Litchfield enquirer., 1831-12-22

: ofall, we soon threw of from the ways Ou
 disabled cars; found three of them in condition to be used in our necessities, al though not sound borrowed an engine !, which happened along. and having packe' in again, thick enough indeed, proceeded
 to Manchester, and arrived only two hour z after the regular time.
 What was the occasion of this misfor. tune, have not learned-nor was it pos
 sible, in the confusion of the hour, to as-
 certain. If the engineer should live, he perhaps, can tell, ifhis interest will permit
 him to be honest. Before this accident oc-
 cured, rode upon the railway with ve-
 ry comfortable sense of safety. But from
 that place to Manchester. I must confess
 my nerves were not sufficiently composed
 to enjoy it-the less so, perhaps, from the deep conviction that our cars, after the
 shock and injury they had received, were
 unfit for use especially, that t was very
 prosumptuous. The thought of such an ar-
 rest is frightful-even terrible. Ii the bank
 had been high, as in many places it is 30 and 40 feet, and in some instances far more terrific still, the whole train must inevita- bly, have plunged full speed, and every thing dashed to pieces below. There would scarcely have been chance for a single life. As it was, the bank was about six feet in elevation, and of easy descent, The en- zine plunged into the sand, and was in- stantly turned bottom up, by the pressnre of the train, and the connexion between.s But for this accident, could look upon those trains in progress, with great zeet.- But the charm to me is gone. WhenI sec them now under their greatest velocity, shudder at the sight. 1t is to be obserRad. that the velocity of these trains, in tlIe course of a trip through, is variable some- times quite slow, and then again darting forward with amazing rapidity, as if in a frolic-or to make up for lost time. The rate of progress for the first class. in order to accomplish their route in the allotted time, an hour and a half, must average a little more than 20 miles an hour. The extreme rate is often, in the same trip,more than 30 miles the hour. It may be recol- lected that the whole distance of 32 miles has been run in 57 minutes. Thatncci- dents of a calamitous character M e-B times occur, in these flying voyages ! tos be expected. They are generally, lsowev- CT, hushed up by the powerful inAuence Rf the company-the presses of Liverpool and Manchester participating in the locabspirit. am credibly informed tha; more thasl lives have already been sacrificed on tllia ~silgnt of to-day shall bs noticed at all by inc papers of Liverpool and Manchester, the world will never know its true character by that medium. An acquaintance ot mine has come from Liverpool this afternoon by the railway without having heard any thing of this affair till met him. When Hus- kisson falls a victim, all the world knows It; but when poor man perishes, his name IS never mentioned.
 For myself know not when shall be persuaded to launch upon railway again in those flying vehicles. To have escaped from the verge of death, very naturally sets one upon a calculation of the chances ot such exposure. The slightest obstacle--a pebble stone, no bigger than a hens egg, is adeouate to throw an engine from it's track,
 when under full speed. The failure of any
 part of the complicated machinery--a not
 unfreouent occurrence with steam engines lis competent, in these locomotives, te
 the production of frightful disaster. In' occasional heedlessness of some ono of 'h'
 many employed upon these ways, may pro
 Cluce the same calamitous results. And w
 all know that custom in peril inspires pre-
 sumption. And while do not withdraw
 my congratulations for the advantages Q
 steam to the purposes of life, I do yet sol
 emnly declare my opinion. that the ordina " police regulations of these establish } ments to ensure safety, are criminally de fsctive. Life is constantly periled to mos , fearful extent-and ! may add, prodigall. , wasted. Between 1900 and 2OOO have pc rished in the United States by means steam, since it has been applied to naviga ton and probably more than 10000 hay , fallen victims to the same cause, in th , whole history of this wonderful agent in it . compressed conditions. %
 . The Liverpool and Manchester railway however, after all, is proud and triumph : ant superintendent is a notable monumer of human enterprise-it impresses the hu f man mind with awe in contemplation oi Il . own possible powers. And what will y the next improvement. who can tell
 :. Akot d;nnsr.-Sharks, it is said, will fo ]. low vessel for days or weeks together, d hopes of catching a man overheard. or k Q the sake of any bits of offal. or the refuse ]. the table. On this subject Jack Taffra !, tells pretty tough story. "There was, 2 said he, "a big shark that followed the E,