Since their emergence in the mid 1800s, railroads have faced safety problems. In the rush
to complete the transcontinental railroad in 1867, safety received limited attention. In 1888,
315 passengers were killed and 2,138 were injured. In the same year, 2,070 employees were
killed and 20,148 were injured. One citizen, a farmer from Iowa named Lorenzo Coffin,
was so irate that he launched his own campaign for railroad safety. After being elected to
Congress, he was responsible for enactment of the Rail Safety Appliance Act of 1893. The
act required the use of two inventions: the Westinghouse air brake, which replaced manual
brakes on each car, and the Janney coupling, which replaced the oval links and pins. After
several years, railroad employee accidents were reduced by 60%. Soon the railroads learned
that safety of employees and passengers paid dividends in cash and good will.