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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
 
 THE SAFETY- FIRST TRAIN 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN L. COCHRANE 
 
 \-^ 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 
 1917 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Introduction 
 
 Offices represented 
 
 Itinerary 
 
 Deaths tlirough accidents in the United States -t 
 
 The safety-first movement 17 
 
 The Federal Government and safety first 
 
 Descriptions of exliibits y\ 
 
 Department of tlie Treasury ^f; 
 
 Public Health Service \0 
 
 Coast Guard 20 
 
 Department of War 
 
 Department of the Navy 
 
 Department of the Interior 
 
 Office of Indian Affairs z'> 
 
 Reclamation Service 2S 
 
 Bureau of Mines ?/) 
 
 National Pai'k Service 
 
 Department of Agriculture ^ ::.'> 
 
 "Weather Bureau "" 
 
 Bureau of Animal Industry 
 
 Forest Service 
 
 Interstate Commerce Commission i. • 
 
 Division of Safety 40 
 
 Division of Locomotive Boiler Inspection 43 
 
 American National Red Cross i- 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The safety-first train 
 
 President Wilson visiting the train at Union Station, Washington 
 
 ]\Iembers of the Cabinet and railroad officials at the departure of the 
 
 train 
 
 Typical crowd waiting to view the exhibits 
 
 Route of the train 
 
 Exhibit of United States Coast Guard, Treasury Department, and Ameri- 
 can Red Cross 
 
 Exhibit of Corps of Engineers, United States Army 
 
 Exhibit of Medical Department, United States Army 
 
 Exhibit of Marine Corps, United States Navy 
 
 Exhibit of Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior 
 
 National Park exbil)it. Department of the Interior 
 
 Exhibit of Weather Bureau, Department of Agriculture 
 
 Exhibit of Interstate Commerce Commission 
 
 2 
 

 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 By John L. Cochrane. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In an effort further to acquaint the people with the work that the 
 Federal Government is doing every day to protect its citizens against 
 injury and death, and with the measures it takes to promote the 
 health and comfort of the people, exhibits showing apparatus, de- 
 vices, and methods used by the Government were assembled by the 
 departments and bureaus at Washington in a special train which 
 was sent to as many places throughout the United States as was 
 possible under the circumstances. 
 
 The train, which consisted of 12 steel cars, carrying a quarter of 
 a mile of exhibits, visited 87 cities and towns in 16 States, in regions 
 between Philadelphia, Pa., and Denver, Colo. More than half a 
 million visitors inspected this train, and upon the completion of its 
 itinerary of four months requests had been received from hundreds 
 of other cities. It was with considerable reluctance that the train 
 had to be given up at the end of the four months, and it is the hope 
 that some day a similar train will be owned, operated, and equipped 
 by the Government and will be sent into every part of the country, 
 so that every citizen may be able to obtain a closer view and a more 
 intimate knowledge of what the Government is doing for the people. 
 
 The train was furnished through the courtesy of Mr. Daniel 
 Willard, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Eailroad, and was 
 retained by the Government as long as it could consistently accept 
 the generous proposition of Mr. Willard. The Baltimore & Ohio 
 Eailroad not only furnished the train, but also provided transporta- 
 tion over its system. Shortly after the train had started, there were 
 inquiries from the presidents of various trunk-line railroad systems 
 throughout the country requesting that the train be taken over their 
 lines. After two months over the Baltimore & Ohio system, the 
 train was loaned to the Missouri, Kansas & Texas system for one 
 month for an itinerary through Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, 
 this railroad agreeing to furnish transportation. At the close of 
 this itinerary the Union Pacific system was given a similar oppor- 
 
 3 
 
4 THE SAFETY-FIEST TEAIIST. 
 
 tunity to handle the train, and the people in Kansas, Colorado, 
 Wyoming, Utah, and Nebraska were thereby permitted to see the 
 exhibits. 
 
 The train on September 1 was returned to the Baltimore & Ohio 
 Railroad. Had it not been for the patriotic cooperation of the three 
 railroads mentioned, and particularly the Baltimore & Oliio, it would 
 haA^e been impossible to exhibit this train, for there were no appro- 
 priations to take care of the immense expenditure necessary. 
 
 The train was an effort to give the public a much clearer idea of 
 the humanitarian work being accomplished by the Government. 
 Such an exposition had never before been witnessed by the people. 
 Those who have been fortunate enough to be able to visit Washing- 
 ton and spend a few daj^s in learning about the Government's activi- 
 ties have been privileged to see a number of those exhibits at various 
 times, but never before has practically the entire " safety first •' work 
 of the Government been assembled on a train. That the people were 
 surprised at the extent of the Government's interest in their behalf 
 was manifest every day the train was on its itinerary. It became a 
 common expression that no one before had had any idea of the 
 practical work the Federal Government was doing along these lines. 
 
 The Government issues millions of publications each year on the 
 subjects depicted b}' the train, but these unfortunately do not lend 
 themselves to such graphic presentation as the actual apparatus used 
 in these endeavors. It is a safe assumption that many of the visitors 
 left the train better American citizens and with a much clearer view 
 of the helpfulness of the Federal Government to the people. 
 
 The plan of having a railway train take to the doorsteps of the 
 people an exhibit of the work of the Government originated in the 
 Department of the Interior. The detailed work of bringing the 
 exhibits of the various departments and bureaus together was as- 
 signed to Mr. Van. H. Manning, Director of the Bureau of Mines, 
 who was designated as the executive officer in charge of the train. 
 The Director of the Bureau of Mines was assisted by Mr. Morton F. 
 Leopold, also of the Bureau of Mines, who had immediate charge of 
 the train in the absence of Mr. Manning. 
 
 It is needless to state that all of those who aided in preparing 
 the exhibit showed enthusiasm and hearty cooperation and that they 
 did everything possible to make the train the big success it proved 
 to be. 
 
 The Federal Government, which has more than 25 different bureaus 
 engaged in efforts to reduce the enormous loss of life and property 
 through accident, concluded in the early part of 1916 that it might 
 be able to quicken the public interest in safety by giving a demonstra- 
 tion of some of its methods. Also, as Congress was in session at the 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TKAIX. 5 
 
 time, it was thoiififht that such an exposition ■would be of value to the 
 men who make the Nation's Lnvs. Accordingly, in the AA'eek of Febru- 
 ary 21 to 26, 1916, there was held at the National INIuseum, in Wash- 
 ington, a Safety First Exposition, in which 25 Federal bureaus, the 
 American Red Cross Society, and the District of Columbia police de- 
 partment participated. During the week 35,000 persons visited this 
 exposition. This highly successful Safety-First Exposition was re- 
 sponsible for the conceiving of the idea of a Government Safety-First 
 Special Train. It was the consensus of opinion among the officials 
 that the exposition was of great educational value and regret was 
 expressed that such an exposition could not be made in every city 
 and town in the country. Mr. Daniel Willard, president of the 
 Baltimore & Ohio Eailroad, was requested to loan a modern train 
 of 12 cars to carry the exhibits throughout the countr}^ Mr. Wil- 
 lard responded promptly and placed at the disposal of the Federal 
 Government a train of as many steel cars as were necessary to house 
 the various exhibits, and gave the assurance that the train would be 
 hauled free of charge over his lines. This train was assembled in 
 Washington and was ready for departure over the lines of the 
 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad on May 1. 
 
 The task of organizing the exhibits and obtaining the necessary 
 cooperation of the different departments and bureaus was intrusted 
 to Mr. Van. H. Manning, Director of the Bureau of ]\Iines. In a 
 short time 10 steel cars were filled with representative exhibits of the 
 " safety first " work being conducted by the Federal Government. 
 So thoroughly was the work done and so varied and complete were 
 the exhibits that many persons closely associated with the work of 
 the Federal Government were surprised and exclaimed that they 
 had not thought it possible to obtain such a complete exposition of 
 the humanitarian work of the Government in a train of 10 cars. 
 
 The President, members of the Cabinet, various officials of the 
 Federal Government, and the officials of the Baltimore & Ohio 
 Railroad were invited to inspect the train before its departure. 
 On the morning of May 1, prominent Government and railroad 
 officials gathered at the Union Station for the occasion. The Gov- 
 ernment party included the President and Mrs. Wilson ; Hon. Robert 
 Lansing, Secretary of State ; Byron R. Newton, Assistant Secretary, 
 Department of the Treasury; Hon. Newton D. Baker, Secretary of 
 War; Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy; Hon. Franklin 
 K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior; Carl Vrooman, Assistant Secre- 
 tary, Department of Agriculture; Hon. William C. Redfield, Sec- 
 retary of Commerce: Hon. William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor; 
 Hon. Thomas W. Gregory, Attorney General : IVIr. Joseph P. Tum- 
 ulty, Secretary to the President ; Hon. Bo Sweeney, Assistant Secre- 
 
6 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 
 
 tary of the Interior; Hon. A. A. Jones, First Assistant Secretary 
 of the Interior; Mr. Van. H. Manning, Director of the Bureau of 
 Mines; Mr. A. P. Davis, Director of the Reclamation Service; Mr. 
 B. H. Meyer, chairman. Interstate Commerce Commission; and 
 Mr. W. M. Daniels, commissioner. Interstate Commerce Commission. 
 The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Avas represented by Mr. Daniel 
 Willard, president; Mr. George F. Randolph, first vice president; 
 Mr. George M. Shriver, second vice president ; Mr. A. W. Thompson, 
 third vice president; Mr. J. V. McXeal, fourth vice president; Mr. 
 Charles W. Galloway, general manager; and Mr. O. P. McCarty, 
 passenger traffic manager. 
 
 PRESIDENT WILSON VISITING THE TRAIN AT UNION STATION, WASHINGTON. 
 
 The President, members of the Cabinet, Mv. Willard, and other 
 Government and railroad officials all expressed themselves as being 
 pleased not only with the remarkable demonstration of the " safety 
 first " Avork of the Federal Government, but also at the great oppor- 
 tunity that w^ould be afforded the citizens of the country. 
 
 President Wilson took a very active and earnest interest in the 
 Safety-First Train. In a letter commenting on the SafetA^-First 
 Train, the President said : 
 
 Particularly at this time it is wise and wholesome that the Federal GoA^ern- 
 ment should call the attention of the people of the country to what the Go\'ern- 
 ment is doing to preserve life, the greatest of all the- resources of the Nation. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 7 
 
 The rescuer of the Buretui of Mines who braves the poisonous jrases of a 
 mine and saves a miner from deatli ; the coast guard wlio at tlie peril of liis 
 own life saves the passengers of a helpless vessel from death ; the surgeon of 
 the Public Health Service who slops a dreaded scourge in its incipiency and 
 saves thousands of lives; the engineer who succeeds in reducing the hazards 
 of his industry to its men ; and the man who brings about better conditions of 
 living among the people, I consider all types of the hero who will be most re- 
 garded in the near future. 
 
 The Federal Oovennnent is doing an exceedingly h(>l])ful work along just 
 such lines, and I iloubt if the public appreciates how extensive and important 
 that work is. I especially like your idea of making this as much as possible 
 a national affair. Every manufacturer, every railroad man, every miner, every 
 operator, every workman, and every humane person in the counti\v ought to 
 be interested. I sincerelv wish you success in this un(l(M'takincr. 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE CABINET AND RAILROAD OFFICIALS AT THE DEPARTURE 
 
 OF THE TRAIN. 
 
 The train, consisting of 12 steel coaches, including a sleeper and 
 a diner, hauled by two powerful passenger locomotives, then de- 
 parted on its first long trip over the Baltimore & Ohio System. 
 
