Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-03-10
RAILROAD ACCIDENTS

eA'o 'ie eh'S vi Ills ilPdis' IerdS State G,-t'
RAILROAD ACCIDENTS
We hear great deal about railway accident, =
~ lie" Gays smash-uP takes place on Sons hSe''
cars are demolished, property destroyed, mb,b I'aa
and lives lost. The affair is ALWAYS ga1 sr' broken
railroad accident. The managers procure snal Ma
publications. An outcry is made about the P p0.'
of being more careful. The newspapers talk s,s!
ly for day or two, about the necessity If S"ls'
somebody hung. The buzz in the public e,, Ia.ls
fainter. Accidents, it is Whispered mill bsnts' GUNS
the best regulated roads. Perfection cannoi Ia
Pected in anything human. Perhaps, after all ~,
useless to blame men for what can't be belneJ "T Is
men will ride forty miles an hour they must lats A.
risk: And then Coroner's Jury steps in and wbls
washes the affair according 10 law. And the nDbr
is ready for another g accident F'|
We have no faith in these accidents. Accidents,
very little to do in this worlds affairs Evpvb;o.
that happens has an adequate cause; and thar cans
can be ioreseen. When train of cars goes OF Io
track, something throws it off. Itwas made exmss
ly TO stay on-and it will stay on, unless somethr
lnterferes with it. Railroad companies enioy a mn
opoy of the business of transporting persons fran
one place to another. They contract with the pubr
20 make it safe and if it is not SAFE the presumn
always is, that it is their fault. The theory is that
railways are to be so managed, that everything rea
ing to them is to be accurately understood and 50
carefully guarded, that mishap will be Impossible
1t is the special business of railroad managers know
all about every possible danger, and to take fus!
precautions against it.
Every railway disaster occurs because this duvB
not performed. 1t may be shifted from one 10 anah
er-the conductor may blame the engineer-heea.
gineer may charge it upon the brakeman or the switch
tender-and coroner's jury may divide it, in home.
pathc doses, among mankind in general, so that
one in particular shall be affected but the acr.
mains THAT somebody is guilty of it, and that the Con-
pany was bound to prevent it.
Examine the series of railway "accidents," as hsy
are called, which every one call to mind, ands#
how few of them cannot be accounted for. Wesnr
ed one morning, in 1849, from Jersey City for Phil
adelphia and all al once we found the locomotives
the bed of the Passaic, two three cars fragments
baggage of all kinds floating in the stream, and one
or two dead passengers being fshed out. A glance
showed that the draw-bfidge at Newark had been lf
open. And this was called an I" accident" Not long
after, we were riding from Troy TO Saratoga, when
the cars off the track, the engineer and fireman
were horribly crushed under the demolished engine,
and one of them died soon after. Inquiry showed
that somebody had wedged in stones between Tho
rail and the timber, for the express purpose oil throw
ing off the train. Not quite year ago. we WerHd'
ing near Batavia, when one train met another Tue
same track-both going very fast-a collision T"
course ensued, both locomotives were crushed, OdS
gage-car were smashed up, one man was Killed, dM
ten or dozen others were very shockingly biulss'
Inquiry showed that both were out of tine-thatnst
Their had paid the slightest regard to the othe an
that nothing like regulations for such contingencies
had been observed. Yet this was styled an ace'
dent" So on the New-Haven road, not long ago.
frelght-train ran into passenger-tran, Oecause|'
conductor paid no attention to his rules. ~
On the Erie road, few days since, tram iSPsl
down an embankment fifty or sixty feet,-oE'u"
the rail at curve broke; and this rail, 1t is SSO va
laid down upon that curve by the Company WIZ
they kneaU that the quality of the iron was mol g
and that the rail would not be safe. The very u"
day, freight-tran. very heavily laden moving ":
grade, became utterly unmanGseaUa'
as the Coroner's inquest ascertalneo.r l., . 'D
and killed persons ab hOta" .,n
In every one of these cases, and in many 0l'i
that might be mentioned-n fact, IN every Sn', 6s
Railroad disaster, so tar we know-the ca1'u:rE
has not been an "accident' in any just sens ,,,s
word. 1t has been produced by DISTINCT S?'f sIs
and easily foreseen causes-such causes ds nors
duty of Railroad Companies to foresee ana ~ 'b,
And the Companies directly to blame fol m
disasters. They are guilty, morally and acua''! All
all loss of life and property that may oGcum . Ib
while, under existing circumstances ano iH"'' 5,n.
impossible to hold them properly accountable O'-
ges may be, and ought to be recovered. das
1t is clear that the only remedy for suc9 .'"h
ters-the only way in which they can De cn ,'Jrgn
prevented-is BIZ employing higher. more '"sf
and more responsible class of men, in all deP% a.. Sr
Railroad management. from the highest 10 =. ri ir
This should be rigidIy exacted by law II o.,..sa
volve additional expense, but that expense Dsfoud
ry to made travelling by Railroad SAFE ano AUS.
therefore be incurred. We doubt, however sseb
tice to the Companies we must add,-wns%I aw COT
expense can be incurred by them, while LIE ou DE
peis them to keep their fares al the low rae nile
scribed. By law of this State, tyo cents a, Tbe
the narimun of Railway charge. We dOuOs T ososs
er that sum is sufficient to bear the expenses Tbs
sary to make Railway travelling perfectly siI Bs
is point which close inquiry only can Sa law Gr
that inquiry should be made And then u,0 ses
on both points-Railway charges, and Ka az TTua
rity-should be framed to meet it. ". l.