Haunting Photos Show Aftermath of 19th-Century Train Wrecks. As the 19th century dawned no one could have imagined such incredible machines would soon exist to whisk freight and passengers at previously unheard-of speeds. The Pullman Strike of 1894 was a milestone in American labor history, as the widespread strike by railroad workers brought business to a standstill across large parts of the nation until the federal government took unprecedented action to end the strike. ... 38 percent of rail-yard injuries and deaths involved coupling accidents. Railroad companies were at first reluctant to hire Chinese workers, deeming them too "weak," but the immigrants soon proved to be a vital powerhouse. Historian Richard Selcer writes that although 19 th-century railroad accidents … Courtesy Mike Esbester and Railway Work, Life and Death. To work for a 19th-century railroad, it … Railway company publications warned about hazards at work. West Chester University Digital Commons @ West Chester University History of West Chester, Pennsylvania History 1997 04 Causes of Death in the Late 19th Century Railroad workers put in long hours; a 1907 law restricted train crews to 16 hours work out of every 24. They transformed life and captured the imagination. The Transcontinental Railroad made Sheridan’s strategy of “total war” much more effective. As trains picked up speed and size after the Civil War, the reduced margin for safety made accidents surprisingly common. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) referred to the Oxnard accident in a report at The Hill, stating that too many crossings across the country are relying on “19th century technology” to keep motorists and train passengers safe. Train accidents earlier in the century were relatively infrequent and with less loss of life, owing to engine speeds that rarely exceeded 15 miles per hour and light traffic. One railroad worker in every 357 nationally died on the job in 1889. Being injured or killed on the job was an occupational hazard for the 19th-century railroad man. They directly impacted numerous, intercity municipalities although, ironically, were privately owned ventures. But as with all technologies the railroad was slow to develop. For most of the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, railroads dominated American transportation. Dangerous crossings: Railroads in the 19th century June 9, 2014 Steve Fillmore 0 “The repetition of serious or fatal accidents, by which men, women and children are crushed, decapitated, cut in two, or dismembered loses its effect by its frequency. In the mid-19th century, it was estimated that 30 milion to 60 million buffalo roamed the plains. Well into the twentieth century, work was unsteady and unsafe. 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