 The train in the next nine weeks visited 50 representative cities 
 and towns on the Baltimore & Ohio Eailroad System, and in prac- 
 tically every instance was greeted with crowds that were limited 
 only by the capacity of the train to care for them. In many cities 
 the civic organizations visited the train in a body, schools and col- 
 leges were closed for the day, and many manufacturers allowed their 
 employees sufficient time to view the exhibits. Everywhere the extent 
 
8 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 and instructiveness of the exhibits were highly praised. The only 
 dissatisfaction heard was that, with the great throngs pressing 
 through the train, it was difficult for many people to give as 
 much time as they wished to viewing the exhibits. In a number of 
 places students of universities, colleges, and schools recorded their 
 impressions in notebooks as they passed through the cars, and after- 
 wards discussed in the classroom what they had seen. Altogether 
 318.634 persons visited the train in the nine weeks it was on the Bal- 
 timore & Ohio Kailroad System, an average of 5,900 persons a day. 
 At the different places visited evening lectures, illustrated by 
 motion pictures of the work of the various Government bureaus, 
 were given in the open air, the screen being placed on adjoining 
 buildings or freight cars, where it was visible to the large crowds 
 
 TYPICAL CROWD WAITING TO VIEW THE EXHIBITS. 
 
 that invariably gathered. The motion pictures depicted the work of 
 the Army and the Navy, the Public Health Service in its health 
 campaigns, the Bureau of Mines in its efforts to save life in the 
 mines, the Interstate Commerce Commission's work in reducing 
 accidents on trains, modern farming methods by the Department 
 of Agriculture, and many other features of the Government activities. 
 The total attendance at the motion-picture shows for the cities on 
 the Baltimore & Ohio System was 8G.100. 
 
 Mr. Manning, whohad direct charge of the operation of the train, 
 was compelled by the press of official business in Washington to 
 leave after it reached Baltimore, Md.. at the end of the first week, 
 and the train was placed in immediate charge of Morton F. Leopold, 
 of the Bureau of Mines, throughout its subsequent itinerary. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 At some places the public interest in this Safety First Train drew 
 such large crowds that all the people could not see the exhibits, it 
 being estimated that on the lialtimore & Ohio System 12,350 citizens 
 Avere turned awav. The officials in charge of the train regretted 
 
 s^ 
 
 a 
 
 H 
 O 
 
 deeply that every citizen could not have an opportunitv to visit the 
 train, and in a number of instances thev voluntarilv held the train 
 open long after the regular closing time. 
 
 Long before the itinerary on the Baltimore & Ohio System had 
 been completed various other railroads of the country were asking 
 69567°— 17 2 
 
10 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN". 
 
 that the train might traverse their systems, and a number of the 
 representatives of these roads visited Washington to present their 
 request in person. President WiHard of the Baltimore & Ohio 
 was consulted as to his willingness to continue the loan of the 
 train for exposition purposes, it being realized that this train of 
 12 steel cars represented a considerable outlay and, so far as the 
 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was concerned, w^as not producing reve- 
 nue. Mr. Willard, in a patriotic spirit, stated that the train would 
 be at the service of the United States Government as long as it 
 was needed, the only requirement being that it should be returned 
 to the Baltimore & Ohio when the Government was through with it. 
 
 Finally, it w^as decided that the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail- 
 way should have the train during the month of July, that road 
 having agreed to haul the train over its lines free of charge, and 
 the train was delivered to that railroad at St. Louis, Mo., July 2. 
 
 Twenty-one cities and towns in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma 
 were visited during July, the exhibits being inspected by crowds as 
 large and as eager to view the exhibits as those on the Baltimore & 
 Ohio System. Altogether 107,779 persons saw the exhibits on the 
 Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, an average of 4,686 persons 
 each day. 
 
 By this time news of the train and the unique educational advan- 
 tages of the exhibits had spread throughout the entire United States, 
 and there seemed to be additional eagerness to learn of the work 
 the Federal Government is doing for " safety first." At some places 
 the attendance equaled and even exceeded the entire population of 
 the town, people coming to visit the train from miles around. As 
 the Government officials in the train gained experience in handling 
 large crowds j^ractically eveiyone Avho visited the train was able to 
 see the exhibits. In but one instance on this railway were persons 
 turned away, 2,000 people being disappointed at Joplin, Mo. The 
 motion pictures shown in the evenings were witnessed by 46,000 per- 
 sons. The itinerary over the Missouri, Kansas & Texas System 
 ended July 28 at Kansas City, Kans., and the train was then turned 
 over to the Union Pacific Railroad, which had put in its application 
 many weeks before. On this itinerary, which began July 31 at Law- 
 rence, Kans., the train visited 24 cities and towns in the States of 
 Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Nebraska. Altogether 
 105,569 persons visited the train, an average of 4,060 people a day. 
 Many of the westerners came miles to see the exhibits. Only 500 
 persons were turned away; this occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah, 
 on August 21. Motion-picture lectures w^ere attended by 28,500 per- 
 sons. The itinerary on this system ended at Beatrice, Nebr., on 
 August 29. The train was then returned to the Baltimore & Ohio 
 Railroad. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 11 
 
 The thanks of the (joverninent officers are due to Mr. Daniel 
 WiUard, president of the liakimore & Ohio Raih'oad; Mr. C. E. 
 Schaff, receiver, Missouri, Kansas & Texas Kaihvay; and Mr. 
 J. M. Guild, safety agent. Union Pacific Raih'oad, for the many 
 courtesies extended. The railroad officials not only carried the train 
 over their lines free of charge, but also provided the necessary em- 
 ployees, and did a great deal toward notifying the people in the 
 cities visited regarding the schedule for the exhibit. 
 
 Secretary I..ane*s appreciation of the action of the Baltimore & 
 Ohio Railroad in loaning the train is shown by the following letter 
 of the Secretary to Mr. WiHard: 
 
 The Safety-First Special Train has, as you are aware, just completed its 
 60-day itinerary over the Baltimore & Ohio llailruad System and is now being 
 tiu-ned over to the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway for a period of 30 days, 
 and from there to the Union Pacific Railroad for a similar period, to be then 
 returned to you. 
 
 On the occasion of the completion of the itinerary over your lines allow me, 
 in behalf of the Federal Government, to express to you and through you to each 
 and every oflicial of your company concerned my warm appreciation of the 
 splendid cooperation that has been given. 
 
 It must be a matter of gratitication to yourself and to the railroad you repre- 
 sent that It has been the pioneer in a humanitarian movement that has already 
 conveyed to several hundred thousand citizens a most necessary knowledge 
 concerning the protection of their lives and their property. I only hope that 
 your efforts are to be the forerunner of a permanent Government railway expo- 
 sition that will give all of the people an opportunity to see what the Federal 
 Government is doing for them along these lines. 
 
 The Government's representatives on the Safety-First Train have conveyed to 
 me that your representatives have done everything humanly possible for com- 
 fort and safety in the operation and management of the train and have asked me 
 to convey their sincere appreciation of the many courtesies and favors extended 
 to them. I am only too glad to do this, for I believe that every railroad man 
 in any way connected with the train has been imbued with the same spirit of 
 friendly cooperation as has been manifested by yourself. 
 
 OFFICES REPRESENTED. 
 
 The departments and bureaus which took part in the Safety First 
 Train and their representatives were as follows : 
 
 Department of the Treasury : 
 Public Health Service — 
 ■ Dr. C. E. Banks. 
 M. L. Cole. 
 V. R. Loving. 
 Dr. Liston Paine. 
 T. .T. Curtis. 
 T. A. Thornton. 
 
12 THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 
 
 Department of the Treasury — Continued. 
 Coast Guard — 
 
 Lieut. W. J. Wheeler. 
 
 Quartermaster J. F. McNulty. 
 
 Gunner Frederick Block. 
 Department of War : 
 J. J. Hittinger. 
 Sergt. A. F. Springer. 
 Sergt. F. C. Phiuney. 
 Sergt. E. C. Whallon. 
 Sergt. S. M. Yarbrough. 
 Department of the Navy : 
 
 Marine Corps and Bureaus of Navigation, Yards and DocliS, Ordnance, Con- 
 struction and Repair, Steam Engineering, Supplies and Accounts, Medi- 
 cine and Surgery — 
 
 Chief Master at Arms Charles Mitchell. 
 
 Sergt. J. Leinhart. 
 
 Chief Electrician J. J. Brierly. 
 
 Chief Electrician G. T. Tansey. 
 
 Chief Electrician T. L. Murphy. 
 
 Hospital Apprentice C. T. Chandler. 
 Department of the Interior : 
 Office of Indian Affairs — 
 
 No representative. 
 Reclamation Service — 
 
 W. I. Swanton. 
 
 E. J. IMcIntosh. 
 Bureau of Mines — 
 
 George Riggs. 
 
 J. D. Morey. 
 
 Henry Nichols, jr. 
 
 T. F. Bell. 
 National parks — 
 
 Don E. Clarke. 
 Department of Agriculture: 
 Weather Bureau — 
 
 R. H. Finch. 
 Bureau of Animal Industry — 
 
 No representative. 
 Forest Service — 
 
 E. L. Lindsay. 
 
 C. T. Forster. 
 
 A. A. Ormsby. 
 Interstate Commerce Commis.sion : 
 O. C. Cash. 
 T. C. Hays. 
 John Hall. 
 Harvey Boltw^ood. 
 A. D. Rogers. 
 J. G. Adair. 
 American National Rpd Cross: 
 Dr. M. J. Shields. 
 Dr. T. Harlan. 
 Dr. Eric S. Green. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 13 
 
 ITINERARY. 
 
 The Safety First Train, on its entire itinerary, from May 1 to 
 August 29, visited 87 cities and towns in 10 States, and traveled 
 9,093 miles in reaching these places. 
 
 Among the large cities visited were Philadelphia, Pa.; Baltimore, 
 INId. ; St. Louis, Mo.; Springfield, 111.; Louisville, Ky. ; Cincinnati, 
 Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Chicago, 111.; Toledo, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; 
 Akron, Ohio; Youngstown, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Cleveland, Ohio; 
 Oklahoma City, Okla. ; Kansas City, Ivans.; Denver, Colo.; Salt 
 Lake City, Utah, and Omaha, Nebr. 
 
 The total number of visitors was 531,982, and the average daily 
 attendance was 5,215. This w^as practically the capacity of the train 
 to take care of the visitors. Motion pictures of the various activities 
 of the Government were shown to 140,600 persons. 
 
 Cities and towns visited. 
 
 BALTIMORE & OHIO SYSTEM. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Place. 
 
 Visit- 
 ors. 
 
 Esti- 
 mated 
 attend- 
 ance at 
 motion- 
 picture 
 exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Place. 
 
 Visit- 
 ors. 
 
 Esti- 
 mated 
 attend- 
 ance at 
 motion- 
 picture 
 exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 May 1-2 
 3 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa — 
 Chester, Pa 
 
 3,211 
 6,250 
 3,100 
 
 14,315 
 5,771 
 8,883 
 3,807 
 3,707 
 8,100 
 5,002 
 7,378 
 6,732 
 6,537 
 8,808 
 8,010 
 7, 485 
 8,118 
 6,972 
 
 10,686 
 7,068 
 5,947 
 6,319 
 5,655 
 
 11,158 
 
 1,600 
 1,000 
 1,000 
 
 (') 
 
 4,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 (') 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,500 
 
 2,500 
 
 2,500 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,500 
 
 2,500 
 
 2,500 
 
 0) 
 
 0) 
 
 3,000 
 
 2,500 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,000 
 
 0) 
 
 June 1-2 
 
 3 
 
 5-6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9-10 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 . 14-15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 19-20 
 
 21 
 
 22-23 
 
 24 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28-29 
 
 30 
 
 Cincinnati, Ohio... . 
 
 Hamilton, Ohio 
 
 Dayton, Ohio 
 
 Piqua, Ohio 
 
 11,558 
 7, 684 
 
 13, 396 
 5,616 
 6,855 
 6,094 
 4,052 
 5,404 
 4,486 
 6,906 
 6,547 
 
 11,974 
 5,571 
 
 14,239 
 5,821 
 5,730 
 8,191 
 
 14, 754 
 
 4,737 
 
 3,000 
 
 4 
 5-6 
 
 Newark, Del 
 
 Baltimore, Md 
 
 Frederick, Md 
 
 Hagerstown, Md 
 
 Winchester, Va 
 
 Martinsburg,W. Va. 
 
 Cumberland, Md 
 
 Grafton, W. Va 
 
 Morgantown.W. Va. 
 Fainnont,W. Va.... 
 Clarksburg, W. Va. . 
 Parkersburg.W. Va. 
 
 Marietta, Ohio 
 
 Athens, Ohio 
 
 Chillicothe.Ohio.... 
 East St. Louis, 111... 
 
