14 Railway Accidents. [January, 
We do not propose to follow up this subject further at 
present, beyond remarking that, whilst fully admitting the 
element of human frailty, which must exist wherever the 
hand of man is engaged, we entirely concur in the conclu- 
sion arrived at by the Select Committee of the House of 
Lords, that the introduction of improved mechanical con- 
trivances for the more efficient and safe working of railways 
is likely to overbalance in its advantages the evils likely to 
arise from the element of ‘‘ human frailty,’ which must be, 
at all times, inseparable from their introduétion. 
The next subjects for consideration are the extent to 
which railway passengers are liable to accidents, and how 
far former risks are increased or diminished in proportion to 
the number of travellers, and to the adoption of means with 
a view to their prevention. A general review of the number 
of fatal accidents to passengers from all causes beyond their 
own control, between the years 1847 and 1873 inclusive, is 
contained in Captain Tyler’s General Report to the Board 
of Trade on the accidents which have occurred on the rail- 
ways of the United Kingdom during the year 1873, from 
which the following extract is taken :— 
‘‘The total number of persons recorded at the Board of 
- Trade as having been killed on railways during the year 
was 1372, and the number of injured was 3110. Of these, 
160 persons killed, and 1750 persons injured, were passen- 
gers; and the remainder, 1212 killed and 1360 injured, were 
officials or servants of the railway companies, or trespassers, 
or others who met with accidents at level crossings, or from 
miscellaneous causes. Of the passengers, 40 were killed, 
and 1522 were injured, from causes beyond their own 
control. The total number of passenger-journeys having 
been 455,272,000, it follows that the proportion of passen- 
gers killed was, in round numbers, I to 2,845,450, and of 
passengers injured I to 260,155; and that the proportions 
of passengers killed and injured from causes beyond their 
own control were respectively, I in 11,381,800, and I in 
299,127. This was a decrease on the average of the number 
killed, and an increase of the number injured, from causes 
beyond their own control, in the previous three years, in 
which the proportions were I to 11,123,931 killed, and 1 to 
357,000 injured. Of the officers arfd servants of railway 
companies there have, during the past year, in proportion 
to the total number employed, as nearly as they can be 
estimated (say 250,000), been killed from all causes 1 out 
of 323, and injured I out of 213; but accidents to servants 
do not appear, in many cases, even now to have been 
