaches that come near enough to the ground so that such accidents are practically impossible, but on the Pullmans and on cars of some of the roads they are so high from the station platform as to require a ladder to get on them. Why they are not all made on a proper and safe standard no one seems to know.

Another cause of injury to passengers, especially children, who always want the windows open, is by the windows falling and injuring them. Nearly always their little hands or fingers get hurt; or by ventilators falling on their heads. When you have an accident caused by a window falling examine it immediately and, if the catches are all right, show the injured person or, if a child, the man or woman in whose charge it is traveling, that is was not the fault of the window catch, and at the same time call the attention of some intelligent passenger and of your brakeman to the matter and have them try the window catch, and send in their names and addresses with your report. If, however, the catch is defective report the fact, but don't advertise it, and whenever you find any defective catches or anything else wrong about a car in your train call the attention of the first car repairer you meet to the matter and have it repaired, and report it to your superintendent. If the car repairers would make an examination of the windows, their catches, and of the ventilators, for the purpose of finding out their actual condition, we would get rid of many such cases. Do the same thing with the matting in the aisles, and when there is a hole in it get it fixed, or get a new one. If you can't do that, take the matting up and so prevent any one falling on it.

Ruth Darman, child five years old, injured December 25th, near
Correctionville, was riding in coach 269, train No. 39; caused by
ventilator window falling and striking her, injuring her head.

J. E. Wills, passenger on train No. 25, January 25th, stumbled
over the zinc at end of matting, which was out of condition, in
coach No. 659.

Mrs. Jones, passenger, injured September 23d, at Junction, was
riding in coach 480, train 65, when train stopped at Junction. She
walked to rear end of coach and in doing so caught her foot in a
hole in the aisle matting and fell forward on her face.

Nora Holm, 3 years of age, injured near Henshaw, July 24th; caused
by a window in coach 338, train 9, falling on her arm, on account
of a defective spring.

And, speaking of aisles, so far as possible get passengers to keep their valises, suit cases, and bundles out of the aisles so that other passengers won't fall over them. If the glass in a door gets broken, when the train is running, be sure that the glass is taken out of the frame, so that passengers won't catch their hands on it. Take pains to see that your passengers, especially the old and infirm, the women, and children, are provided with seats, and when some passenger, whether man or woman, who has paid for only one seat or is riding on a pass, is occupying three or four seats, have them make room for those standing. Pay some attention to ventilation--in cold weather open the ventilators on the side the smoke trails on, and then there won't be any draught. In other words, comply with Rule 20 and then cases like the following, which seem to be on the increase, won't happen:

Mrs. Alice Gahriels, passenger from Clinton, Iowa, to Lincoln,
Neb., on train No. 3, June 2d, while returning from the dining car
between Cedar Rapids and Belle Plaine stumbled over a valise which
was left in the aisle of the chair car and fell and was injured.

Mrs. Little, passenger, injured at Van Buren Street depot at 9:52
p.m., March 9th, was alighting from train No. 594, and in doing so
took hold of frame of vestibule door of coach. The glass in door
had been broken and this lady's hand was seriously cut on the
broken pieces which had not been taken out of the frame.

EJECTMENT OF PASSENGERS AND OTHERS FROM TRAINS

Everyone is supposed to know that neither passengers or tramps should be ejected from a train when it is in motion, and, in the case of passengers, the ejectment must only be made at an open station, so that the person ejected will have a place of shelter if at night or if it is storming; that women and children of tender years must not be ejected at all; and that if a person refusing to pay his fare is in such condition as to be unable to care for himself, he must be placed in custody of the nearest station agent. So says Rule 21, which also tells you to make a report of the ejectment, giving the cause thereof and names of the witnesses on Form 992, a blank which every conductor running a train that carries passengers should have in his set of blanks, and use it when he puts anyone off.

The principal trouble in ejectment cases is when passengers are put off away from a station or when tramps are put off while the train is in motion, resulting often in a serious injury, and, while very frequently the patience of trainmen is severely tried by these "hoboes," don't put them off when the train is moving. After all, they are human beings and we don't want to maim or kill them. So stop the train; and don't shoot them unless in self-defense. I mention the following as a few sample cases:

Charles Williston, while in an intoxicated condition, attempted to
get on train No. 16 while same was in motion, at Alger, March
16th. Baggageman and express messenger was standing inside door of
car and saw this man getting on; went to the front door, had the
cross bar in his hands, and ordered the man off. In getting off,
Williston fell and his leg was run over.