 St. Louis Mo 
 
 Springfield, 111 
 
 Vinceimes, Ind 
 
 Washington, Ind 
 
 Seymour, Ind 
 
 Louisville, Ky 
 
 1,000 
 1,500 
 
 g 
 
 Lima, Ohio 
 
 2 000 
 
 9 
 
 Chicago, 111 
 
 (>) 
 
 2,000 
 
 (M 
 
 (') 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,000 
 
 5,500 
 
 3,000 
 
 7,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 4,000 
 
 (') 
 
 (>) 
 
 10 
 10 
 11 
 12 
 13 
 15 
 16 
 17 
 18 
 19 
 20 
 22 
 ■ 23-24 
 25 
 
 Toledo, Ohio 
 
 Sandusky, Ohio 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Akron, Ohio 
 
 Yoimgstown, Ohio. . 
 
 Pittsburgh, Pa 
 
 Washington, Pa 
 
 Wheeling, W. Va... 
 
 Cambridge, Ohio 
 
 Zanesville, Ohio 
 
 Newark, Ohio 
 
 Columbus, Ohio 
 
 Chicago Junction, 
 Ohio 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 29 
 
 30-31 
 
 Total, Balti- 
 more & Ohio 
 System 
 
 318,634 
 
 86,100 
 
 MISSOURI, KANSAS & TEXAS SYSTEM. 
 
 Julv 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 -18 
 
 Columbia, Mo 
 
 Boonville, Mo 
 
 Sedalia, Mo 
 
 Clinton, Mo 
 
 Nevada, Mo 
 
 Fort Scott, Kans 
 
 Joplin, Mo 
 
 Columbus, Kans 
 
 Parsons^ Kans 
 
 Coffey ville, Kans 
 
 Bartlesville, Okla. . . 
 
 Tulsa, Okla 
 
 Oklahoma City, 
 Okla 
 
 5,141 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,357 
 
 2,000 
 
 5,318 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,087 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,842 
 
 (') 
 
 3,746 
 
 2,000 
 
 5,847 
 
 5,000 
 
 3,753 
 
 1,500 
 
 4,564 
 
 2,000 
 
 5,182 
 
 3,000 
 
 4,767 
 
 3,000 
 
 5,726 
 
 2,000 
 
 9,053 
 
 3,500 
 
 July 
 
 19 
 20 
 21 
 
 22 
 24 
 25 
 26 
 27-28 
 
 Shawnee. Okla 
 
 Ada, Okla 
 
 McAlester, Okla 
 
 Muskogee, Okla 
 
 Vinita, Okla 
 
 Chanute, Kans 
 
 lola, Kans 
 
 Kansas City, Kans. . 
 
 Total, Mis- 
 souri, Kan- 
 sas & Texas 
 System 
 
 4,463 
 4,904 
 4, 487 
 5, 307 
 3,393 
 4, 487 
 5,622 
 12, 733 
 
 107, 779 
 
 1,500 
 3,000 
 
 (') 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,000 
 
 2, iM) 
 
 3,000 
 
 (0 
 
 46,000 
 
 '^ None shown. 
 
14 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 Cities and towns visited — Continued. 
 
 UNION PACIFIC SYSTEM. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Place. 
 
 Visit- 
 ors. 
 
 Esti- 
 mated 
 attend- 
 ance at 
 motion- 
 picture 
 exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Place. 
 
 Visit- 
 ors. 
 
 Esti- 
 mated 
 attend- 
 ance at 
 motion- 
 picture 
 exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 July 31 
 
 Aug. 1 
 
 2 
 
 Lawrence, Kans 
 
 Topeka, Kans 
 
 Manhattan^ Kans. . . 
 Junction City, Kans. 
 
 Salena, Kans 
 
 Ellis, Kans 
 
 4,331 
 4.S56 
 3,717 
 3,737 
 4,386 
 2,193 
 15, 157 
 5,765 
 4,961 
 2,609 
 1,362 
 2,219 
 4,121 
 1,085 
 2,356 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 1,500 
 
 2,000 
 
 2,000 
 
 1,000 
 
 (') 
 
 3,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 1,000 
 
 (0 
 
 500 
 2,000 
 (1) 
 0) 
 
 Aug. 18 
 19-21 
 
 22 
 23 
 24 
 25-26 
 28 
 29 
 
 Ogden, Utah 
 
 Salt Lake. City, 
 Utah 
 
 4,488 
 
 7,973 
 1,434 
 2,954 
 4,281 
 12, 794 
 4,814 
 3,976 
 
 0) 
 
 (') 
 
 500 
 2,000 
 2,000 
 
 3 
 4 
 5 
 
 Sidney, Nebr 
 
 North Platte, Nebr.. 
 Grand Island, Nebr. 
 
 Omaha, Nebr 
 
 Lincoln, Nebr 
 
 Beatrice, Nebr 
 
 Total, Union 
 Pacific Sys- 
 tem 
 
 7-8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 Denver, Colo 
 
 Greeley, Colo 
 
 Cheyenne, Wyo 
 
 Laramie^ Wyb 
 
 Haruia, Wyo 
 
 Rawlins, Wyo 
 
 Rock Springs, Wyo. 
 Green River, Wyb.. 
 Evanston, Wyo 
 
 2,000 
 
 12 
 14 
 15 
 
 105, 569 
 
 2S .5nn 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 Grand total . . . 
 
 
 531,982 
 
 160, 600 
 
 ' None shown. 
 
 DEATHS THROUGH ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 There are in the United States each year approximately 75,000 
 deaths through accidents — practically the population of a fair-sized 
 American city wiped out every 12 months. 
 
 It is estimated by investigators wdio have given much thought 
 to the subject that the number annually injured is more than 
 2,000,000 persons. There are no official figures showing the total 
 number injured. 
 
 The statistics as to fatalities are entirely inadequate, although 
 attempts have been made by the Bureau of the Census, Department 
 of Commerce, to give the number of violent deaths each year in 
 Avhat is known as the registration area. This area, which is being 
 enlarged each year, now comprises 25 States (in one of which, North 
 Carolina, registration applies only to municipalities which had 1,000 
 population or over in 1900), the District of Columbia, and 32 cities 
 in nonregistration States, and in 1914 contained two-thirds of the 
 total estimated population of the United States. 
 
 Taking the statistics of violent deaths in the registration area of 
 the United States as compiled by the Bureau of the Census and esti- 
 mating on this basis the approximate number of persons yearly 
 killed by accident in the entire United States give the following 
 totals : 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 15 
 
 Estimated nunihcr of persons killed bu uccidetit in the United S>tates. 
 
 1908 72.335 
 
 1909 72,679 
 
 1910 : 77,900 
 
 1911 79,431 
 
 1912 78,757 
 
 1913 82,963 
 
 1914 77,500 
 
 These estimates do not include deaths from homicide and suicide 
 and represent onl}' violent deaths from accidents. While the Bureau 
 of the Census never officialh^ makes an estimate for the entire country 
 from the figures of the registration area, it is thought that the above 
 statistics are fairly accurate, inasmuch as the occupational hazards 
 in the registration area may be regarded as fairly representative of 
 those throughout the country. For instance, while the nonregistra- 
 tion area contains certain sparsely settled agricultural States wherein 
 the hazard of fatal accidents is supposedly lower than in industrial 
 States, yet this area does contain such important industrial States as 
 AVest Virginia, Oklahoma, Xew Mexico, and others, so that the aver- 
 age for all of them will perhaps be about the same as for the regis- 
 tration States. 
 
 • 
 
 The Bureau of the Census also has certain statistics for the regis- 
 tration area which show the accidental deaths of persons 10 years 
 of age or older engaged in gainful occupations. Unfortunately, these 
 statistics were found to be unsatisfactory and were not tabulated, 
 owing to the failure of physicians throughout the country to fill in 
 the death certificates in such a manner as to permit accurate tabula- 
 tion. It is hoped, now that there are workmen's compensation 
 bureaus in more than 30 States, that in the future more accurate 
 statistics of fatal accidents will be obtainable. 
 
 Taking the official figures of the Bureau of the Census for the lust 
 two years they were available, or until their tabulation was given up, 
 and applying these statistics to the entire country, it is estimated that 
 about 40,000 persons are killed at their occupations each year in the 
 United States. 
 
 The figures for the entire countrv for the two years are as follows : 
 
 'fe' 
 
 Estimated nioiiher of aeeidental deaths of persons 10 years of age or over 
 
 engaged in gainful oeeupations. 
 
 1908 40,775 
 
 1909 41,144 
 
 For the information of anyone who may wish to know the figures 
 on which the previously mentioned estimates were based, the follow- 
 
16 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 ing statistics, from the Bureau of the Census, on deaths in the 
 registration area are given: 
 
 Deaths in registration area. 
 
 
 Per cent 
 the popula- 
 tion of the 
 registration 
 area formed 
 of the popu- 
 lation of the 
 United 
 States. 
 
 Deaths. 
 
 
 All causes. 
 
 Accidental or undefined violence. 
 
 Year. 
 
 Number. 
 
 Per cent of all causes. 
 
 
 Both 
 sexes. 
 
 Males. J,^. 
 
 Both 
 sexes. 
 
 Males. 
 
 Fe- 
 males. 
 
 Both 
 sexes. 
 
 Males. 
 
 Fe- 
 males. 
 
 1914 
 
 66.8 ' 898.059 
 
 491,416 i 406,643 
 489,128 401.720 
 
 51,770 
 54,011 
 49, 775 
 50, 121 
 45,416 
 40, 773 
 37,976 
 
 39,447 
 41,757 
 38,233 
 38, 3.35 
 35, 731 
 31,588 
 29,570 
 
 12,323 
 
 12, 2.54 
 
 11,542 
 
 11,786 
 
 9,685 
 
 9, 185 
 
 8,406 
 
 5.8 
 6.1 
 5 9 
 6.0 
 5,6 
 5.6 
 5.5 
 
 8.0 
 8.5 
 8 3 
 8.4 
 8.1 
 7.9 
 
 7.a 
 
 3.0 
 
 1913 
 
 65.1 
 63.2 
 63.1 
 58.3 
 56.1 
 52.5 
 
 890,848 
 838, 251 
 839, 284 
 80.5,412 
 732, .538 
 691,574 
 
 3.1 
 
 1912 
 
 459,112 
 457, 308 
 439, 757 
 398, 597 
 375, 497 
 
 379, 139 
 381,976 
 365, 655 
 333, 941 
 316,077 
 
 3.0 
 
 1911 
 
 3.1 
 
 1910 
 
 2.6 
 
 1909 
 
 2.8 
 
 1908 
 
 2.7 
 
 
 
 Deaths in the registration area of persons II) years of age and over engaged 
 
 ill gainful oecupations. 
 
 
 Per cent 
 the popula- 
 tion of the 
 registration 
 area formed 
 of the popu- 
 lation of the 
 United 
 States. 
 
 Deaths. 
 
 
 All causes. 
 
 Accidental or undefined violence. 
 
 Year. 
 
 Number. 
 
 Per cent of all causes. 
 
 
 Both 
 
 sexes. 
 
 Males. 
 
 Fe- 
 males. 
 
 Both 
 se.xes. 
 
 Males. 
 
 Fe- 
 males. 
 
 Both 
 
 sexes. 
 
 Males. 
 
 Fe- 
 males. 
 
 1009 
 
 56.1 
 52.5 
 
 237,966 
 
 222,412 
 
 210,507 
 
 27, 459 
 
 23,082 
 21,407 
 
 22.201 
 20,551 
 
 881 
 856 
 
 9.7 
 9.6 
 
 10.5 
 10.5 
 
 3.2 
 
 1908 
 
 196, 207 
 
 26, 205 
 
 3.3 
 
 It is difficult to draw any definite conchisions from the estimates 
 of the number of accidental deaths in the United States in the last 
 seven years, as given in the first table. However, it is interesting to 
 note that in the year 1911 the number of accidental deaths was 5,166 
 less than in 1913. On the other hand, in the year 1913 the accidental 
 deaths numbered 4,209 more than in 1912. There is encouragement 
 in the low estimate of accidental deaths in 1914, 77,500, or less than in 
 any year since 1910, despite a steadily increasing population, which 
 shows in the five years a gain of nearly six and a half million. 
 
