The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 18, 1906, Page 15

- The Loss of Life by Tra: 4,200 People | unaway Horses in the United States Last Year. recklessness ¢ hes & very her disc hte, el cy of to and otk les most ego novations, 1 generation azardot ertaking, e streets or o y highway No man can foretell the possible re- driving a upon city sults ©of & rumaway, just &s no man ean control & thoroughly frightened animel that has started to r Obeying the varying whims of the @river, submitting without protest to being urged forward, or checked, or turned from one side to the other, the horse seems not to come into an appre- terror ren- clation of his strength ders him s of y ef- forts exerted for his guidance. Then he becom mad with fright ily insensible pain He doesn’t want to run, perhaps; he may be as terrified at his escape from control as 1 L flercest tig in the soo, who, having slipped through the opened door of his cage, knows no ent of peace, no return of a sense e is again In his g . slide he cannot be held. er devised will stop him, that g left to the electric light pole ate glass window, that may in- e him for further mischief af- ed or maimed the occ suspect- and the has en- safety c rail- automoblle, Union, as well our best itor, that ive pro- et with mand of the “why don’t toward prote Horses, In- trusts needing reg- you gers? urs is a very defin- t that popular ideas ned from the so cotmon occur- characterized by to rank as “news, ¥ omobile, providing new- found amusement and occuvation for a illed by is of birth so recent of its irregularities is ned worthy of report. And this is how it happens that we “conservatives,’ pedestrians to a man, are so often supplied with text for thai ulness that the vehicles operated by United Rallroads Company are J horseless carriages. These, we know, are safe enough—to those in whom long practice has developed a high degre of agility. What s their daily record of humanity jolted, jarred nd maimed is another story, the mate- for which is to be found in quantity from the police reports. And yet of the percentage of deaths and injuries caused by the several popuiar modes of transporta 1—horse, steam raflways, electric raflways, boats and au- tomobiles—the horse is responsible for 40 per cent; steam railways, 30 per cent: ctric Iways, 15 per cent; boats (of all classes), 10 per cent, and automobiles, per cent » If we may believe the police records —and I don't wish to be understood as raising any question of their accuracy —of all vehicles known to city trans- portation the most dangerous, from the viewpoint of the man in the street, Is milk or dalry wagon It is a harmless enough looking equipage, isn’t it? and Its horse or horses seem always tired to a point of absolute safety, yet something of the (Continued From Page 14.) it does not prohibit the latter from bene- fiting some deserving person —at least such is the construction given to it by Mr. Vogelsang, and no one has questioned thoughtful act. 1 the Sisson station, occupying an area of sixteen acres and including thirty-five ponds and nurseries, three hatcheries, 230 hatching troughs, 1000 hatching baskets and the most modern equipment and ap- paratus, together with a laboratory for sclentific rescarch, the State has a plant that ranks as foremost in the world from a commercial standpoint. It is there the United States h Commission sends 90 per cent of the fish and eggs allotted to Californta, and it is from there that the work of distributing this valuable product is carried on under the direction of Super- intendent W. H. Shebley. Early in the season the superintendent and his assist- ants are Kept busy handling the salmon output, and later their attention is turned to the black bass that thrive in the rivers of Northern California. Meanwhile an- other force of men is engaged in similar work at the various smaller stations driver's haste and impatience—induced in him by the desire of his every cus- tomer to receive the quart of milk and pint of cream at a certain given In- stant—is transmitted through the reins and the result is a frenzied taking of corners that too often brings disaster on the passerby. An average of from eight to ten run- aways, resulting in death or injury to oc- cupants of vehicles and to pedestrians, is recorded daily in Greater New York—a total of from 2900 to 3600 such accidents per year—while the list of liké occur- rences throughout -the State assumes far greater proportions. According to these figures, during eleven months of the last year more \ TROLLEY <7 S than 4200 persons lost their lives and more than 15000 were injured as the result of runaways, while in more than 46,000%nstances horses got beyond con- trol and either killed or injured'their passengers or placed their lives In jeopardy. There is no means of cor- rectly estimating the number of horses killed or the value of property de- stroyed by runaways. From the table of causes, it is clear that weakness of carriage or harness is responsible for a large majority of the accidents and these will probably continue until it shall become possible to construct vehicles that shall be as the “wonderful one-hoss shay”’ for dur- ability of parts, I EEN PER CENT, caR. [/l THE CIBCLES SHOW BY COMPARATIVE SIZE THE RELATIVE PEBCENTA F MORJALITY [N TRAVEIL ‘=>GE 2 But from the automobile and ns brother in distraction, the motor-cycle, do the most of the serious frights come and in this there is some hope for the future, for even as the city horse has become accustomed to the steam en- gine, the trolley car and the fearsome steam roller until neither singly nor in battalions have they power over him, so will time and experience