"Safety First."
Someone fastened a "Safety First" placard on to the automobile, and at once the various parts began to debate which of them contributed the most to the safety of the machine and its occupants and of the public.
"I do," shouted the horn. "I cry, `Honk! Honk!' and that lets everyone know we are coming in time for him to get out of our way."
"No, I do," declared the steering-wheel. "When anything is in the way, I turn the machine deftly to one side, and so avoid an accident."
"It's neither of you," the foot-brake asserted; "for in every difficult and dangerous spot, where children are playing, for instance, I slow the machine down, and we pass without doing any harm."
"Pshaw!" the throttle exclaimed. "If I see that there is likely to be trouble, I just cut off the power. You can't run without gasoline, and you can't get gasoline when I prevent it."
"Nonsense!" the clutch interrupted. "When you get into a tight place, I simply disconnect the power from the wheels, and then you can turn on the gasoline as much as you please, it will not budge the machine an inch."
Then the emergency-brake squeaked out: "That's all very fine, but you forget the inertia of the car. It is heavy, and it has been going fast. It will dash into other cars, and trees, and people, in spite of all your feeble contrivances, unless I get busy. But as soon as I place my powerful hands upon the wheels, they stop, and they stop at once. The axle may snap, the passengers may fall forward into the wind-shield, but the car stops short. If you want to be safe, use the emergency-brake."
And the others had not a word to say.
Wasted Life.
Everywhere in Boston, as we write, the motto, "Safety First," stares at one.
It is to be seen in big letters on the walls of buildings. It appears in shop-windows, on the street-cars and steam-cars, in the pay-envelopes of employees. Automobile chauffeurs, truckers, the drivers of delivery-wagons, railroad men, street-car employees, and many other classes of workers have received instructions regarding the public safety. Special attention has been paid to the school children.
All this is part, and only part, of an extensive campaign waged by the Boston Chamber of Commerce. It is the intention to lessen the number of easily preventable accidents, and the business men at the head of the movement are manifesting by this work not only their tender humanity but their shrewd business sense. For wasted life is wasted wealth, as well as unutterable sorrow.
Unsafe Safety.
The cars on a certain trolley-line in Connecticut are equipped with a safety device which will shut off the current from the car's traction the instant the motorman's hand upon the controller releases its pressure. While the device is in operation, the only way to keep the car in motion is for the motorman to continue this pressure. The idea is to prevent serious results if the motorman should faint away, or have an attack of heart-disease, or in any other way become incapable of controlling the car. In that case the car would simply come to a standstill.
But it is possible to tie this device down so that it has no effect, and that is just what a motorman did on this Connecticut line. He did it in order to relieve himself of the necessity of exerting that continual pressure. Now he wishes he had not done so.
For he was very tired, and fell asleep while the car dashed on at full speed. There was a terrible wreck.
Nineteen lives were lost, and many persons were injured. Many homes were thrown into mourning, and the motorman was plunged into lifelong horror and remorse. All because the safety device was tied down and the motorman indulged in a little rest.
Ah, friends, every one of us is in charge of a swiftly moving car, the electric car of our own life. We have safety devices in plenty, the commands, warnings, and wisdom of the Scriptures. Shall we tie them down out of the way, forget all about them, and go madly on to destruction?