 It is to be hoped that the improvement for 1914 indicates a per- 
 manent decrease in death rates from accidents. There are signs that 
 this hope may be realized. In a summary of the principal causes 
 of death in 1914 in the registration area, recently issued by the 
 Bureau of the Census, the following statements appear : 
 
 Deaths due to railway aot-idents and injuries totaled 7,062. or 10.7 per 100,000. 
 This number includes fatalities resulting from collisions between railway trains 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 17 
 
 and vehicles at grade crossiugs. The death rate from railway accidents and 
 injuries is the lowest on record and shows a most marked and gratifying decline 
 as compared witli the rate for 1913, which was 13 per 100.000, and a still more 
 pronounced drop from the average for the five-year period I'JUG-liilO, which was 
 15 per 100,000. 
 
 Deaths resulting from street-car accidents and in.iurics luiinlwred 1.673, or 
 2.5 per 100.000. This rate, like that for railway fatalities, is the lowest on 
 record and shows a material falling off as compared with 1913, when it was 3.2, 
 and as compared with the average for the five-year period 1906-1910, which 
 was 3.7. 
 
 Further evidence is supplied by the Bureau of Mines, Department 
 of the Interior, in its recenth' published statistics on coal-mining 
 accidents for 1915. This bureau makes these statements: 
 
 The actual number of men killed in the coal mines in 1915 was the 
 lowest in the last eight years. 
 
 The death rate for each 1,000 men employed was the lowest in the 
 last 16 years. 
 
 The number of tons of coal produced for each miner killed was the 
 largest in the entire history of coal mining in the United States. 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIRST MOVEMENT. 
 
 In practically all lines of industrial endeavor, this country, it is 
 said, has been more reckless and more prodigal of human life than 
 any other civilized country in the world. Perhaps we are still as a 
 young country doing pioneer work that is necessarily hazardous; 
 perhaps we have not yet learned by experience the lessons of older 
 and more thickly settled communities. Other countries once had 
 much higher death rates from accidents than they have now. Im- 
 provement came with years and through many a sad experience. Yet 
 if the United States has been backward the cheering fact remains 
 that this country, now that it has started in the right direction, will 
 probably make rapid progress. Quick perception of defects and 
 vigorous application of a remedy characterize our industrial growth. 
 
 Thus the safety-first movement in the United States, which began 
 about 1906 or 1907 as a sporadic isolated movement, has spread into 
 every city and hamlet, into every workshop, factory, and mine, until 
 to-day it is the most potential agent for safety in the entire country. 
 Railroad companies, manufacturers, and mine operators now keep 
 careful records of accidents and these statistics year by year are 
 showing startling reductions in both deaths and injuries. Certain 
 big corporations have been especially active in accident prevention, 
 having organized safety-first committees, employed safety engineers, 
 and stimulated the interest in greater safety by rewarding foremen 
 and other officials for efficiency in preventing accidents and by 
 
 69567°^17^— 3 
 
18 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 
 
 organizing first-aid teams among their employees. In addition, 
 municipalities have joined in the slogan "Safety first" until it 
 stares at the passer-by from street corners, street cars, and almost 
 every conceivable place of probable danger. 
 
 With this movement has come more definite and understandable 
 traffic regulations in cities, and even the crossing policeman has 
 caught the safety-first infection, and cautions pedestrians with 
 " Watch your step," " Heads up," etc. 
 
 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SAFETY FIRST. 
 
 The Federal Government, charged with looking after the general 
 welfare of the citizen, which includes his safety in travel on land and 
 sea and, indirectly, his safety under all other conditions of life, 
 has always encouraged the safety-first movement. In fact, it was 
 the Bureau of ISIines of the Department of the Interior that, in 1911, 
 in Pittsburgh, Pa,, held a great demonstration for 20,000 miners, by 
 which the safety-first slogan was first given national importance. 
 Accident prevention, as a duty of everyday life, practically dates 
 from that event. Since then safety first has crossed the seas and 
 penetrated the remote places of the world, until to-day the ad- 
 monition is seen and heard in every civilized country. 
 
 Those who have studied the appalling waste of life in the United 
 States through accidents and are solving the problems of accident 
 prevention believe that the number of deaths and the number of in- 
 juries can be cut in half. Such a reduction would mean each year a 
 saving of 37,750 persons from violent death and of more than a 
 million persons from injury. Taking the coldly statistical view of 
 insurance companies, and eliminating all thought of the sorrow and 
 suffering of those left behind, each of these lives is estimated to have 
 a value of $10,000; so that if one-half of those killed could be saved, 
 this saving would amount to $377,500,000 in human resources in 
 one year. To this total may be added the gain to the country of 
 1,000,000 persons saved from injury. 
 
 The safety-first idea, as the Government views it, not only includes 
 the protection of the citizen from injury or death but also the pro- 
 tection of property from destruction. The two are rightfully as- 
 sociated, for often the destruction of property is accompanied by 
 the death of many persons, as in a conflagration, a flood, or a rail- 
 road wreck. There are no satisfactory statistics to show the many 
 millions of dollars lost each year through the destruction of prop- 
 erty, but it is generally known that our annual loss from fires alone 
 amounts to more than $200,000,000. Our per capita fire loss is the 
 largest of any civilized country. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TKAIN. 19 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBITS. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. 
 
 William G. McAdoo, Secretary. 
 
 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. 
 Rupert Blue, Surgeon General. 
 
 The United States Public Health Service looks out generally for 
 the public health, maintains quarantine stations and hospitals for 
 seamen, conducts the examination of immigrants, and keeps a watch- 
 ful eye on the outbreak of epidemics and the spread of diseases 
 throughout the country. Its work in stopping the entrance of 
 cholera, yellow fever, and plague at ports of the United States and 
 in fighting typhoid fever and other preventable disease has undoubt- 
 edly saved thousands of lives. 
 
 " Health safety '' Avas the keynote of the exhibit of the United 
 States Public Health Service. Persons dying of typhoid fever, ma- 
 laria, or other preventable disease are in the same class as those killed 
 through the use of faulty couplers on railroad cars, inadequate cross- 
 ing signals, or the careless handling of explosives. Cause and effect 
 are acting in either instance and the hazard to life is similar. But 
 where one person dies from accidental causes 10 perish from pre- 
 ventable disease, all of which indicates that safety for health is 
 perhaps as important as safety first from accidents. 
 
 The major portion of the exhibit of the Health Service related to 
 typhoid fever, a disease which annually kills over 14,000 persons in 
 the United States. For over 10 years the Service has conducted a 
 vigorous campaign against this disease, the chief cause of which is 
 the improper disposal of human excrement. Various types of sani- 
 tary toilets and sewage tanks were displayed. The Public Health 
 officials showed the importance of the house fly in the spread of 
 typhoid fever and displayed models of this disease-bearing insect 
 in different stages of development. 
 
 Of interest to farmers and dairymen were the large models of 
 insanitary and sanitary dairies. Other models indicated that often- 
 times contaminated water is responsible for the spread of typhoid. 
 Just how this contamination may be brought about was illustrated 
 by a striking model of a well of interest to every resident of a rural 
 community. 
 
 The Service also showed how malaria, another preventable disease, 
 is transmitted by the mosquito. Enlarged models of the eggs, larvae, 
 and adults of this insect were exhibited. The various methods of 
 mosquito destruction, such as oiling, drainage, and the use of fish, 
 were also depicted most graphically. 
 
20 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 
 
 Probably the most effective exhibit was that relating to smallpox. 
 Models of two children, one in the eruptive stage of smallpox, the 
 other presenting every appearance of health, were placed side by 
 side. The secret of the second child's immunity rested in the vaccina- 
 tion mark. The models were made from photographs of actual cases 
 in the wards of a smallpox hospital. 
 
 There was in the car a rather startling exhibit for those who are 
 careless in the disposal of garbage. A model showed a cross section 
 of a house and a near-by garbage barrel, making clear the actual con- 
 ditions within the walls of the house and enabling any to realize that 
 rats may be enemies to health. As an accompaniment of this model 
 others were shown depicting the methods of construction of rat-proof 
 houses and stables. 
 
 In the center of the exhibit there was a figure of a dog, properly 
 muzzled, in order to bring to the attention of the public not only the 
 loss of life from a preventable disease, rabies, but also the economic 
 loss through this infection. 
 
 The exhibit of this bureau was prepared under the direction of 
 Surg. E. A. Sweet. The exhibit on the train was in charge of 
 Dr. C. E. Banks, senior surgeon, assisted by M. L. Cole and V. E. 
 Loving. Dr. Banks and his assistants were relieved when the train 
 reached Chicago, 111., and Dr. Listen Paine, assisted by T. J. Curtis 
 and T. A. Thornton, took their places. 
 
 COAST GUARD. 
 Ellsworth P. Bertholf, Captain, Commandant. 
 
 The Coast Guard was represented on the Safety First Train by a 
 series of exhibits which aroused great interest, especially in the 
 interior cities of the country, where many thousands of people have 
 naturally not had the opportunity to visit the seacoast and to learn 
 what the Coast Guard is doing in behalf of humanity. 
 
 The Coast Guard as it exists today comprises what were formerly 
 the Revenue-Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service, which, by 
 act of Congress, in 1915, were merged into the new organization and 
 given the status of a part of the military forces of the Government. 
 The Revenue-Cutter Service was established in 1790, and was in- 
 tended to protect the customs revenue and to aid in the national de- 
 fense. On December 22, 1837, it was charged with the assistance of 
 vessels in distress, and thus became the first tangible effort of the 
 United States toward " safety first " for its people. The Life-Saving 
 Service was authorized June 20, 1874, thus forming another " safety 
 first " organization of the General Government. 
 
 The Revenue-Cutter Service has taken part in every war on the 
 seas in which this country has been engaged since the foundation of 
 the Government. The Coast Guard thus occupies the peculiarly ad- 
 
THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 
 
 21 
 
 vantageoiis position of a part of the armed forces of the Government, 
 which devotes its eti'orts in times of peace to tlie saving of life and 
 property and performs many otlier useful functions in the interest of 
 " saf ety"^ first." 
 
 The activities of the Coast Guard are many and diverse, including 
 assistance to vessels in distress, saving life and property, destroying 
 or removing wrecks, derelicts, and other floating dangers to naviga- 
 tion, extending medical aid to United States vessels engaged in 
 deep-sea fishing, enforcement of law relating to quarantine and 
 
 EXHIBIT OF U. S. COAST GUARD, TREASURY DEPARTMENT, AND AMERICAN 
 
 RED CROSS. 
 
 neutrality, enforcement of law providing for safety of life on 
 navigable waters during regattas and marine parades, protection of 
 game, fur seals, and fisheries in Alaska, patrolling ice fields of the 
 North Atlantic to warn vessels of the danger of icebergs, and many 
 other duties. 
 
 During the winter season and especially in bad weather a constant 
 patrol of the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida is maintained 
 by a cordon of cutters for the purpose of rendering aid to vessels in 
 distress. At all hours of the day and night beaches between life- 
 
22 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 
 
 saving stations are patrolled by surfmen, who watch for vessels 
 which have stranded or are approaching too close to the shore or 
 dangerous shoals or reefs. 
 
 The work performed during the last fiscal year by the Coast Guard 
 is typical of what it is accomplishing every year in the interest of 
 humanity. Some of the duties performed were the saving of 1,216 
 persons from peril ; rendering assistance to 15,742 persons on board 
 vessels; caring for 443 persons in distress; 1,453 instances of lives 
 saved and vessels assisted; 2,021 instances of miscellaneous assist- 
 ance; and 29 derelicts and obstructions to navigation removed or 
 destroyed. The value of vessels assisted, including cargoes, was 
 $10,509,655, and the value of derelicts recovered and delivered to 
 owners, $128,900. 
 
 The miscellaneous duties which are performed and which it is 
 impossible to tabulate, consist of such services as warnings to vessels 
 running into danger, medical and surgical aid to the sick and injured, 
 recovery and burial of bodies cast up by the waves, extinguishing of 
 fires on wharves, vessels, dwelling and business structures, fighting 
 forest fires, cooperating with local authorities in the maintenance 
 of public order, apprehending thieves and other lawbreakers, pre- 
 venting suicides, restoring lost children to their parents, recovering 
 stolen property and salving miscellaneous articles from danger or 
 destruction, acting as pilots in case of emergency, furnishing food, 
 water, and fuel to vessels in distress, protecting wrecked property, 
 and furnishing transportation and assistance to other branches of 
 the public service. The number of instances of aid furnished during 
 the last fiscal year (1916) averaged approximately 10 a day, while 
 the maximum number for any one day was 70, In fact there were 
 but three days in the entire year when aid of some kind was not 
 rendered to the public. 
 
