The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-19 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19.

Is the height of the excursionist sesaon we may
naturally expect a few of those unavoidable acci-
dents incident to the travelling of large multi-
tudes, by all kinds of conveyances, over every
variety of ground. But this year the number of
serious and fatal accidents which can ecareely be
called unavoidable is remarkably large. Daring
the last five weeks fifteen excursionists have lost
their lives from preventible causes—ten on our
railways at home, and five amidst the glaciers of
the Alps. It may perhaps at first sight appear
fanciful to link together events so dissimilar. But
iu reality the connexion between these mournful

iwcurzences is by no means arbitrary. They both
spring from substantially the same causes, and
both illustrate a common and growing evil which
cannot be too earnestly deprecated. This is the
tendency to diminish or neglect the usual safe-
guards of travelling in proportion as the number
of travellers increases. Common prudence and
a due regard to human life would naturally
dictate a directly opposite course. Surely,
the customary precautions against danger ought
rather to be increased than diminished when a
greater number are exposed to theta. Unhappily,
however, this is not the case. Here, as elsewhere,
familiarity breeds contempt, and the danger which
numbers have escaped is, from that very circum-
stance, lightly thought of. This feeling is, of
course, utterly groundless, the ordinary causes
of danger remaining precisely the same, however
great the number who have safely encountered
them may be. The mere feeling of indifference
and security would, however, be comparatively
harmless if it led to no injurious results. But it
tends directly to produce the most fatal practical
errors—a neglect of common precautions, a thought-
less indifference to the lessons of experience, and
a blind comidence in the lucky chapter of accidents.
The excursion trains so common at this season of
the year sufficiently illustrate this. It is notori-
ous that these trains, carrying such multi-
tudes of passengers, are equipped and
officered far less efficiently than ordinary
trains. Now, as the facilities for travelling
are rapidly on the increase the number of pas-
sengers is of course largely augmented every year.
Itbecomes the more necessary and important there-
fore that public attention should be fixed on the
conditions under which alone these facilities should
be extended. Lot the means of health and recreation
which travelling affords be multiplied and diffused
as widely as possible, within proper limits. But
a due regard for human safety is the absolute
condition which ought to be rigidly enforced.
Now the first and most obvious rule of safety ia,
that effectual precautions be taken against all the
more known and familiar forms of danger. This
is so obvious that but for its constant neglect it
would be needless to state it formally. The fatal
accidents we have referred to Illustrate the
violation of this simple rule. Take the Helm-
shore catastrophe, for instance. The danger of
stopping a heavy train on an incline without an
ample supply of break-power was perfectly well
known. It had produced numberless accidents
before, some of a very serious and fatal kind. It
could easily have been guarded against, and the
calamitous accident have been prevented by the
simplest precautions. Yet these precautions were
not taken. The excursion train was trusted as
usual to the chapter of accidents, and ten lives
were sacrificed for want of an adequate provision
against a well-known danger.
Thu same may be said of the recent accidents
on the Alps, which have ended in such a mournful
loss of life. It is no exaggeration to say that in
each case they resulted from a neglect of the single
rule to provide effectually against well-known and
preventible dangers. Sonie dangers, of course,
can neither be foreseen nor avoided. Rut there are
others perfectly familiar, which tuay in most ones be
prevented by proper precautions. Now, tbs most
serious, as well as the most familiar, dangers in
Alpine travelling are the very two which these
accidents respectively illustrate—falling through
the snow crust into a means, and slipping down
a glissade. Poor Mr. Wasson fell into a crevasse,
and the unfortunate travellers on the Col du
(:rant missed their footing on the snow slopes,
and rolled helplessly into the abyss below.
These well-known dangers may in general be
effectually provided event. The proper pre-
caution a to he found in a sufficient number
of guides. No point in Alpine traveling
seems to be more clearly established than this
a proper escort of guides is the first oondition
of safety. There is, indeed, some difference as to
the number which ought to accompany each tra-
veller. Ten years ago four was, we believe, the
number fixed by the local authorities. More re-
candy however three have generally been denied
sufficient, and sometimes even two. But all ex-
permuted Alpine travellers agree that in an ascent
of any danger each tourist ought at least to have
two guides. But the unfortunate travellers on
the Cul du t:i;arit had only ono guide each,
while Mr. Warios and his friend Mr. I►. Coca
had only one between them. The natural result
of this insufficient provision is that when an acci-
dent happens the guide in almost powerless to ar-
rest its progress or avert the fatal result. The
main business of the guide is not so much to lead
travellers through the snow wastes as to protect
them from the more serious and hidden dangers
of falling through the snow-crust or slipping
down the ravines. To do this, however,
effectually requires great strength as well ea
skill. While one man would be 'efficient as a
mere guide, a number are absolutely neceasary to
form an effective guard against these special
dangers. In a word there, mast be guides enough

