The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-17
IMPORTANT RAILROAD MOVEMENT.
Action OF the New York Legislature on
Railroad Accidents.
Interesting Report Of the Special Committee,
NEW RAILROAD LAW,
&C.. So. DC.

The following report Of the special committee of the
New York Legislature submitted to that body on
Wednesday, the 18th inst
REPORT
OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO
THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS UPON RAILROADS, AND
TO REPORT BILL THAT MAY PREVENT THs SANE.
Mr.. William Taylcr from the committee appoin,ed al
der the following preamble and resolution passed Nay
Is, 1853, to wit
Whereas tho fatal accidents upon railroads. by
m M e
lives and limbs Of persons travelling upon or engaged IN 'h'
that committee Of be .a whose los.
s ae.y sS S measures in their
cary and requisite to ensure safety aoa h ss
spos sash mai ..sds
cur ana that said committee be further 70 prias
in a bill to secure the Above objects
REPORTS:
And recommends that the accompanying bill presented
by them DE enacted by this Housa IL Is perhaps due to
the committee ray that snce their appointment
thew have been actively engaged in striving t, the
objects aimed under the above resolution o. H,ue
in becoming OF all such facts have res
ton TO the subject under consideration snd would m>e
duo Acknowledgements the Senate rail
roads for Of the suggestions WHOA ipcor
pGrasso n .ro ION o. sGs, on IA STATE Ea
cation between the railroad corporations and The Legsa
turs. 1t Is subject of complaint Of the present ncun
bent ard also OF his predecessor that there Is not SUN
Gent power OF present vested in him to eec uay carry
out the existing laws in regard TO the accurate fahal
and full Of the The former State En-
2ineer in his report IN 1856 says II would most re
spsctuly recommend that the penalty for failure TO
report 10 modified. / canpos understand why i
should not be the for any other violation OF
chartered rights duties but il fine is imposed it
should be made larger in amount than II Is at present.
To which the present incuabsDt gives his assent and
farther observes hat authority should be conferred
the State Engineer to inquire into the Of the
turns made whenever they to be e.,oueous"
u Of the greatest poraEc TO the people Of the State
that all scs connected with the capacity and condition
OF railroads and canals should ne furnished Ia all
their details to the officer appointed to look after tn
departments. and the committee instead Of recommend
legislative enactment interest complicated that
Of the railroads. any interfering with the police
81 such roads, will divide the responsibility between
the Legislatul and the companies
II is believed by the committee, that the number of
roads throughout the State is steadily and rapidly in
cIeasDg il is quite that careful supervi ion
Of them should be undertaken b. the State order that
all interests OF all classes snail be protected. it shall
be deemed bert by future Legislatures increase still
farther the powers duties u the Engineer be-
yond those prescribed in the bill submitted it
sa o so 80 %
of the United States in relation 70 steamboat cap
sins and Others It assumes. in case Of several naned
accidents that negligence c3reessness been
the Of the and not imposing upon the Dlan
tiff in suit to prove the cause OF the accident by
So wholeso provision the committee desire
corporated in the law and believe that its effect
from showing to what extent if at all the p.inti is in
part wholly cupabe There various classes Of
cidents-sccdenss resulting from the ignorance or care
is no redress 1t often happens that In these cases.
loss Of life occurs, although property to large
frequently destroyed 1t against these acts Of
who. iiom dleuess other motive neglect their
duty, that the public demands protection not less than
the companies Themselves 1t is mperiously demanded,
that who positions sgree to the faithful
performance Of duty the neglect of sad performance
putting the lives Of persons in jeopardy aud often de-.
soylg Them should be made to feel in theie own yer
sons the consequences Of their neglect 1t not requr
ocs bs 20 an Tho raw VINO
who forget, to adjust the switches properly the
ductor who starts his train on Tvs journey without est
hoviv rha nal and acSnrn
terms &C. in order for usethe inspector Of engines and
GERS who should place improper engines upon
Who instead Of attending to bis duty is reading
newspaper, chatting to companion the
sesct to peform BY any cause the du.y Of hi:
thereby endangeIs the life Of any Northumberland
an1 ;a n the opinion OF !oa BE- sS1dssd as
fines and penalties as his carsisssnsss, negligence or
drunkenness merits and should be punished accordingly,
without waiting for the sacrifices OF human life
cessary requisite to give efficacy the enforcement aud
carrying out Of wholesome and sautsry laws
due to the directors Of those companies who po
lice have baen placed in the of the
committee, to say Of them that IN AL thsir details they
appear TO be ably adapted the purposes de-
signed ard that it rot in their judgment possible for
any set Of not engaged ia the daily and veil
acquainted with the entire system OF ra,Ir ad manage
believe that the strict observance of said rules
great preservatve of human life Without, therefore,
altering, or even attempting to al er the they
gest that these apparently wise and uy drawn rules
Of the companies be regarded in the light Of laws the
the offenders will make others honest pr,I-
dent in the discharge Of their duties and thus add
sent law is how the safety of the individual may
secured 1t may ba well to examine of the facts
connected with disasters upor railroads and if BY
the larger portion Of them have not been the suit Of the
individuals carslessnes. BY the report State
Engineer for 1862 learn that the whole per-
sons conveyed the of twenty railroads in this
State amounted to 7,44o $685. the mites travelled 343
ats645 Tee average distance that each passenger ira
yelled was fraction over forty-six miles.
The VII ole lumber Of passengers Killed
injured, eighty two; employees killed sixty; employees
injured eighty nine other persons passengers and
gers and employees Injured ninety fourmaking grand
total Of le2 killed and 2s5 wouuded BY csr.fa
examination into the peculiar prod ucing deah
We FIND that seventy six OF the whole killed
by being upon the track twenty ~ falling between
while Ia motion thrown from them and eighteen
lost their lives while attempting get upon
Same being in motion. There remain but forty esht
others for all the otler accidents by the collisions of
trains collisions with wagons and traiAs thrown Off che
track &c. The great disparity betscen the number Of
gems, must be evident to ALL while the number lat
ter is much diminished, If We subtract from the
number Of passengers killed. those killed by leaving
their seats when tho cara were in motion. It is not
the design Of the committee to eyonerate the
psnies from any blame, that justly attaches to
them Neither on the other hsni. to censure them
for the wi)fu careessness of lose unfortunate per-
sons whether Passengers or others whose crmi, neg
however safely assume that in the per
sons run over while upen the track they it is presumed
npon railroads. both Europe and his country coz
firms the truth that by far ae portion is the re-
suit Of the individuals want OF cauton-some acct
dents by persons being by the driving of one
train ut reckless least careos rate of speed past
another train when the receiving disohargng
its pass engers at some station.
All ssid companies should compel all passengers to
enter and leave the at all times from cor
responding to the exterior rail Of the OK and
that train left any station when another Is recsv
ing or dschagng passengers until time Is given for the
ignorant and nconsioerate to be beyond reach of
harm It should be the duty Of every company to take
all the precaution that be secured; and the persons
who're duty to passengers keep clsar of the
track should do their duty in less slovenIy and
than 1t La often performed The Of the
STATE punish with great severity the individual who
places upon any railroad any obstruction designed to In
lure or upset the engine This law nas far e
regard to tho property injured than to the pat in
jeopardy The tpitude Of the crime such that 1t Is
NOT Of frequent Occurrences but would ask the per-
son Who wantonly Injuries attempts injury 10 do
serving of punishment, is he not also guilty
careessy perseveres q that often does, and w
continue TO, injure pre- perry and destroy life9