 An important feature m the work of the Coast Guard is the 
 resuscitation of persons apparently drowned. When a person is 
 taken from the water by members of the Coast Guard they are 
 required to employ artificial respiration for one to four hours, or 
 until the patient breathes. It frequently happens that the person is 
 revived after long persistent effort. Of 19 attempts to resuscitate 
 persons taken from the water in the last fiscal year, 12 were success- 
 ful ; in only 2 of these were the persons restored in less than 30 
 minutes. In the unsuccessful attempts 5 of the victims were pro- 
 nounced dead by physicians who were present. During the fiscal 
 3^ear the Secretary of the Treasury, under authority of acts of 
 Congress, awarded medals of honor to 58 persons and a silver bar to 
 another person for distinguished bravery in saving or endeavoring 
 to save persons from drowning. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 23 
 
 Amono; the exhibits of the Coast (Juard were a completely equip])e(l 
 beach cart and apparatus and a breeches buoy, rigged to show 
 methods of rescuing persons from stranded vessels. There was also 
 a self-bailing power lifeboat, designed to carry through heavy surf 
 a crew of 7 and 20 passengers. This boat automatically frees itself 
 of water and if uninjured will carry 15 persons and clear itself of 
 water though filled level to the gunwales. Other exhibits were a 
 line-carrying projectile, a rapid-fire gun for use on cutters in firing 
 lines to vessels needing assistance; also signal liimps for flashing 
 messages by the dot-and-dash code used by stations in communicating 
 with vessels passing along shore or with wrecks. Other exhibits 
 included the electric torch and hand signals used by the patrolman 
 on his beat for communicating with other patrolmen and with vessels 
 at a distance of several miles. 
 
 An acetylene beach light, for lighting the beach and vicinity of a 
 wreck during night operations of station crews, w^as exhibited ; also 
 an acetylene signal lamp, for night messages from Coast Guard sta- 
 tions to vessels passing along the coast. This lamp is designed to 
 use the iSIorse, International, or other telegraphic codes employing 
 the dot-and-dash systems. 
 
 The Coast Guard exhibit was arranged by First Lieut. H. H. Wolf. 
 The exhibit was in charge of Lieut. W. J. "Wheeler, assisted by 
 Quartermaster J. F. JMcXulty. On July 8 Lieut. Wheeler was re- 
 lieved. Gunner Frederick Block thereafter took charge of the exhibit. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF WAR. 
 Newton D. Baker, Secretary. 
 
 "Safety first" as interpreted by the War Department related pri- 
 marily to military preparedness for national defense. The exhibits, 
 therefore, of this department graphically presented some of the 
 means for protecting the United States against a foreign foe and 
 included numerous models of big guns and small arms. 
 
 Other exhibits showed Army methods of transportation, the build- 
 ing of military bridges and roads, and how the Medical Corps applies 
 ''safety first" by taking diligent care of the soldiers' health. 
 
 Sterilizing outfits for drinking water, the first-aid packet, medical 
 chests and their contents, devices for carrying litters on railroad 
 •trains, a fully equipped operating room of a field hospital, and other 
 measures for preventing and treating disease were shown with a view 
 of the possible application of such "safety-first" methods in civilian 
 communities. 
 
 Recruiting posters referred to the Army as a career. Tn addition 
 to its strictly military training, the Army affords excellent educa- 
 
24 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIEST TEAIN. 
 
 tional facilities to the enlisted men at various posts and A-ocational 
 schools, thus enabling the men to increase their earning capacity and 
 their value to their country and qualify for commands as officers. 
 Many become expert carpenters, electricians, mechanics, blacksmiths, 
 typists, draftsmen, musicians, telegraph and wireless operators, avi- 
 ators, bakers, cooks, and saddlers. 
 
 The War Dej^artment exhibit demonstrated that the Army of the 
 United States is under scientific management ; that the enlisted man 
 is self-respecting and intelligent, and worthy of the esteem of all 
 law-abiding citizens, and that his opportunities for self-betterment 
 are of the best. The United States Army is the best fed, the best 
 
 EXHIBIT OF CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY. 
 
 paid, and the best e(j[uipped Army in the world, and that, supple- 
 menting the Organized Militia and other military bodies of the 
 States and Territories, more than 35,000 students are under military 
 instructions in the universities, colleges, and other institutions of 
 learning in the T"'nited States. 
 
 In addition to making preparation for national defense in time of 
 war, the Army achieves much along strictly civil lines, and this fact 
 was impressed upon the visitors by photographs illustrating dif- 
 ferent phases of the work of the Engineer Corps. This corps is in- 
 terested in promoting commerce by maintaining the navigability of 
 all Federal Avaterways and improving rivers and harbors and pre- 
 
THE SAFETY-FIEST TRAIN. 
 
 25 
 
 venting encroachments thereon. Not the least interesting of the ex- 
 hibits Avere those of the Army Medical and IIosi)ital Department. 
 Photographs showed the Avork to eradicate hookworm in Porto Rico 
 and the method of inoculation against typhoid fever. 
 
 The War Department is also frequently before the public eye when 
 it is privileged to render services of incalculable value in i)laces 
 where calamitous floods, tornadoes, or forest fires overwhelm all local 
 facilities for relief and make Government aid imperative. 
 
 " Safety first " with the War Department also refers to the pro- 
 tection of the individual and the conservation of property through 
 the elimination of avoidable risks. In connection with its military 
 duties, the War Department carries on half a dozen extensive manu- 
 
 EXHIEIT OF MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES ARMY. 
 
 facturing plants for the production of clothing, cannon, small arms, 
 ammunition and powder, saddles, harness, and various articles of 
 camp and garrison equipage. In the administration of these estab- 
 lishments, the department takes every precaution to insure the safet}^ 
 of employees by the installation of many protective appliances. 
 
 The exhibit of the War Department was prepared under the direc- 
 tion of Mr. John C. Scofield, assistant and chief clerk. War Depart- 
 ment, and installed by Mr. J. J. Hittinger. special agent of the de- 
 partment, who was also in charge of the exhibit on tlie train, assisted 
 by Sergts. A. F. Springer, F. C. Phinney,.E. C. Whallon, and S. M. 
 Yarbrough, United States Army. 
 
26 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIEST TEAIK. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY. 
 
 Josephus Daniels, Secretary. 
 
 The Navy of the United States regards itself as one of the chief 
 safeguards of the country, as its purpose is to prevent damage by an 
 enemy who may strike from the sea. It is organized, conducted, and 
 trained to insure the country against incalculable loss. Its object 
 and hope are to be so strong, effective, and efficient that it will pre- 
 serve peace and prevent war. 
 
 At the time the Safety-First Train was on its travels the total 
 strength of the United States Navy was 3,972 officers and 51,955 en- 
 listed men. This latter figure did not include men detailed for naval 
 
 EXHIBIT OF MARINE CORP^^, T'XITED STATES NAVY. 
 
 militia and other duty, but did include 2,731 apprentice seamen at 
 the various naval training stations. The total strength of the United 
 States Marine Corps was 312 officers and 9,8G7 enlisted men. There 
 were at that time 319 vessels in the Navy. This number included 
 9 battleships of the first line, 25 battleships of the second line, 10 
 armored cruisers, 5 cruisers of the first class, 4 cruisers of the second 
 class, 16 cruisers of the third class, 59 destroyers, 39 submarines, and 
 28 gunboats. The other various types of vessels included monitors, 
 transports, supply ships, hospital ships, tugs, fuel ships, torpedo 
 boats, tenders to torpedo vessels, and converted yachts for use of the 
 Naval Militia. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 27 
 
 Vessels of various types aiilhoiiztHl and under construction num- 
 bered G9. 
 
 The Navy exhibit occupied an entire car. One of the interesting 
 exhibits was a submarine radio set for sending and receiving wireless 
 messages. There were also a naval aeroplane motor, field equipment 
 for bluejackets, a Franklin life buoy, a 6-pounder gun, a Whitehead 
 torpedo, ship's side lights, a portable searchlight, ship's telephones, 
 model of 5-inch gun, model of 8-inch gun, a Colt automatic machine 
 gun, a dummy aeroplane Avith gyroscope stabilizer, a medical ex- 
 peditionary case, first-aid field pouch, model of the cruiser Columbia,, 
 an automatic machine rifle, and many other devices. 
 
 The Navy was represented by the Bureaus of Navigation, Yards 
 and Docks, Ordnance, Construction and Repair, Steam Engineering, 
 Supplies and Accounts, and Medicine and Surgery. 
 
 The Navy Department exhibit was installed under the direction 
 of Commander Robert W. McNeely. The exhibit was in charge of 
 Chief IMaster at Arms Charles Mitchell, assisted by Sergt. J. Lein- 
 hart, Chief Electricians J. J. Brierly, G. T. Tansey, and Thomas L. 
 Murphy, and C. T. Chandler, hospital apprentice first class. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 
 Franklin K. Lane, Secretary. 
 
 OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 
 
 Cato Sells, Commissioner. 
 
 The Office of Indian Affairs is the official guardian of more than 
 300,000 Indians, and is charged with looking after the health, pros- 
 perity, and general welfare of these wards of the Nation. 
 
 One of the principal features of the work of this office is " safety 
 first " in behalf of the Indian. He is taught that the maintenance 
 of good health is the prime requisite for placing him upon a self- 
 supporting basis. Tuberculosis is more prevalent among the Indians 
 than among the white race, and its prevention is a most important 
 problem of this office. Trachoma, an eye disease that may cause 
 blindness, also prevails among the Indians, and is necessarily a seri- 
 ous drawback to their progress toward civilization. Supervisors are 
 required to keep in touch with the rapidly increasing knowledge of 
 prophylactic measures for checking the spread of disease among the 
 Indians, and after studying the local conditions at each school and' 
 on each reservation are expected to suggest ways and means for im- 
 proving the health and sanitary conditions there. 
 
 The vital truths of right living, preservation of health, and pre- 
 vention of disease are being taught in the schools. Resident phy- 
 sicians at the agencies give talks to the pupils and the reservation 
 Indians on subjects connected with sanitation, care of the sick, pre- 
 
28 THE SAFETY-FIEST TKAIN. 
 
 vention of infant mortality, and first aid to the injured. Clean-up 
 days haA'e been instituted and are found of inestimable value in 
 arousing enthusiasm. 
 
 The problems to be solved in connection with tuberculosis are 
 similar to those among the poorer classes of whites. A campaign of 
 education is being conducted to prevent the spread of the disease. 
 
 The Indian is being taught the destructive effects of intoxicants to 
 his mental, moral, and physical fiber, the use of liquor having been 
 for many years the greatest obstacle to his advancement. The office 
 reports an awakening sense of moral responsibility among the In- 
 dians and a general improvement through enforcement of the law 
 and the influence of the better elements of the tribes. 
 
 The Indian Bureau is looking after the safety of the Indian in its 
 mills, shops, and laundries. 
 
 The contribution of the Indian Office to the Safety-First Train 
 Exhibit was a small collection of articles intended to suggest con- 
 cretely some of the directions in which the Indian is making prog- 
 ress. Agriculture was represented by specimens of grains, corn, 
 and cotton raised on Indian farms; trades by bridle, shoes, a uni- 
 form suit and children garments, specimens of woodwork, tools for 
 blacksmith and machinist, and a wrought-iron fender with shovel 
 and tongs, all the work of pupils in (jovernment Indian schools. 
 With these w^ere some pieces of native handiwork in basketry, silver- 
 ware, and leather, and a bit of modern art in wood carving by a 
 talented Indian deaf mute. 
 
 RECLAMATION SERVICE. 
 Arthur P. Davis, Director and Chief Engineer. 
 
 The Reclamation Service is known as the home-making bureau of 
 the Department of the Interior, and was organized under the pro- 
 visions of the National reclamation law of June 17, 1902, which pro- 
 vided briefly that the proceeds of the sale of public lands in the 
 16 arid and semiarid States should go into a fund known as the 
 reclamation fund, to be expended under the direction of the Secre- 
 tary of the Interior, in the construction of irrigation works by which 
 the arid lands would be converted into cultivated fields. 
 
