Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-07
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.

The London Times Of June Nth contained long COM
muncation from an engine driver" explaining several
Of railway accidents of which the following synopsis
is supplied by the London Spectator
The letter long for space, its rudey vigorous
style would induce take It entire. scholarly
but it is the production Of with much natural shrewd-
ness and OF lmpang the result his observations
plain and orcibe terms We be with extract
ing the principal points in condensed form. The Of
danger these:
"Makng engned keep the pace with their
gnes, whether the weight Of their trains increased not
by eight nine carriages" under pain of being
ported" and mulcted on Saturday night.
The mixing up Of heavy loaded and empty carriages ;
when that is done the whole train is inclined to roll and
strike out and mortal tell what of it. "
When the rails not kept well up to the right level
seepers will often sink down, trip up either end, and
the carriages will off, Lines after four or five years will
be found TO go shaky and hard running tells the
"permanent way"
ct not the down pressure which hurts the rails much
the side hrusng pressure, which is always very
great We now running engines Of eighteen tons weight
Nearly all the rails laid down in England laid down
for engines OF eight twelve and meant stand
the side-punging of engines of eighteen tons"
Rails of about eighty pounds weight per yard will last
about ten years. with engines of moderate weight but heavy
eighteen ton engines will make them shake before their time
Every year Of these years railway becomes more nse
and hard ridden railway soon becomes dangerous
"Now, Government should make proper men see to the
rails being always kept level and square with each other
and to do this heavy eghteenton engine should be made
to slow walking pace upon the ne and the Government
men should behind her, and walking upon each of the
rails lay their hands upon the buffers their feet will then
tell them whether the rails inclined trip slide in
and the buffers will shake their hands when the wheels jar
"Coonel Sbthorp that seventy lives have been lost
by railways during the last three weeks-a good round
Der; but the time for railway accidents when the
rails have been hard ridden by your egheenon engines
and we shall soon have some very terrible accidents.
"Anoher great danger comes Of coupling driving engines
the chances always against speed being pitched right
" the only way is to let the best engine lead off,"
Another Putting driving engines behind line Of
ages and buffer driving them the neckor-nothng prin
cple." "Par Of the train win be bored off the line"
When the buffers DO meet each their proper centres
the buffers may take TO riding, instead of buing each
other and then the oewheels Of the riding carriage would
spring off the rails and ofbood would follow.
"Thc real and Of much Of the loss of life upon
railways there being few brakesmen allowed train
The whole system Of applying brakes when running
right accident is complete sham. very great check
be given railway accidents by having brakeman al
lowed each railway carriage Steady aged men, beyond
hard work. would make cheap, yet good brakesmen."
"The House Of Commons should ca before them engine
drivers well railway clerks and such Of people they
would then learn the real causes of many accidents"