The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-14
THE MAILS,

Nothing is more natural than feeling Of vexa.
ton at the failures Of the mails Nothing is more
common than TO cry out against the negligence and
unathfulness Of all concerned in its Evaporation
when it's nonarrival bellies the post Office advertise
ment which says to our anxious expectations,
"Nows the day, and now's the hour
We think OF nothing to cxtenuate. We set down
everything if not in malice, at least in hl-feeling
against the mail contractor. 1.-THE moving accidents
w food and field" never present themselves to our
minds eye in his behalf Land slides may precipi-
earth and rock into the track that winds around
the steep declivtes Of deep cuts and mountain
passes; but never think that the unwelcome mass
will obstruct the mails The quiet streams may be
suddenly aroused into gigantic and angry foods by
torrents Of rain, and bear off upon their backs the
bridges that span them, the strong did the
gates of GAIA; but we never consider that whilst
the bridges are going off, the mails necessarily
| staying behind. No. We conceive of but one
cause for their backwsrdness, the "inactvity"-not
mastery, But most miserable-of the mail contrac-
| tor.
To disprovc this general, but most uncharitable
conclusion, we publish the following letter, handed
| to US by the Post Office Department, sample Of
| the many received since the last storm.
| Whether there is a connexion between the move
ments in the aerial regions, and those the post
routes, not yet dreamed of in our philosophy" or
that the coincidence in the irregularities ofths two
systems is expiainable through the simple agency
of cause and effect, leave to readers to Judge
according as their temperaments incline them to the
mysterious the practical; but Of this we
sured, that the files Of the Post Office Department
will incontestably show, that when there is out
break among the elements, there is confusion among
the mails.
BALTIMORE, July II, 1886.
Sra: [ beg leave respectfully to report the following
| failures of the mail, and their causes on routes
1902, Washington to Baltimore and 1903, Baltimore
to Cumberland since the first Of the present month
| viz:
On route No. 1902.
July LIST. The mail in both directions failed to
connect in consequence of the freshet on the night
| of the Goth June, having carried away a culvert
and some so feet of the embankment, near the
| Laurel sideling.
July Sd. The train with the mail for the east did
not arrive at Baltimore until 81, a. m, in conse-
quence of heavy land-slips in the Bladensburg cut
produced by the rains on the night of the 3D.
July 5th. The mail from Washington, in the
morning, failed to connect with the cars for Phila-
delphia in consequence of the engine having blown
her safety-valve shortly after leaving Washing
ton city.
/ On route No. 1903.
July LIST. The train from Cumberland did not
reach Baltimore until midnight, in consequence of
freshets in the Potomac and it's tributaries, by which
the spur braces washed from under the bridges
at Harper's Ferry, the Great Cacapon, and Patter-
sons Creek; and the road inundated with water
for some seven or eight miles to the depth of two
feet and upwards.
/ July 4th. The trains in both directions, between
Cumberland and Baltimore, failed to arrive in time,
| (although the ion at Cumberland was not
lost in consequence Of three distinct slips Of rock
and earth between Berlin and the Point Of Rocks,
the result OF the continued heavy rains Of the three
previous days.
July 9th. The train from Cumberland did not
reach Baltimore until o'clock u. M, the 10th;
and the train from Baltimore did not arrive at Cum.
berland until l0I, p m on the 9th, owing TO the
engine and eight cars of burden train havng been
thrown off the track by running into a land slide IN
short Of the road where it was impossible to
see the obstruction in time to avoid II.
II is proper to state that during the time occupied
i in repairing the breach on the Washington road, a
distinct engine employed in the conveyance of
the mail fiom the point of obstruction to Baltimore,
by which the connexion with the Philadelphia line
was secured. ,.l ..l
The protracted rains in the early part Of the
month and the high frcshets consequent therefrom,
have been attended with serious damage to the road
and bridges Of this company between Baltimore
and Cum erland; but the department may rest as
sured that no expense exertion has been will
be, spared in placing the works of the company in
such condition to secure regularity and expe-
diton TO the mails; and in the mean time they look
with confidence to the department for such indul-
gence as, under their unlocked for embarrassments,
may be reasonably expected.
i l am, sir, very respectfully, yours,
i w. s. WooDSIDE.
s. r. HosBIE, esq,
| lst Assistant Postmaster General.