 In the Western States there are approximately 450,000,000 acres of 
 land belonging to the Government, and it is estimated that 40,000,000 
 acres are capable of being transformed into land on which people 
 may live in comfort. 
 
 Remarkable progress in this work has been made by the Reclama- 
 tion Service, and at present 1,500,000 acres have been reclaimed, 
 crops are being produced on more than 1,000,000 acres, and more 
 than 30,000 families have been established in homes. Thriving cities. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN". 29 
 
 towns, and villajjes have sprung up. Railroads have extended their 
 branches and a. vast region Avhich a few years ago was an unin- 
 habited desert has been transformed into prosperous farms. Projects 
 now under way or completed embrace approximately 3,000,000 acres 
 of irrigable land, divided into about 60,000 farms of 10 to 160 
 acres. The net investment of the service to date is approximately 
 $100,000,000. 
 
 In turning these waste places into fertile fields the Reclamation 
 Service had to build a number of great dams by which the water 
 might be impounded for reclaiming the desert. These structures 
 include : 
 
 The highest dam in the world, the Arrowrock Dam, 349 feet high, 
 on the Boise River in Idaho. 
 
 The longest roller crest dam in the world, the Grand River diver- 
 sion dam, length 546 feet, on the Grand River, near Grand Junction, 
 Colo. 
 
 The largest irrigation reservoir in the United States, the Elephant 
 Butte Reservoir on the Rio Grande, about 100 miles north of El 
 Paso, having a capacity of 2,600,000 acre-feet (enough water to cover 
 an area the size of Delaware to a depth of 2 feet). The dam was 
 dedicated on October 14, 1916. 
 
 In such construction work the service at times employed as many 
 as 16,000 men. The service, by its care of its employees, has reduced 
 the loss of life among them to the minimum. At Williston, N. Dak., 
 the service maintains a coal mine for supplying fuel for the service 
 pumping station there, and during the five years the mine has been 
 in operation there has not been a loss of a single life. 
 
 Thousands of families, many of whom have been taken from con- 
 gested centers of population, are now living on what was worthless 
 desert. In the open-air life of the country the children of these 
 families are growing vigorous and strong, and there is being devel- 
 oped in these new areas a virile and sturdy citizenship. 
 
 The service has cooperated with the people on its projects in 
 providing pure water supplies for towns, and it is furnishing valu- 
 able information and advice on all questions relating to the physical 
 well-being of the rural and urban population. Altogether the Recla- 
 mation Service is a strong factor for health, efficiency, and safety 
 first. 
 
 In work connected with the construction and operation of these 
 irrigation projects the service has excavated about 150,000,000 cubic 
 yards of material and has built numerous power plants, telephone, 
 and power transmission lines and railroads and is operating a few 
 coal mines. On several of the projects the settlers are furnished 
 electric light, heat, and power from these Government power plants, 
 and in this respect they enjoy all of the advantages of city life, 
 
30 THE SAFETY-FIKST TKAIN. 
 
 The exhibit of the Rechimation Service on the Safety-First Train 
 occupied part of one of the cars. In the center of the space there 
 was a model of a typical irrigation farm. This model showed the 
 main canal, the lateral canals, farmhouse, barn, corral, poultry 
 houses, silo, stacks of alfalfa, crops, etc., and aroused a great deal 
 of interest. Other exhibits consisted of photographs and trans- 
 parencies showing the agricultural deA^elopment, the methods of 
 irrigation, and the immense dams and other engineering structures 
 built by the service. 
 
 The exhibit of the Reclamation Service was in charge of W. I. 
 Swanton and E. J. Mcintosh. 
 
 BUREAU OF MINES, 
 Van H. Manning, Director. 
 
 The Bureau of Mines is interested, among other things, in the 
 safety of more than 1,000,000 miners. The bureau has in addition 
 to its central office in Washington, D. C, a principal experimental 
 station at Pittsburgh, Pa., seven mine-rescue stations, eight mine- 
 rescue cars, and two automobile rescue trucks. Each station, car and 
 truck has a crew of life savers and first-aid men, who respond to 
 calls for aid at mine disasters. Under a newly passed act of Congress 
 seven additional cars are to be established at the rate of three each 
 year. 
 
 Mines of all kinds in the United States have been taking a yearly 
 toll of about 3,500 men with a death rate of about 3^ men in every 
 1,000 employed. The total number of men killed in all of the coal 
 and metal mines and quarries in 1914, the last year for which com- 
 plete statistics were available when this was written, was 3,193. In 
 the year 1913 the number was 3,651. There were more than 1,000,000 
 men emplo^yed in these mines and quarries and the death rate for 
 the year 1914 was 3.16 for each 1,000 employed, as compared with 
 3.49 for the previous year. These figures mean that in every 3,000 
 men engaged in mining, one more man was saved in 1914 than in 
 1913. In other words, in nearly every mining camp of any size in 
 this country there was one miner spared to his family who would 
 have been killed had the fatality rate in 1914 been the same as in 
 the previous year. 
 
 That " Safety First " is beginning to show substantial results in 
 lives saved in coal mining is evident from the report of casualties in 
 these mines for the year 1915. 
 
 The figures showed that the actual number of men killed was the 
 lowest in the last eight years, that the death rate for each 1,000 men 
 employed was the lowest in the last 16 years, and that the number of 
 tons of coal produced for each miner killed was the largest in the 
 entire history of coal mining in the United States. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 31 
 
 Since the bureau was created more than 10,000 minei's have been 
 trained in mine-rescue and first-aid methods, and are perhaps as well 
 fitted to render first aid as the members of regular hospital corps. In 
 case of war, these men would be available for hospital service. 
 
 With few exceptions all of the material exhibited by the Bureau 
 of Mines on the Safety-First Train had seen actual service. In the 
 car devoted to the work of the Bureau of Mines the exhibit which 
 attracted the most attention represented five men equipped with 
 different types of oxygon-breathing rescue apparatus used by the 
 bureau's rescue crews at disasters following explosions. Apparatus 
 
 EXHIBIT OF BUREAU OF MINES, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 of this general character is recommended by the Bureau of ]\Iines 
 for use by mining companies in emergencies and has been responsible 
 for the saving of a number of lives. It permits a rescuer to enter 
 a mine immediately following an explosion and to remain in a poison- 
 ous atmosphere of deadly gas for a period of two hours' time. The 
 rescue cars of the bureau are continually visiting the mines of the 
 country where the miners are instructed by the bureau's experts in 
 the use of this apparatus. One of the types of apparatus exhibited is 
 known as the Gibbs oxygen-breathing apparatus, which was de- 
 veloped by Mr. William E. Gibbs, engineer of mine-safety investiga- 
 
32 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 tions. and engineers and physicists of the bureau. This apparatus is 
 much lighter than the other types in use, and its parts are Avell pro- 
 tected against injury. Its special feature is that the oxygen is fed 
 at the rate it is used, so that plenty is available for the wearer when 
 he is working hard but none is wasted when he is resting. 
 
 A great amount of interest was manifested in the cage of life- 
 saving canary birds. The canary is very sensitive to a deadly gas 
 (carbon monoxide) found in mines after fires and explosions, and for 
 this reason is used by rescue crews and miners in testing mine air. 
 When the bird shows signs of distress the men know that it is time 
 to put on their rescue apparatus. The rescuers carry with them an 
 inclosed cage and a supply of oxygen. The asphyxiated bird is 
 placed in this cage and the oxj^gen turned on, with the result that 
 the bird usually recovers. 
 
 Another feature was a portable mine-rescue telephone for men 
 wearing oxygen-breathing rescue apparatus and consequently unable 
 to talk distinctly. This telephone has a transmitter that is strapped 
 over the vocal cords and enables a rescuer wearing breathing appa- 
 ratus to maintain communication with the fresh-air base for a dis- 
 tance of about one-quarter of a mile. 
 
 In reviving a person overcome by mine gases it is sometimes 
 advantageous to administer pure oxj^gen. The device used by the 
 bureau for this purpose, consisting of an oxygen tank, a reducing 
 valve for regulating the flow of oxygen, tubes, and a face mask with 
 an outlet valve for the breath, was shown. 
 
 An important part of the bureau's work is investigating the causes 
 and methods of prcA'ention of explosions in coal mines. Photogi'aphs 
 of the rock-dust barriers devised by bureau engineers for checking 
 explosions in coal mines were displayed, and a working model of 
 the trough rock-dust barrier was shown. The force of an explosion 
 causes the barrier to dump its load of rock dust into the mine air, 
 cooling and quenching the flames. 
 
 A device for sampling mine air for rock dust, used by bureau 
 engineers in investigating the effects of siliceous dust in causing pul- 
 monary disease among miners, was shown. With this device the 
 amount of dust breathed in a given time by a miner working at the 
 place where the sample is taken can be determined. As a result of 
 recommendations by the bureau based on the investigations referred 
 to, health conditions in these mines have been greatly improved. 
 
 The Bureau of Mines, by testing electrical mining equipment sub- 
 mitted to it by manufacturers and pointing out the dangers from 
 such equipment, has led manufacturers to devise safer types of elec- 
 trical apparatus that can be used in gaseous coal mines without 
 danger of causing explosions from flashes or sparks. A photograph 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 33 
 
 of an explosion-proof motor approved by the bureau as permissible 
 for use in gaseous mines was shown. 
 
 Through extensive tests by the bureau in cooperation with lamp 
 manufacturers, improved types of miners' safety lamps have been 
 developed. Lamps that have passed certain tests are designated by 
 the bureau as permissible for use in gaseous coal mines. Permissible 
 electric safety lamps and permissible flame safety lamps were shown. 
 One exhibit was a box for testing safety lamps before taking them 
 into a mine, the lamp being tested by filling the box with an explosive 
 gas and then thrusting the lighted lamp into it. 
 
 Devices to insure the safety of miners in handling explosives con- 
 sisted of a 5-pound powder jack or metal waterproof box for carrying 
 powder into a mine and a safety box for carrying the detonators used 
 in blasting. In this box each detonator is held separately, and only 
 one can be removed conveniently at a time. The detonators can not 
 fall out if the box should be overturned. 
 
 There was also exhibited an apparatus to insure safety in firing 
 shots by electricity in mines. 
 
 The Bureau of Mines car was in charge of George Riggs, first-aid 
 miner, assisted by J. D. Morey. Messrs. Riggs and jVIorey ^^ere 
 later relieved, and Henry Nichols, jr., and T. L. Rachels took their 
 places. 
 
 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 
 R. B. Marshall, Superintendent. 
 
 The National Park Service has under its jurisdiction 16 national 
 parks and 21 national monuments. These areas of extraordinary 
 scenic beauty and remarkable phenomena included in the national 
 parks have been set apart by Congress as natural playgrounds for the 
 use and enjoyment of the people for all time. The national parks 
 have an area of 7,534 square miles. 
 
 In its national parks the United States possesses the supreme 
 scenery of the accessible w^orld both in area and diversity. Each of 
 the principal parks presents characteristic scenery. The Yellowstone 
 is distinguished for its colorful canyon, its geysers, boiling springs, 
 and formations ; Yosemite for its world-famous, incomparable valley 
 and celebrated falls; Mount Rainier for its glacier system, which em- 
 braces 28 rivers of ice; Sequoi for its aged and giant sequoias; Crater 
 Lake for its well of midnight blue, which occupies the crater of an 
 extinct volcano ; Glacier for its scenic combination of 60 glaciers, 250 
 lakes, sensational peaks, and broad valleys; Mount Lassen for its 
 active volcano, one of the noble Cascade Range; Rocky Mountain 
 National Park for its grandeur ; Mesa Verde for its jirehistoric ruins, 
 the most elaborate and best preserved in America, if not in the world ; 
 
34 
 
 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 and the Hawaiia National Park for its spectacular volcanoes and 
 scenic charm. The 21 national monuments also vary greatly in re- 
 gard to individualit3\ 
 
 It is the purpose of the National Park Service to make these parks 
 available and comfortable for the people. Each park is in charge of 
 a resident supervisor, who has under his charge enough park rangers 
 to protect the forests from fire, the wild animals from hunters, and 
 the visitors from harm. There are good roads in all of the parks, and 
 both hotels and public camps where visitors may stay as long as they 
 like to enjoy the scenery and study nature in a school that can not be 
 rivaled throughout the civilized world. Trails are built to the water- 
 falls, the topmost peaks, the volcanoes, and to points of unusual in- 
 
 NATIONAL PARK EXHIBIT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 terest. Over these trails visitors may walk or ride horseback as they 
 prefer. One may visit a national park each year for more than a 
 decade and see something quite new and remarkable at each visit. 
 The visitors to the parks in 1916 numbered 351,086 — an astonishing 
 increase over previous years. 
 
