The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-09

RailroaA Accident Law IN Connccticut-Ans
other Appeal To The Legislature.
It is not in the power Of language to add
anything to the odium which rests on the New
Haven Railroad Company. Public indignation
has exhausted ITSELF Angry attacks from the
press deliberate condemnation by jury-a
calm rebuke from Legislative committee
have followed each other in regular order, and
at each successive blow the character of the
company has fallen several degrees. 1t can
now fall no lower. So far as public opinion
can avenge the death of the Norwalk victims,
they have been avenged. The punishment has
not been proportional to the offence, and the
directors are still burthened with heavy load
of unexpiated guilt; but enough has been done
to apprize railroad managers Of the responsible
ty of their office, and to impress on the mind Of
the Legislature the necessity of interfering to
protect life. 1t now rests with the public to
render that impression permanent.
1t is for the electors of the State of New
York to call on the Legislature to pass law
for the prevention of railway accidents. Such
measure is now before committee in the Con-
necticut Legislature; and we have every reason
to believe that it will be framed OF such a
basis as to afford substantial security to ira
vellers. In few weeks we trust, it will be-
come law, and railroad accidents as a natural
consequence, will cease to occur in Connecti-
cut. Why are we standing still while our
neighbors are grasping the nettle? Why is it
that we New Workers, who give ourselves
Of +ho mi in AZ
of trade, science and letters, are SO far
behind the residents in the Eastern States
in matters of police and general safety ?
Fifty reasons for the fact could readily be ad-
duced. not one of which, however, would re-
dound to our credit. We talk, while they act
we quarrel and dispute about politics, while
they take council for the public good-we pro-
crastinate and waste time, whereas they strike
the iron while it is hot. Disasters such as the
late Norwalk accident arc far more likely to
occur in this State which is traversed in every
possible direction by immense railway lines,
than in the smaller States Of the East For one
life that is jeopardized there, ten are at stake
here. Not an hour elapses but some mighty
train, heavily freighted with human beings, is
seen rolling over one Of the tracks which
lead from the city - at every moment Of
the day thousands of men and women are
exposed to frightful injury and death
on our New York railroads. Nor can the dam
ger be regarded in any way as imaginary. Day
after day it falls to our lot to record accidents
which escape attention simply because the pub
lie mind has become so used to horrors that an
unusual stimulus is needed to rouse it. 1t was
only couple Of days ago that a whole train
was arrested on the brink Of q precipce by the
breaking Of an axle; for several minutes the
cars oscillated between the heights above and
their behalf; they escaped, and no lives being
lost, no notice was taken Of the matter. Had
fate willed that, instead of remaining on
the track, those cars had fallen into
the Hudson, and fifty to one hundred
lives been lost, how would the New York
Legislature have explained the apathy
with which they seem to regard railroad acct
dents? If the express train, which bore SO joy
Gus company from Albany to Niagara last
week, had fallen into river or run foul of a
freight train, would the members still think the
subject unworthy Of special attention?
We are sensible Of the monotony of our re-
peated appeals for legislative interference in this
matter. They are not half so wearisome to our
readers as to us. Still, with the appalling facts
staring US in the face, and perfect conviction
that we shall ultimately be successful we can
not dismiss the topic as an ephcmeral theme.
Common sense tells us that the day will come
when our United States railways will not
have to answer for three times as many
deaths in seven weeks as occurred on all
the English railways in two years. Plain
reason shows that if on all the railways in
France and Belgium NO more than five deaths
occurred in two years, it is monstrous that the
total number of deaths on ours during the
same PERIOD should have been nearly seven
hundred. The most cursory examination Of
the railway system in these countries brings to
light laws expressly framed for the prevention
Of accidents and the protection of the public
Those laws do not exist here Any schoolboy
can connect the cause with its efiect-the def
cheney in the law with the insecurity
Of our railroads. Had any attempt been
made to oppose the passage Of q law
to prevent accidents--had any argument
been put forth against its principle-had any
remonstrance against its operation been heard
we could understand the cautious course of
the Legislature. AS it is, public opinion is
unanimous on the point The railroad COM
panies themselves are heartily sick of being
branded as murderers, and would willingly
accept any reasonable mode Of compromising
for injuries received on their lines. Increased
security would produce increased travel
many individuals who now avoid the New
Haven line through fear, would prefer it to the
steamers, if their safety was properly guaran-
teed We do not apprehend that the measure
we advocate would meet with any serious OPP
position from the railroad companies.
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