Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-05-12
Wholesale Murder.

eeirhe terrible calamity on the New York and
New Haven RAILROAD, by which over Pity
persons lost their lives. causes an exclamation
ofhorror and cry Of Indignation everywhere.
Here were two hundred persons who acontded
.inythe promises made by this company for their
secure and comfortable transit- they stepped
into tie cars, many of them returning home
after an absence, with light hearts, taking thcir
seats with. a feeling Of almost perfect security
The train moves on with its precious freight o.
human life with lightning speed; station after
station is passed, not o. passenger dreaming o.
danger sociability and hilarity reign here
while there, the moments are occupied in read
ins the city morning papers, and still in anoth-
or locality which the ,thoughtfsl, directors had
provided, "a small company were enjoying their
HabmasA when, alas, the fatal bridge was
reached Quick as thought came the fearful
plunge from buoyant lifo to. the gurglc, the
gasp, and tho death struggle In q moment,
fifty out of the company of two hundred hu-
man beings, passed, with not word OF warn
ing or thought ofdanger, from time to- etcrni-
.ty And who can tell the number of widows,
and orphans, the broken family circles, and
torn and bleeding hearts made by this over
wheIming calamity /! a,li rass vf.14.Lrfia sal
"a The first question that suggests itself is, who
isat faults Was the accident the result of
carelessnesse We answer, that, as in the case
of seven cighths of the accidents that occur on
our railroad and steamboat lines, the whole
fault lies with the company, and outrageous
carelesss,ess clear and palpable as MONDAY, lies
at the bottom Of the calamity. What right
had the compny to employ a conductor so
reckless as to give such an order as this to the
walk" or an engineer SO lost TO allrcsponsibil-
ity as to obey such an order over a draw
bridges 1t is case of wholesale murder, two
other cases Of like character having occurred
within three weeks; and we know of no effect
ual measure likely to prevent further repeti-
tons and further sacrifices amounting to hec-
htombs of human victims, bul to hang the cul-
pablo conductor and engineer besides the pres
ident and directors.
~ This company divide one hundred and t,oenty-
paid them money enough to enable them to
furnish employees on the road of undoubted
prudence and skill. But it is of no use to ex-
pect better things until we have better laws
and seyerer penalties. Our courts are becom-
ing too lenient in making up amends of dam
ages against railroad companies. Human life
is becoming considered not worth much against
the almightyt dollar--consequently corporations
whittle down expenses at the sacrifice of pru-
dence. They employ incompetent men in re-
sponsible positions, men Of dissipated habits
whose judgment is likely to become impaired
by one glass of stimulus-all for the purpose
of keeping up the stock and making better div
idends. As tits, taking the history Of the past
year or two, the man who risks himself on
railroad, does it at such impending peril, that
it would be better for him to bid adieu to his
friends, and leave policy of life insurance
with his family. aFa sE o a aaal