 A half car of the "safety-first train" was effectively turned into 
 a beautiful picture gallery by the National Park Service. Ex- 
 quisitely colored transparencies picturing the most striking scenes 
 of the various parks filled the windows. Above them hung large 
 framed photographs. The pictures showed something of the range 
 and grandeur of the incomparable scenery of our national parks. 
 This gallery was made an appropriate setting for the pictures of these 
 
THE SAJFiETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 35 
 
 scenic wonders by a -wainscoting built of logs, Avliirh suggested a 
 room in a log cabin. 
 
 In one corner ri camp fire, made with the aid of electric lights, was 
 cheerily burning. Camping, riding, and fishing equipment suggested 
 life in the out of doors. The odor of fragrant pine boughs filled 
 one with the desire to visit the national parks and camp in the open 
 amid the superb spectacles. Descriptive motion pictures, exhibited 
 by Don E. Clarke, in charge of the exhibit, afforded the visitor a 
 flying trip to the national parks — our scenic wonderlands. 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 David Franklin Houston, Secretary. 
 
 WEATHER BUREAU, 
 Charles F. Marvin, Chief. 
 
 The United States Weather Bureau, which was represented on the 
 Safety-First Train by an interesting exhibit consisting of instru- 
 ments and charts and a large glass weather map on which was shown 
 the daily weather conditions throughout the country, has been in 
 
 EXHIBIT OF WEATHER BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF ACRICULTURE. 
 
 existence since 1870. It was first established as the meteorological 
 branch of the Signal Corps of the Army and remained with that 
 organization until 1891, when it was made a bureau and transferred 
 to the Department of Agriculture. It maintains in the United States 
 
36 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 about 200 full meteorological stations; 1^00 substations, such a^ 
 storm-warning display, river and rainfall, cotton, corn and wheat, 
 and fruit-region stations ; and 4,800 cooperative observation stations ; 
 and disburses annually for the conduct of its work about $1,600,000. 
 
 As an institution the Weather Bureau represents the present de- 
 velopment of meteorology and the practical application of that 
 science to the daily affairs of life, mainly through the medium of 
 the electric telegraph in rendering its systematic and continuous 
 service to the public, in the interest of agriculture, commerce, and 
 navigation. The Weather Bureau distributes daily weather fore- 
 casts, warnings of frosts, cold waves, storms and floods, and informa- 
 tion concerning various atmospheric conditions. 
 
 The propriety of its being represented in the Safety-First Exhibit 
 is evident from the fact that its entire work is largely, and indeed 
 mainlv, in the interest of the conservation and the protection from 
 injury or destruction of the life and property of the people. 
 
 The extent to which this work of collecting and publishing weather 
 data and distributing daily fore^^asis and warnings has become a 
 factor in the various vocations and business enterprises of the people 
 is already very gi-eat. Its importance is increasing yearly, A great 
 number of instances could be cited to show how this information 
 is applied to individual pursuits and industries and how large are 
 the benefits derived therefrom. 
 
 It is impossible, from the nature of the case, to estimate even 
 approximately the total money value of these forecasts and warnings, 
 but some idea of their value may perhaps be obtained from consid- 
 ering the extent of their distribution and some of the more notable 
 instances in which the amount of the savings effected has been ascer- 
 tained. 
 
 Within two hours after the morning observations have been made 
 at the different stations the weather forecasts are telegraphed from 
 the forecast centers to about 1,600 principal distributing points, whence 
 they are further disseminated by telegraph, telephone, wireless teleg- 
 raphy, and mail. The forecasts reach nearly 90,000 addresses daily by 
 mail, the greater part being delivered early in the day, and none later, 
 as a rule, than 6 p. m. of the day of issue, and are available to more 
 than 5,500,000 telephone subscribers within an hour of the time of 
 issue. This system of forecast distribution is wholly under the super- 
 vision and mainly at the expense of the Government, and is in addi- 
 tion to and distinct from the distribution effected through the press 
 associations and the daily newspapers. The rural free mail delivery 
 system and rural telephone lines are also being utilized to bring the 
 benefits of the forecasts to a large number of farming communities. 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 37 
 
 The sailing of the immense nnmber of vessels engaged in our 
 ocean and lake trallic is largely determined by the storm Avarnings, 
 and those displaj^ed for a single hurricane are known to have de- 
 tained in port on our Atlantic coast a fleet of vessels valued with 
 their cargoes at over $30,000,000. 
 
 On the occasion of the hurricane that, passing across the Caribbean 
 Sea and the Gulf of Mexico^ caused such great destruction in Gal- 
 veston in August of 1915, the lives of hundreds of residents of 
 Galveston and the coasts and islands adjoining were saved through 
 the advance warnings; and it was reported that from August 12 to 
 16, inclusive, 30 vessels, valued, with their cargoes, at $15,000,000, 
 were held at the port of New Orleans or below until notified by the 
 Weather Bureau that they could safely depart. The warnings issued 
 for the hurricane that passed over New Orleans on September 29, 
 1915, are also known to have result J in great saving of life and 
 property. 
 
 The warnings issued for a single cold wave of exceptional severity 
 and extent were found to have resulted in saving over $3,500,000 
 through the protection of property from injury or destruction. 
 
 The value of the orange bloom, vegetables, and strawberries pro- 
 tected and saved on a single night in a small district in Florida 
 through the instrumentality of frost warnings sent out by the bureau 
 was reported as over $100,000. 
 
 On one occasion live stock and other movable property to the es- 
 timated value of about $15,000,000 were, as a result of warnings is- 
 sued by the bureau a week in advance of the flood, removed from 
 regions in the lower Mississippi Valley that were aftei^wards in- 
 undated. 
 
 The growing of early truck, an extensive industry in Florida and 
 other States along the Gulf or our South Atlantic coasts, has in- 
 creased enormously in recent years. This industry is largely de- 
 pendent for its success on service rendered by the Weather Bureau 
 in giving warnings of frosts and freezing weather. Growers of 
 citrus fruits in Florida and California, and deciduous fruits in Wash- 
 ington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and throughout the East, 
 rely on these warnings to guide them in smudging and heating their 
 orchards in time of danger from frost. 
 
 Within the past few years the bureau has been of material assist- 
 ance in the conservation of the forests in the Northwest by the issue 
 of warnings of weather conditions favorable to the inception and 
 spread of forest fires. 
 
 The exhibit of the Weather Bureau was in charge of Mr. R. H. 
 Finch. 
 
38 THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN". 
 
 BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, 
 A. D. Melvin, Chief. 
 
 The exhibit of the Bureau of Animal Industry occupied a portion 
 of one of the cars, and comprised a collection of pathological speci- 
 mens showing diseases found in meat inspection, including tuber- 
 culosis, hog cholera, lumpy jaw, sarcoma, etc. A collection of large 
 photographs showed how meat inspection is carried on in the large 
 establishments under Federal inspection. A set of pictures illus- 
 trated the " story of clean milk " from the farm to the consumer. 
 
 The work of the Bureau of Animal Industry closely concerns all 
 the people of the United States. Most people eat meat, and when 
 they obtain it from establishments under inspection they are assured 
 that it is clean and wholesome meat and is from animals found free 
 from disease. This meat can always be identified by the purple 
 marks on the carcasses, "U. S. Inspected and Passed," or an ab- 
 breviation, also a number indicating the establishment where the 
 animal was slaughtered. Without meat inspection it would be pos- 
 sible for unscrupulous butchers to sell the meat of animals unfit for 
 food, and this is perhaps done to some extent by establishments in 
 small towns where Federal inspection does not obtain. 
 
 The pathological specimens illustrating hog cholera enable the 
 farmer to make sure whether his hogs have hog cholera and if they 
 have, to take steps to protect his hogs by the use of hog-cholera 
 serum. 
 
 The " story of clean milk" proved of interest both to the producer 
 and the consumer of milk, for it showed how milk should be handled 
 on the farm and in the home. The exhibit showed that it is necessary 
 to procure milk from clean cows, free from disease, and to keep this 
 milk free from contamination at all times. 
 
 The idea of safety first as carried on in the Bureau of Animal 
 Industry can perhaps have no better example than the work done 
 during the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. In order to 
 eradicate the disease it was necessary not only to destroy infected 
 animals, but also thoroughly to clean and disinfect the premises 
 where infected animals were. 
 
 FOREST SERVICE, 
 Henry S. Graves, Forester and Chief. 
 
 The Forest Service exhibit, designed to bring out those features of 
 service work that have to do specifically with the conservation of life 
 and property, namely, forest-fire prevention and watershed protec- 
 tion, occupied a part of one of the cars. 
 
 During the past 50 years more than 3,000 lives have been lost in 
 forest fires in the United States. Over $25,000,000 worth of standing 
 timber is destroyed annually by fire ; and this does not include the 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 39 
 
 damage done to young growth, the injury to industries dependent 
 upon the forests, or the lost productiveness of burned-over areas. As 
 a cahimity a forest fire ranks well with flood and famine. To prevent 
 fires causing loss of life and of the public property under its charge, 
 the Forest Service has established a comprehensive system for 
 detecting and fighting fires in the national forests. In the exhibit 
 this system was explained by means of photographs, transparencies, 
 and models, and by some of the instruments and tools used in fire- 
 protection work. Pictures showed forest fires burning and large 
 areas of valuable timber laid waste by flames. A view of tlie town 
 of Wallace, Idaho, after its partial destruction by a forest fire, 
 brought home the fact that such conflagrations are a menace not only 
 to a rural population but to people in towns and cities as well. A 
 picture of a lookout house on the summit of Mount Eddy, Cal., 
 showed one of the many stations situated on high points in the 
 national forests and connected by telephone with supervisors' head- 
 quarters. At such stations a constant watch is kept for fires during 
 seasons of greatest danger. Other pictures show^ed how a brush fire 
 is fought with shovel, ax, rake, and spade; how trails in the national 
 forests, cleared on either side of inflammable material, serve as fire- 
 breaks; and how wide fire lines are cleared in the forests wherever 
 practicable. 
 
 How brush or other inflammable material is piled and burned after 
 timber on a National Forest timber sale area has been sold and 
 logged off was shown in several transparencies. The use of the 
 heliograph for reporting fires and the employment of fire towers, 
 lookout houses, telephones, and tool boxes, with their fire-fighting 
 equipment and emergency rations, were also illustrated. A type 
 of the portable telephone which forest rangers carry, and w4th 
 which they can tap the main telephone line at any point for the 
 purpose of reporting a fire, and the type of iron-box outdoor tele- 
 phone used on exposed situations on the national forests, were also 
 exhibited. 
 
 How disastrously denudation affects a watershed was depicted by 
 a working model showing the action of rainfall on forested and 
 deforested hillsides. In this model were two hills of equal size 
 and of the same kind of soil, situated side by side, one of w^hich was 
 covered w ith moss, litter, and twigs to represent the forest cover on a 
 mountain side, while the other was left bare to represent a slope de- 
 nuded by fire. Water was constantly sprinkled in equal volume on 
 each of the hills. On the forested mountain the water was absorbed 
 by the litter, which permitted it to sink into the ground and feed the 
 springs or to run off gradually, free from sediment, into a stream and 
 a lake in the foreground of the model. On the deforested mountain 
 the Avater ran off immediately, eroding the slopes, filling a stream 
 
40 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 
 
 channel and lake with sediment, and causing destructive floods in 
 the lowland. 
 
 On watersheds in the national forests where fire has destroyed 
 the forest, young trees are being planted as fast as practicable. 
 Several pictures showed reforesting methods, while others illustrated 
 how the young trees intended for planting are grown in national 
 forest nurseries. A transparency showed forest land where the 
 ground had been made bare by overgrazing, the young trees de- 
 stroyed, and the soil loosened, conditions which, by the restriction of 
 grazing on important watersheds, are not permitted in the national 
 forests. A chart showed, by States, the number of watersheds within 
 the national forests. 
 
