THE "SCAMPER THROUGH AMERICA." iTo THE EDITOR OF THE "
SPECTATOR:] SIE,—In your interesting notice of Mr. Hudson's "Scamper through America," in the Spectator of January 27th, I find the statement made, I presume on his authority, that "the Rail-
road Companies killed, in 1880, twenty-seven hundred persons at their level crossings.'" Some "sad, preoccupied saturnine" humorist must have practised upon Mr. Hudson's credulity.
The evil is, indeed, serious, and the number of such crossings excessive. In Massachusetts alone there are, according to the returns for 1882, 2,151 over railroads and highways ; and the Commissioners say that even this statement is not, and cannot be, exact, "as many ways crossed by railroads are of doubtful legal condition." But the number of persons killed at highway crossings in that State in 1880 was only nineteen ; in 1882, twenty-one. I am not aware that there is any means of ascer- taining the total number of such crossings in the United States, or the accidents occurring upon them; but by the census of 1880, the total number of persons killed or injured" upon or within the trains, the tracks, or the buildings," of all the Railway Companies in the United States daring the last complete fiscal year preceding June 1st, 1880, including passengers, employes, and other persons, was,—killed, 2,511; injured, 5,674; or a. total of 8,215.
- The whole number in the United Kingdom for the year 1880 was killed, 1,135; injured, 3,959; and adding those killed, 45, and injured, 2,733, on the Railway Companies' premises by accidents in which the movement of vehicles used exclusively on railways was not concerned, the total was 7,872.
In the United Kingdom, in 1880, there were killed at level crossings, 74; in 1881, 83; besides, reported as suicides, whether at crossings or elsewhere, it is presumed, in 1880, 60; in 1881, 65; totals, in 1880, 134; in 1881, 148.
Perhaps some doubt may be entertained as to the justice of this accusation against the alleged suicides, in the absence of the most important witness, and I do not undertake to say how many of the "sad, preoccupied" victims of the American Juggernaut may have purposely thrown themselves under his car.
It may not be without interest to note that the comparative mileage and population of the two countries were as follows .—
United Kingdom, Population (1881) ... United States (1880) ... United Kingdom, Length of Railways Open (1880) ...
United StatesCompleted ,,
35,246,663 50,155,783 17,933 8,891 7
This is not, however, proposed as, in all respects, a fair basis of comparison in reference to the number of accidents.
You will, I am sure, pardon my unwillingness to leave such an error with even the apparent authority of the Spectator in
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