Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1878 — Railroad Accidents in 1877. [ARTICLE]

Railroad Accidents in 1877.

The Railroad Gazette reports the number of railroad accidents in this country during 1877 at 891, in which 214 persons were killed and 1,047 were injured. This is the smallest number of serious railroad accidents reported for five years. Of these accidents 137 were caused by “defects or failures in a permanent way;” 67 by “defects or failures in rolling stock;” 97 by negligence, carelessness or malice, and 113 by unforeseen obstructions not malicious. There were 268 collisions, 581 derailments, and 42 from other causes. These figures do not include persona casually run over while walking on tracks, jumping from cars, or teams demolished, but only accidents to trains.