1875.] Railway Accidents. 17 
rovo. ssxG7y. | 5872, 1873: Cause of Accident. 
9 1g 21 24 From engines or vehicles meeting with, or 
leaving the rails in consequence of obstruétions, 
or from defects in connection with the perma- 
nent way or works. 
b fe) 22 17 23 From boiler explosions, failures of axles, 
wheels, tyres, or from other defects in the rolling 
stock. 
9 22 18 From collisions between engines and trains 
6a following one another on the same line of rails, 
excepting at junctions, stations, or sidings. 
63 gi 98 From collisions within fixed signals at stations 
or sidings, &c. 
18 19 32 20 From collisions at junctions. 
3 2 5 3 From collisions between trains, &c., meeting 
in opposite directions. ‘ 
I — — 3 From collisions at level crossings of two 
railways. 
14 12 34 36 From passenger-trains being wrongly turned 
or run into sidings, or otherwise through facing 
points. 
== 2 7 5 From trains entering stations at too great 
speed. 
6 II 9 II On inclines. 
9 12 8 6 Miscellaneous. 
PRT 7it 240) § 247 
An examination of this table will show that the more 
serious classes of accidents are evidently upon the increase, 
more particularly from collisions within fixed signals at 
stations or sidings, and from passenger trains being. wrongly 
turned, or run into sidings, or otherwise through facing 
points. But it must be observed that the accidents are in 
no respect proportionate to either the length of, or the 
amount of traffic on, any particular line of railway, some 
lines being particularly unfortunate in this respect, while 
others enjoy comparative immunity from accidents. Increase 
of traffic, high speed, and variations of speed, tend mate- 
rially to increased risk, to greater numbers of accidents, and 
to more severe accidents when there is insufficient accom- 
modation in lines and sidings, when signal and point arrange- 
ments are defective, when the means of securing intervals be- 
tween the trains are defective, without sufficient break-power, 
without good construction and high maintenance, and when 
the appliances and apparatus are not adapted to the exi- 
gencies of the traffic. But when, on the other hand, the 
accommodation is sufficient to enable the traffic to be 
worked under safe conditions, when high speed is employed 
only over a good permanent way in suitable portions of 
railway, and under proper circumstances, and when. good 
arrangements are made to preserve intervals between the 
trains, of whatever class, then such extra risk may be ina 
VOL. V. (N.S.) D 
