File:History of the West End street railway, in which is included sketches of the early street railway of Boston- consolidation of the various lines- foreign street railways- the Berlin viaduct- anecdotes, (14760578882).jpg

Identifier: historyofwestend00hage (find matches)
Title: History of the West End street railway, in which is included sketches of the early street railway of Boston- consolidation of the various lines- foreign street railways- the Berlin viaduct- anecdotes, etc., together with speeches by President Henry M. Whitney, and others. Also, expert testimony as to the safety of electric currents..
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: Hager, Louis P
Subjects: West End Street Railway Company Street-railroads
Publisher: Boston, Ed. and pub. by L. P. Hager
Contributing Library: Northeastern University, Snell Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Northeastern University, Snell Library

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rsof these cabs to be found in the fact that the owners cannot standthe damages by accidents; is not that exactly it. Mr. Cummings. Yes, sir, I so understand. There is no doubtthat passengers in our cars are much safer than they would be intheir own carriages, and meet with fewer accidents in proportion.Judging by the number of accidents to passengers happening duringthe past year, I have made a computation, and discovered that a pas-senger taking two rides daily in our cars, on the doctrine of chanceswould not meet even with a slight accident but once in 118 yearsand would not be killed inside of some 60,000. Indeed, a personwho might be born on our cars, and ride in them every trip they rundaily, who got on and off the usual number of times, rode on theplatform or the running board the average number of times, and wasintoxicated the average number of times — in short, was exposed toevery risk, would live 8,000 years before he would be killed, accord-ing to the doctrine of chances.
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WEST END STREET RAILWAY. 61 SAFETY ON BOSTON CARS. A passenger on our cars is as safe as in his own house, and saferthan he would be in any vehicle or in walking the streets. I haveridden in the street-cars myself for the last thirty years constantly,a portion of the time riding a great deal officially, and not onlynever had an accident, but never saw a street-car accident of import-ance enough so that a claim was made. I have seen carriage acci-dents and wrecked carriages frequently, yet we carry more peoplein a day than ride in carriages in a month. It appears, therefore,that the track in the streets, though attended with some inconven-ience, is the cause of great benefits to the community. It has been urged that the street railways pay something to cer-tain municipalities in other States. I do not think the evidencepresented by the petitioners indicates that the practice is a success,and for the public good, where it exists. But I wish to call yourattention to one important fact, a

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