The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-12

Official Proceedings Of both Boards Of the Common
Council last evening; the Art Union Investigation;
Report of the Comptroller relative to City Railroads;
Financial and Commercial Reviews, &c.
The Norwalk Railroad Disaster-The Coro-
ner's Verdict.
The coroner's jury to which was entrusted
the investigation into the cause OF the recent
railroad catastrophe at Norwalk have rendered
their verdict, and it has already been placed be
fore the public in the columns of the HERALD
The late hour at which we received it on Tues
day night prevented US from making any com
ments upon the result to which the jury have
arrived, and which will doubtless be regarded
by all right-thinking persons as unsatisfactory,
to say the least. 1t cannot be said that they
had not sufficient time to deliberate on the evil
dence, for one whole day elapsed from the close
Neither can it be said that the testimony was Of
an unreliable character. for it was SO clear and
direct to the point that the public had already
passed their judgment upon the whole matter.
That the criminal neglect of the eng ineer was
the principal cause of the disaster no doubts
whatever could be entertained; but he was not
the only person in fault. The company are to
great extent culpable. and should be held to
strict account before the law; but the jury have
entirely overlooked the part they have played
in the fearful tragedy. and endeavor to show
indirectly, it is true but still too willingly we
think-that no blame should be attributed to
them. They have incorporated in their ver-
diet one of the rules Of the road cautioning
conductors of trains about crossing the draw
bridge near the Norwalk station, and direct
ing them to move around the curve with
exceeding care" Now, to those who are
unacquainted with the facts, it might appear
that the company had taken all the neces-
sary precaution that human foresight and
ingenuity could suggest or devise to pre-
vent the occurrence of such q catastrophe. A
perusal Of the testimony. however, has satisfied
the public that the company are as much in
fanlt as the engineer. and that to their wretch
ed and culpable economy is attributable the
disaster. The curve which leads to the bridge
is about thousand feet long. while the track
is on descending grade to the draw, rendering
it exceedingly difficult to stop train at that
distance going at the comparatively slow rate
of ten miles an hour. This part of the road is
therefore extremely dangerous and requires the
exercise of the utmost caution and vigilance on
the part of the engineer; yet it was proved by
majority of the witnesses that the express
trains went over it at speed Of between twenty
and thirty miles an hour; and even the engineer
himself says that on the morning of the disaster
ha IN Will
endeavors to palliate his recklessness by say
ing that if the brakemen were at their posts
he could stop the engine before the train pro-
ceeded twice its own length. The desperate
speed at which the express trains were driven
had besides become subject of general re-
mark throughout Norwalk and the greatest
apprehensions were felt for the safety of the
passengers. Could the company under these
circumstances remain in ignorance OF this
glazing fact !? Gould the superintendent Of the
road whose duty it was to see that all the rules
and directions were carried out to the letter
could he be ignorant Of the constant violation
of the rules +?
These are questions which the jury should
have studied before rendering their verdict, in
stead of throwing all the responsibility upon
the committee appointed by the Legislature of
Connecticut. Will they inform the public why,
in the face Of the most direct and positive tcst-
mony inculpating the company, they have dis
missed them without word of censure? WIZ
did they not give even some advice in relation
to the kind of officers and men who should be
employed upon the road Mr.. Thomas White, one
of the injured. testified that theconductor was
petulant and peevish," and that the brakeman
told him if he could not get a seat The would
be ID to hi if he would not find him one"
What strange influence were the jury laboring
under when they forgot to allude to this and
other parts of the testimony?
We hope, however, the matter will not be
allowed to rest here, but that the grand jury
and the public prosecutor will bring all of the
guilty parties to strict account. 1t is fact that
the President of the company has four different
railroads under his direction-a trust of the
most vital and important nature, and which
would require more time than one or even
three men could possibly devote to it, if they
performed their duties with the requisite degree
of strict and rigid application
THE ANNTvERsARrEs.-Ou readers will find
in the HERALD Of this morning reports of the
anniversary meetings of no less than five
religious, philanthropic and abolition societies.
which took place yesterday. Among these is
the American Anti-Slavery Society, which
for the first time these three years ceebrat-
ed its anniversary in this city. In the
two last years the association could not
procure public room in New York to hold
their meeting, and SO they were obliged
to pitch their May tents in Syracuse and
Rochester. On this occasion. however they
to get the Chinese Rooms, where they
INDUCED yesterday in their denunciations Of