The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-11

is due to any fault of his he should be promptly
recalled. If, on. the other hand. it should be
proven that Coz nmodore Aulick has treated our
envoy with 81 ch discourtesy as to dscredit him
among the CT inese he should be taught lesson
that he will not forget To try Captain Walker
by court m: Atrial for having carried the United
States Co. nmissioner from Whampoa or Hong
Kong to Canton certainly seems violent
stretch of arbitrary power; and we are not sur
prised t nat after the prisoners honorable ac-
quittal public rumor should have attributed
to the Commodore the intention of returning
home. Whether in fault OF not, he could
hard ~ do better thing We want informa-
tiol ON the subject of the recent squabbles and
Go mmodore Auiick. from all we know of him,
is Ear better fitted to act as privy councillor at
fashington than as commander of our Pacific
squadron at Hong Kong.
; RAILROAD CAsuALTIEs.-While the recent
terrible destruction of life on the New Haven
Railroad is Immediately attributable to negli-
gence OF disobedlence of orders on the part Of
the engineer, the directors and managers of the
line cannot be permitted to escape by throw
ing all the culpability on his shoulders. If he
is guilty as the proximate cause Of the acct
dent, they are still more culpable in having
through their avarice in building the road and
through the want Of efficient signal and police
regulations on it, contributed, in the first in
stance, to the probability of such an occurrence
as that which the whole community has had
to deplore.
The signal provided at the Norwalk draw
bridge appears to have been inefficient, mas
much as it cannot be seen in the immediate
vicinity of the draw. 1t is first visible at
some seven hundred yards distance from the
depot; but even there a glimpse of it is only
caught amid intervening trees and red chimney
! tops calculated to deceive the eye as to the
ball being hoisted. 1t is again seen amid like
obstacles at about three hundred yards from
the depot when it is lost sight Of until the de-
pot is passed. and the curve half passed round,
at which time the train is in dangerous prox-
unity to the bridge on a descending grade.
The drectorsland managers in failing to es-
tablish mere efficient mode OF warning the
engineers of the draw being open, are liable
to be regarded as the primary cause Of this
accident.
But perhaps the point on which the company
is most open to censure is that when the road
was being originally constructed ! it was made
to take the form Of quarter-circle curve be-
tween the Norwalk depot and the fatal bridge.
A straight line might have been made here in
stead at the extra outlay of three thousand dol
lars. And to this contemplate piece of parsi-
mony on the part of the company are the pub
lie indebted for the recent calamity, and for the
danger which is always to be apprehended in
passing this portion Of the road. For this COM
hold the directors and managers of the New
Haven Railroad answerable to the public. as
the primary culprits in the matter of the Nor
walk massacre.
And railroad casualties are now SO alarm
ingly on the increase that resolute and eff
cient measures on the part of our Legislatures
and courts of law are imperatively required
Railroad employees seem to be Us utterly des-
titate Of any regard for the consequences Of
their carelessness as directors are for the secu-
rity OF the travelling public. and it needs sum-
mary measures to bring all to sense Of their
accountability. So completely reckless have
officials become, that on the Paterson line. on
Monday evening. serious collision occurred
in consequence Of the arrangement of a new
time table by the manager of the road, which
was communicated to one conductor, and not
to the other! Offences such as these deserve
the severest punishment that the law can infict
upon the enprits, and we hope to see socie-
ty justified for the outrages thus committed
against it,