 Animals which prey on live stock cause the loss of thousands of 
 head each year, and of late the spread of rabies among wolves and 
 coyotes has brought danger to the population of large areas in the 
 West. The Forest Service, in cooperation with the Biological Sur- 
 vey, systematically destroys predatory animals, 4,000 having been 
 killed on the national forests last year. Three pictures illustrated 
 this work. 
 
 A model of an ideal national forest showed in miniature many of 
 the activities which have been described and in addition the various 
 other uses of the national forests, such as the sale of timber, grazing 
 of live stock, the lease of water-power sites, and the construction 
 of bridges, trails, roads, telephone lines, fire lines, and lookout 
 houses. A map of the United States showed where 153 national 
 forests are situated. A chart of " Seven Don'ts " for fire prevention 
 was prominently displayed. 
 
 The exhibit of the Forest Service was in charge of Mr. A. A. 
 Ormsby and Mr. E. L. Lindsay. Mr. Lindsay was relieved by Mr. 
 C. T. Forster, who took charge of the exhibit on July 14. 
 
 INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. 
 Balthasar H. Meyer, Chairman. 
 
 DIVISION OF SAFETY, 
 H. W. Belnap. Chief. 
 
 The Interstate Commerce Commission, through its Division of 
 Safety, is engaged in safeguarding the lives and limbs of employees 
 and travelers upon railroads through what are known as the safety 
 appliance and hours-of-service laws. 
 
 In recognition of the fact that a great many railroad employees 
 were being needlessly killed and injured each year in attempting to 
 couple cars equipped with line and pin couplers and in falling or 
 being knocked from tops of cars while using hand brakes, the so- 
 called safety-appliance law was passed by Congress in 1893. This 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 
 
 41 
 
 law provides that railroads shall e((nip their engnies and cars with 
 couplers that will couple automatically and can be uncoupled with- 
 out the necessity of employees going between the cars, and that they 
 be equipped with power brakes so that the speed of a train can be 
 controlled by the engineer. As subsequently amended the law pro- 
 vides that secure grab irons or handholds shall be placed on the ends 
 and sides of the cars, and all cars shall be equipped with sill steps, 
 ladders, and running boards. 
 
 EXHIBIT OF INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. 
 
 The records show remarkable results from the enforcement of the 
 safety-appliance legislation. In 1893, -ll per cent of all accidents 
 suffered by trainmen were due to coupling and uncoupling cars, 
 while in 1915 less than 6 per cent of all accidents to trainmen were 
 due to this cause. In 1915 the accident records show a decrease of 
 81 in the number killed and 700 in the number injured from this 
 cause as compared with 1914. During 1915 there was a decrease of 
 
42 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIN. 
 
 185 in the number killed and 4,300 in the number injured by falling 
 from and getting off cars and by coming in contact with side and 
 overhead obstructions. 
 
 The improvement in the condition of equipment is illustrated by 
 the fact that in 1905 there were 250,000 cars inspected, 22 per cent 
 of which were reported as defective ; in 1910 there were 435,000 cars 
 inspected, over 5 per cent of which were reported as defective; and 
 in 1915 over 1,000,000 cars were inspected, slighth^ more than 4 per 
 cent of which were reported as defective. 
 
 It having become apparent that a great many accidents were caused 
 by the fatigue of employees on account of remaining on duty too 
 long. Congress passed the hours-of-service law in 1907. This law 
 limited the number of hours railroad employees concerned with the 
 movement of trains are permitted to remain on duty during any 24- 
 hour period to 16 hours for trainmen, 9 hours for operators at offices 
 that are open day and night, and 13 hours for operators at offices that 
 are open only during the daytime. 
 
 In 1913 carriers reported to the Interstate Commerce Commission 
 301,743 instances in which employees were on duty in excess of the 
 number of hours fixed by statute ; in 1914 the number of such cases 
 was 165,305, and in 1915 the number of reported cases of excessive 
 periods of service had been reduced to 78,940. One of the beneficial 
 results of the enforcement of this law is that accidents caused by 
 employees remaining on duty excessive periods of time have prac- 
 tically ceased. 
 
 It is apparent from these records that the enforcement of the 
 safety-appliance and hours-of-service laws has resulted in materially 
 increasing safety in railroad oj^eration, because the amount of defec- 
 tive equipment has been greatly reduced and the number of instances 
 of excessive periods of service by railroad employees has been ma- 
 terially decreased. 
 
 In 1910 Congress authorized the Commission to investigate and 
 report on railroad accidents, and since then many of the more 
 serious accidents have been investigated and recommendations in- 
 tended to prevent their recurrence have been made. In some cases 
 of accidents caused b}^ broken rails, broken axles, broken wheels, 
 broken bridge members, etc., exhaustive tests of the broken parts 
 have been made with a view of determining what caused the break. 
 The investigation of accidents and the publicity given the reports 
 have aroused the railroads to greater activity in safety work and 
 have resulted in extending the block system, the increased use of 
 steel cars in passenger-train service, a more rigid adherence to rules, 
 and better maintenance of railroad tracks. 
 
 In 1913 Congress authorized the Commission to examine and re- 
 port on the merits of devices intended to increase safety in railway 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 43 
 
 operation. Since the passage of this act, pLins and specifications of 
 about -tT5 such devices have been examined. 
 
 The block sig:nal system is universally recognized as the safest 
 method of railroad operation now in general use, in that it provides 
 for a definite space between trains. 
 
 On January 1, 1908, there were 10.803 miles of railroad in the 
 United States equipped with automatic block signals and 47,875 miles 
 equipped with nonautomatic block signals, or a total of 58,678 miles 
 equipped with block signals. On January 1. lOlfi, there were 30,042 
 miles of road equipped with automatic block signals and 05,033 miles 
 equipped with nonautomatic block signals, or a total of 96,575 miles 
 equipped with block signals. The number of miles of road ecjuipped 
 with block signals has increased from year to year, the principal in- 
 crease being in the automatic block signal mileage. 
 
 The exhibit of the Commission occupied an entire car and was 
 designed to show the scope of the safety work done under its super- 
 vision. The exhibit included model cars fully equipped with all the 
 safety appliances required by the Commission's order of ]March 13, 
 1911, and a number of charts graphically illustrating the relative 
 decrease in the number of casualties to railway employees since the 
 passage of the Federal safety appliance and boiler inspection acts. 
 
 A model block signal system about 25 feet in length, illustrating 
 the protection provided by a block signal system, was in full opera- 
 tion. This model had two sidings and was designed particular^ to 
 show single-track operation. Intermediate signals were shown be- 
 tween the block signals by means of lights, and the model, which was 
 fully equipped with standard relays used with direct-current opera- 
 tion, worked perfectly. 
 
 Material that through failure had been the cause of a number of 
 the accidents investigated by the Commission, such as steel rails with 
 transverse tissures, faulty car wheels and bridge material, and 
 matei'ial from defective locomotive boilers, were on exhibition. A 
 great number of test pieces that had been used in metallurgical work 
 were also shown. 
 
 Models of many of the different types of couplers used on rail- 
 roads, and emergency knuckles and other parts that are necessary 
 in making repairs in case of the failure of the couplers, were on ex- 
 hibition. 
 
 DIVISIOS OF LOCOMOTIVE BOILER I\SPECTION. 
 Frank McManamy, Chief. 
 
 The exhibit illustrating the work of the locomotive inspection 
 service proved of interest to all who have occasion to travel by rail- 
 road, but more especially to railroad men actively engaged in the 
 operation of locomotives. In this work the Government supervises, 
 
44 THE SAFETY-FIRST TEAIJiT. 
 
 with regard to " safety first," the condition of some 68,000 loco- 
 motives in the United States, a striking example of the interest being 
 taken in the Xation-wide movement to promote safety. 
 
 The exhibit included a complete working model of a locomotive, 
 which is used to illustrate various defective conditions that the law 
 aims to remedy. 
 
 Under the requirements of the law and a code of rules approved by 
 the Interstate Commerce Commission, locomotive boilers and their 
 appurtenances at regular intervals are inspected and tested to deter- 
 mine their condition. Insj^ections are required before each trip, a 
 regular inspection once each month, and application of hydrostatic 
 test and certain other work once each year. 
 
 In addition to this supervision over the inspection work required 
 of carriers, each Federal inspector makes such personal inspection 
 of locomotives in his district as his other duties permit. During the 
 fiscal year 1915, 71,000 locomotives were personally inspected by the 
 Government. During the first fiscal year 71,231 locomotives were 
 inspected by the Government, 6,968 of which were either held out 
 of service for repairs or changed and strengthened to conform to the 
 requirements of the law, or permanently removed from service. For 
 the year ended June 30, 1915, 73,113 locomotives were inspected, 
 2,027 of which were ordered out of service, which indicates, in a 
 measure, the improvement that has been brought about. AMien the 
 defects found are of a character so serious as to render the locomotive 
 unsafe, the Federal inspector is required to serve upon the company 
 a written order withholding the locomotive from service until proper 
 repairs are made. 
 
 The most convincing evidence, however, of the improvement 
 brought about by the law is the marked reduction in the number of 
 accidents. Whenever the failure of any of the equipment covered 
 by the law results in serious personal injury or death, the carrier 
 operating the locomotive is required to report the fact by wire to the 
 chief inspector, in Washington, who has prompt and proper inves- 
 tigation made. On the information thus obtained the necessary ac- 
 tion is taken to remedy conditions or practice with a view of pre- 
 venting similar accidents. 
 
 During the first year of the operation of the law 856 accidents due 
 to failure of locomotive boilers or their appurtenances were reported, 
 the casualties amounting to 91 deaths and 1,005 cases of personal 
 injury. Because of the decided improvement brought about in the 
 maintenance of equipment, there was in each of the three succeeding 
 3^ears a marked decrease. The records for the last fiscal year show 
 there were only 121 such accidents, resulting in 13 deaths and 107 
 injuries, which represents a decrease in three years of 50 j)er cent 
 
THE SAFETY-FIRST TRAIN. 45 
 
 in the number of accidents, 85 per cent in the number of fatalities, 
 and 53 per cent in the personal injury. 
 
 Eecognizing- the benefits derived from Federal supervision of in- 
 spection of locomotive boilers and their appurtenances, Congress by 
 an act approved March 4, 1915, extended the jurisdiction of the Loco- 
 motive Inspection Service to cover the entire locomotive and tender, 
 so that it now oversees all work in connection with the inspection 
 and repair of any part or appurtenance of steam locomotives and 
 tenders operated by carriers engaged in moving interstate commerce. 
 The improvement already apparent justified the confident belief that 
 the operation of these additional rules will further advance the cause 
 of " Safety First."' 
 
 The Interstate Commerce Commission was represented by O. C. 
 Cash, T. C. Hays, John Hall, J. G. Adair, Harvey Boltwood, and 
 A. D. Rogers. 
 
 AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS. 
 Maj. Robert U. Patterson, in charge of first-aid work. 
 
 The American National Red Cross, in addition to its numerous 
 well-known philanthropies and its great humanitarian efforts in giv- 
 ing succor to the wounded in time of war and to the distressed and 
 homeless in time of great disasters, maintains a first-aid division for 
 instructing the people of the United States in accident prevention 
 and first-aid-to-the-injured. 
 
 It is estimated by the American Red Cross that at least 75 per 
 cent of the accidents that occur in the United States each year are 
 preventable. The society, therefore, has a great field of activity in 
 seeking to remedy such conditions. The first-aid division is under 
 the direction of an officer of the ]Medical Corps of the United States 
 Army, and has a staff of physicians and a life-saving expert, who 
 are available for detail as instructors in mines and lumber camps, 
 or for railroads, telephone and electric concerns and other large 
 industrial establisliments ; also, for police and fire departments in 
 the cities, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Boy Scouts, etc. Two instruc- 
 tion cars are maintained on the railways of the country to aid in 
 this work. These two cars in 1915 traveled 22,977 miles, and 818 
 lectures and demonstrations were given by the doctors in charge 
 of the cars to 46,829 railroad employees. Among the general public 
 during 1915, 2,131 certificates of proficiency in first-aid to the injured 
 were issued by this division. Already in 1916 this number of cer- 
 tificates issued has been quadrupled. 
 
 During the year 1915, the American Red Cross had charge of nine 
 large first-aid contests throughout the country, and fifty-six life- 
 saving corps were started, of which 18 complied with all the require-