to sustain the united weight of the travellers'
should they unfortunately lose their foot*. And
it seems obvious that this carol* be done hp
• less number than that of two guides to eatb
traveller. A smaller propo►tion would be help•
lees in cue of a serious accident ; and, if connected
by a rope in the usual way, the guides instead of
being able to save the tourists, would almost inevi-
' tably perish with them. This seems to be the fair
' explanation of what naturally excited a great deal
of criticism at the time—the fact that the guides
on the Col du °dant had the rope twisted
round their hand, instead of fastened
round the waist. In the more recent accident
the case was even worse, there being only one
guide, while to be of any service at all the number
ought to have been at least four. There was no
rope attached either to the travellers or the guide,
and had there been it would probably have proved
of little or no use. In this case, however, the res-
ponibilityseems to have rested mainly on the guide,
as he explicitly assured the travellers before start-
ing that there was not the slightest danger in the
peas, and thus prevented their seeking further
help. But this is no doubt one of the unfortu-
nate results produced by the number of tourists
who annually attempt this difficult and dangerous
kind of adventure. Many are unwilling to engage
the proper number of guides, and if they escape
with impunity other travellers are tempted to follow
their example, and guides will of course be found
to meet the wishes and requirements of the travellers.
But in undertaking journeys of this kind the
guides lose very much their old sense of corporate
responsibility, and strive individually to do the
best they can for themselves. We have no doubt
helped to produce this state of things, but it is on
all grounds a lamentable one, to be corrected with-
out delay. It ought to be laid down as a first
rule in Alpine travelling that no tourist should
start on the more dangerous 'scents without at
least two guides, and that guides and travellers
should be connected together by the rope round
the waist, so as mutually to support each other
and leave their bands free.

gbt Court.

HOLYROOD, San. 17.

Her Majesty and the Prince Conant, attended
by the Hos. Beatrice Byng and the Equerry in Waiting,
drove out t►is morning, and before returning walked up
Arthur's seat.

The Prince Consort went at three o'clock to the National
Gallery, and afterwards to the Botanical Gardens, at-
tended by Sir C. Wood and General the Hon. C. Grey.
Her Majesty dro►e out at 4 o'clock, accompanied by the
Princess Alice and attended by Lady Churchill, to the
Cemetery in the Leith-road, and returned by Princes-
street.

The Equerry in Waiting attended on horseback.
Her Majesty and the Prince Consort, the Priacemee
Alice, Helena, and Louise, and Princes Arthur and Leopold,
attended by Lay Churchill, the Hon. B. Byng, Sir Charles
Wood, Sir C. B. Phipps, Major Fiplanstone, Dr. Bay, and
Major-General the Hun. C. Grey, left the Palace this even-
ing, at a quarter before 7 o'clock, escorted by a detachment
cf 13th Light Dragoons, for the railway station.
At 7 o'clock the Royal train left the station for Gosport,
where the Royal yacht will convey her Majesty and this
Prince Consort, and the Royal Family, to Osborne.

OSBORNE, Sim 18.

Her Majesty, the Prince Consort, the Princess Alice,
Princess Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur, and Prince
Leopold, &nisei! at Osborne this morning at 2, minutes
before ten o'clock, from Edinburgh.
The royal party crossed over from Gosport in the Fairy,
attended by Lady Churchill, the Hon. Beatrice Byng,
Majordlenerd the Hon. C. Grey, Colonel the Hon. Sir C.
B. Phipps, Major Elphinetene, and Dr. Daly.
Colonel H. Ponsouby baa arrived u Equerry in Waiting
to the Prince Consort.

Despatches f...r the Governor of Malts and for the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Mande were seat ruler-
day from the Colonial-office.

The Earl of Maccleafield and Lord Parker arrived
at Glenmeristoe, their stalking quartets in Inverneersidre,
the week before last, from Oxfordshire.

The Earl Delawarr arrived in town on Monday
from Boc.kkurst Park, Sumer..

The Countess of Malgrave arrived yesterday at
the Duchess of Cleveland's in Grosvenor-square, from Nova
Scotia.

The Countess de Speen has arrived at the Queen's
Hotel, Upper Norwood.

Count Wimpffen is acting as chargd d'affaires
daring the temponuy absence of his Exoellency Count
Apponyi.

Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith has since
Saturday slightly improved, but still the gallant general is
in an extremely precarious coalition. Their Royal High.
mess the Duchess of (Ambridge and the Prisms Nary,
and a host of military officers, have called or seat to inquire
alter the health of the veteran pascal.