soften the terrible aspect of the horseless things that have lately invaded even the country lanes. And, perhaps, too, as the drivers of these machines become more and more accustomed to thelr management, they wlill grow in the grace of willingness to make haste more slowly, minimizing " N ™ ~ utomobile To Be the Safode of Trénsil'; P Q TEN PEE CENT.. Y 4 fatistics Show the AUTOMOBILE, FIVE PERCENT Have you thought that might be done to protect from frightened or vicious hor something e publio ses even 1t the causes of thelr fright be not re- the notse of their approach and show- ing regard for the life of the beast that has at least the rights of prierity. It s difficult to obtain reliable data of runaways. About one in three is re- corded in the pubifc press and about the same proportion in the police courts. The following, however, complled from press clippings and from Police Court records for the eleven months ending November 30, 1205, may be taken as a fair estimate, and even upon such incomplete basis of is suf! ntly appalling: calculation Runaways. Deaths. Injuries. 120 110 Kansas Iilinots Minnesota . New York . ew Jersey New Hampshire North Carolina Ohlo Rhode Isiand . South Carol South Dakota . Tex: npesses . oming Wist Virginta Wisconsin ... RGN T3 L 10,356 4,219 15,105 These totals undopbtedly fall far short of the true flgures. If doubled they would probably be nearer the mark. Yet, as they stand, they are suf- ficlently shocking to cause wonder that “horse power,” so carefully harnessed and measured out in all other forms, should be permitted in any civilized country to run rampant in the flesh. The causes which result in runaways are numerous and spring from a varie- ty of sources. To drivers of horses the following compilation will be of Inter- est. In a thousand runaways taken at random from press clippings the ani- mals bolted from the following causes: Detached tra 62 Broken whi 3% Broken shaft boit 21 Detached wheel 2 Left unattended 82 Rein breaking or Broken or loose bre 85 70 26 Automobiles 150 Motor cycles 18 Flying paper . 16 Broken saddle 10 Broken pole or king bolt. 12 Broken axles .. s Loss of driving reins 26 Rallway trains T2 Trolley cars . 58 Fireworks . 20 Fire engines ..... 1 Intoxicated drivers . 5 Unexplainable fright 21 Various other causes . 60 Total. 1000 RK OF THE -FISH COMMISSION. # throughout California, among them one on the Eel River, another on the Truckee River, a third at Tahoe and auxiliary sta- tions at Tallae, Glen Alpine and Camp Agassiz and other points along the more important streams in the State. “We have recelved many communica- tions from the commissions of other States,” sald Mr. Vogelsang, “regarding our plan of combining the fishery inter- ests with those of the game. It is hard for some of the representatives of these States to understand our purpose, which is a very simple and at the same time a most effective one. When our deputies are authorized to enforce the law in all cases, it places a greater safeguard around the fish and game and means a saving to the State. For instance, if one of our deputles is travelipg through the interior on some mission pertaining to the protection of quail or other fowl and he discovers an infraction of the fish regu- lations he can act at once. It keeps him always alert and increases the efficiency of our field force.” Although the law in reference to the trapping of live game is strictly enforced, Mr. Vogelsang says exceptions have been made in cases where the birds are wanted for pubiic institutions, where they will be displayed for instructive purposes. “We have found that when the public becomes more famillar with the different forms of bird life less disposition is shown to destroy them in their native habit: tlons. We have also noticed good effects of the enforcement of the law in the deap interest some people in the interior take in the birds and wild fowl that abound in their neighborhoods. I have received o number of requests from persons for per- mits to capture and keep In captivity dur- ing the open season various kinfls of birds; slmply for the pleasure they have of watching their prisoners and caring for them. These persons have invariably liberated the birds at the proper time, and I believe that the granting of these per- mits has been most beneficial to the State, in that it has tended to cultivate among its citizens a kindller feeling for the game and has taught the bird to have less fear for man. “Give a bird evidence of your gentle disposition and he will rapldly cultivate a friendship for you,” and as Mr. Vogelsang made this remark he glanced toward his office window, where there was perched a canary, a bird that is his dally companion and an interesting chum. He chirps and warbles merrily all day if Mr. Vogelsang is around, and when he receives no re- sponse to his frequent signals to his mas- ter he will soar from his perch down upon the rim of Mr. Vogelsang's glasses and flap his wings and pecks away at the glasses until he recelves what he con- siders the recognition due him. Two years ago a friend of Mr. Vogel- sang brought a wild canary to his office and Insisted that the Deputy Fish Com- missioner accept it as & present. The lat- ter did not take kindly to the proposition, thinking that the business of the office would not permit him to give the deserved attention to the pet. *'On one condition will I accept it,” said he, “and that is that the bird shall not be restrained of his liberty. After I have fed it for several days and have satisfled myself that it is prepared to return to its former outdoor life I will leave the win- dows open so that It may make its es- cape.” A few days afterward