New-York daily tribune., 1849-08-07
The Late Railroad Accfdenf-The Investiga
ftou,
Fron ,h. rr.n,oa s..,. o...,i.. 6lh.


We GIVE this morning. 10 the exclusion ot our
usual variety full report OF the evidence taken before
the Coroners inquest in relation 10 the late railroad
accident The verdict of the Jury 10 that the accident
wac caused by the act OF some unknown psrsOn In
turning OF the switch Such verdict b-ars hesvily
upon the Company We perceive. however, thst they
assent TO Il. correctne tor before the Jury hah made
their Investigation, Mr. Stevens offered reward ot
. 900 for the detection Of this unknown person.
Let us briefly recSpitulste the important facts dis
closed by the examination. The switch was eit on ~
the sst train Wednesday evening and found Ia ihe
.sme situation by the first train Tbursdsy morning
and hcnce the dreadful accident Though the switch
was lett Of by train snd found # by the next tho
switch tender found Il "wednesday night. and eft
iI on 1hursdsy morning Who Get u nsnt on wed
nesdsy night and who set IL wrong on Ihursdsy morn
ing 10 one knows The switch tender swesrs that he
did not
The Coroners verdict that II vos set wrong
by some unknown person on Thursdsy morning lhis
assumption requires smother assumption. namely thar
IL was set right by the same some other unknown
person Wednesday evening IL was this dlmcnIiy
no doubt, that made number OF jurors dissent from
the verdict.
The Investigation disclosed other important facts
There 10 no whose duty IL IL 10 sec that the switch
right before ths train approaches The s~licn
tender a. he 10 improperly called 10 employed on me
road several miles OH All he can do, or 10 expected
20 do IL have the switches light about oclocs IN
the morning He Ia not allowed % lock ihsm They
may be moved BY sny thoushtless malicious psssef.
by-in ignorance IN idle curiosity or by wicked design
limb and property. must be expected
ia this the gneer could not see me handles o
the switches 10 time to stop the train his od "fa
70 approach the turnout slowly had been revoked TO
expected 10 keep his speed, but 70 approach 'ne
turnout that be could zee that 10" h-nd'e' 7fe
dght This was an order which IL ~n I'M possible 70
obey for the handles were Obscured from bs "snt-
How long they have been so, and how msnJ Hsins
nave continually passed The switch without the eng
neers being able 10 pass IN < naaau "d0ed ~ ~, sa
prinisnd,ni, depends simply upon the question 10"
lonz the bushes have been there Undoubtedly how
ever rh-y hsve been there long enough % b.Vs been
seen many times By the superor ofacers oi the Com
psny ,.,-
are the conductors and brskemen They are required
70 see thst switch right afv TIA Daia psssss II -
II wrong bfvs the u-in reaches IT, !, is no one
duty 10 know IL and IL night and AZ accident s
rn- Of course
The company have dispepsed with II their old
precsuusns but they have adopted no substitute for 10
They formerly made their ngDeer spprosch the turn
out a. II Il wrong Now they 20 On, i
the Turnout right but there is no sbsoue Ger
raioiy that II ls right 10 employed 10 that
q rsnt; and II II 10 not night, destruction and death
await tbc doomed train.
Agsin the locks on the switches are not locked
Way Because II they we're locked msn msst Dc psd
u lock and unlock them. Doe. the Company on eel
the wages Of day sborer against the hves and prop
| erty passing over their road
Az tor the locks however they. though some protee
ton against unknown persons not the prOp~f pro
ecuon-' careful watch every turnout before
every train reaches H. 10 the proper precs1uon tns'
| IL dispensed with the company are fespoesise iof sn
| the evil that results
ou,y tn,e and plsiny required 81 our hands Il viii
oe our duty 20 enforce them by further remarks
| after That too, will Be painful duty but sasl
| perform 10.