Edw. Hock, injured at Smithville, March 25th, by being ejected
from extra freight train, while same was running six or seven
miles an hour. Hock had got on train, having been told by someone
that he could ride on it--having mileage--and conductor made him
get off while train was in motion, and in getting off he was
injured.

Louis Nelson, colored boy, had been stealing a ride on train No.
extra 112; was ordered off by conductor at Avon, May 19th; after
he got off conductor shot him in the arm.

James Mills, injured at Pewaukee, October 21st, got on milk train
for the purpose of stealing a ride. Was ordered off by brakeman
while train was in motion. In getting off he fell and was run over.

When passengers are injured _by stones or anything else thrown through or at the windows of cars_ render them such assistance as you can; have the company's surgeon called to treat them, and if the stone or object which broke the glass or which caused the injury comes in the car pick it up and mark it so that you can identify it in the future and send it in with your report, as per Rules 35 and 40. It is as unfortunate that so many such cases occur as it is that there is no way by which railroads can prevent them, and until the State and municipal authorities take a hand in the matter they will continue to happen and passengers will continue to lose their vision.

INJURIES TO PATRONS AND DAMAGE TO THEIR PROPERTY

Next come the accidents in which patrons are injured and their property damaged. It is generally understood, and has been the custom on all railroads, and Rule 50 requires, that before going onto a track on which cars are placed to be loaded or unloaded by patrons or employees it is the duty of the person in charge of the crew to go along the track to ascertain if there is anyone in the cars, loading or unloading them, or wagons close enough to the cars to be injured or damaged by their movement, and, if so, to give ample warning in order that such persons, wagons, and gang planks may be moved to a safe place. In the mining district especial care should be exercised in handling cars being loaded or unloaded by the mining companies' employees, many of whom do not understand our language or the danger of the business, in order that ample opportunity be given them to get off the car before it is moved. How often that rule and custom is violated is shown by the following cases:

Ludwig Hoffmeister, injured at Montmorency, July 12; some cars
were switched down against the car from which he was unloading
apples, without notice to him, and he was thrown down and injured.

H. Schurmann, laborer, injured April 2 at Hennessy. He was in car
piling tile when the car was struck by a car of coal dropped in on
that track, knocking the tile down on Schurmann.

Foster & Roberts Co., for value of building at Lewiston, May 3.
Engineman and fireman left engine and went into factory to get a
drink; the engine with car ran away and knocked building down.

Car loaded with salt; was being kicked down main line at Hawkins,
October 12, brakes broke, car ran in on side track and struck
another car, knocking it against side of building belonging to
Blumenthal & Co., breaking in the walls and damaging machinery.

June 8, switching crew at Kempshall backed a box car against the
ammonia pipe which carries ammonia from the brewery to the
bottling works of the Kempshall Brewing Company, knocking down the
pipe, which was only twelve feet high, allowing the ammonia to
escape.

No one will pretend that these accidents and consequent injuries and losses could not have been avoided by the exercise of a little forethought and care. Why not do it and stop them in the future, avoid the injuries and save the money they cost?

ACCIDENTS TO TRAVELERS ON THE HIGHWAY

The increasing frequency of accidents to travelers crossing the tracks at highways, one-third of which the country over are fatal, are caused by the increased number and speed of trains, increase in the population of the territory through which the roads run, by the failure to always give the required signal of the approach of the train, frequently by freight trains passing through stations at a speed prohibited by Rule 6, by failure to have gates or flagmen at crossings where they are needed, by failure of gatemen and flagmen, when provided, to properly perform their duties on account of ignorance or carelessness, generally the former; but chiefly is the increase caused by failure on the part of the persons crossing the track to exercise any care whatever. Gates and flagmen are generally disregarded by adults and, as a natural consequence, by children, and the result is death and injury. I think that as a matter of dollars and cents it would be profitable to the companies to increase the number and quality of flagmen and have greater supervision given to this class of the service, as it seems to me a self-evident proposition that the lower the grade of labor the more supervision there is needed.

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.