he carried out his promise and the bird took flight. Later In the day. however. it returned. much to the surprise of Mr. Vogelsang. who raised the window and admitted it to his office. Since then the bird has made its home In the office, al- though it is still unrestrained and often leaves the Fish Commissioner's offices and remains away for some time. Be- fore the sun has begun setting in the west it is back again in the room oc- cupled by Mr. Vogelsang and is ehirp- ing happily to its friend and protector. That little yellow bird has unconsciously played an important part in the affairs of the Fish Commisslon, for on more than one occasion, when some complaining cltizen has dared to contend with Mr. Vogelsang on questions of bird protection the latter has called forth his pet, and while the lit- tle canary has flitted from his hand to his glasses and back to an elevated perch, or timidly approached the visitor, its ex- ample of affection has strongly appealed to the man and oftentimes made him thereafter a friend of the birds he was wont to slaughter. If there is one soft spot in Mr. Vogel- sang’s nature it is the one he has for the defenseless bird—that little helpless mite of feathers, which my acquaintance on Montgomery street would have deprived of the protection that a State has sur- rounded it with. moved? Russia alone of all the natio has sought out such protection and though it has been the custom for generations to regard her as world's terrible example of how-not-to-do, the record made shows that this question was rightly one for governmental attention. In Russia, from border to border of the empire, every horse driven Is equipped with a choke rein for use in emergencies. The device is prescribed by law, and is unsightly and clumsy, yet It must be effective, for runaway accldents among the Russian popula- tion of 150,000,000 are practically unknown, To most of us, travel by water seems encompassed with dangers far more terrible than does land journeying, for the reason that disasters on the sea * are usually more complete and are therefore more widely heralded. That the true percentage, however, between rallway and ship travel is as three to one in favor of the latter for safety Indicates how erroneous a popu- lar impression may be. Municipal, State and national acts seek to safeguard both these forms of transportation by speed restriction and regulation of inspection, and but for the fact that the general public is will- ing to take the chance of Injury In the interest of rapid transit the number of accidents would be materially reduced. What is our complaint of our rail- way trains? That they are driven at too fast & rate? Not at all-we demand that the teop notech of speed be reached and any legisigtive effort to limit that speed would be cordially resented by the very people it would seek to protect. Let two trains be put on a given “run,” one operating on a schedule of 85 miles an hour and the other making 50 miles an hour, and practically all the traveling public will demand the swifter service. It may be urged that the slower train is safer. People with the gift of comparison may remind us that in England, where all the trains run slowly, accidents are almost unknown, and may call upon us to lend our encouragement to the side of conservatism, but we are not im= pressed. The management rules that nothing but cash fares will be accepted in this fast traln, that any special privileges granted by the other service do net apply, but the patronage is not dis- suaded. We are all In a hurry. A streetcar runs into a delivery wagon and kills two people. Motor- man explains car was going too fast to stop when he realized the wagon was not going to get across the track in safety. A few blocks further on, a man, strong in the faith that he can safely make his passage Dbetween two cars coming from opposite directions Is knocked down and has both legs brok- en. Cars were moving “at too high speed to be stopped when the pedes- trian’'s danger was realized. Let a number of serfous accidents of this sort occur and the public voices the opinion that something must be done for protection, but when increase of the car's rumning time Is suggested, the patrons of the line feel the desire for regulation diminish and the city at large sympathetically forbears to push the matter. For, after all, we want to shorten the time instead of lengthening it and down deep In our hearts Is the feeling that the pedestrian must look after himself. We are scornful of the horse car, not from any lack of respect for that form of motive power, but because it is slow. We are all in a hurry. When we travel by steamer we want to take the swiftest vessel of the switt- est line, and If by increasing the dan- gers the captain makes port in a littie less time than it has ever been done before, if he establishes a new record, every passenger feels the glow that re- sults from something attempted, some- thing done. We are all in a hurry and for hurry’'s sake. It is become our habit. To be sure we—most of with high approval every evidence of official firmness in dealing with the automobile. That Is because we—most of us—are not metorists When the great steam and gasoline us—regard cars shall come into genmeral use, cheapened and modified to meet the need of even the least amonsy these the travelers, our attitude will change. We shall welcome a new means of an- nihllating time and space limitations and pleas for moderation will sound in our ears as impertinent interference or the phrasing of one who is behind the times. And in the bright lexicon of the present day, there is no classification more comprehensive ir its finality than “behind the times.” $