The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-05-08
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 8, 1858.
,h. Accident ON the New York and New
Haven Railroad.

Haven Railroad.
We give under our eleeraphic head such further par.
teuars have reached by the northern and eastern
mails OF the frghfu railroad casualty which occurred on
Friday last al Norwsk, in the State OF Connecticut
The deporable loss OF life which il ocoasoned will carry
bereavement and desoatien into many homes, and must
we Judge, awaken efeeually the public attention TO the
peril in which human life is placed under the system at
present pursued in the management of many OF great
railroad routes.
II TO be hoped that the excitement occasoned by this
terrible occurrence will not pass away until some efficient
eor, is made TO provide legislative remedy for the evils
and dangers involved in the state OF the law and OF The
public feeling on the subject which have heretofore ex
isied The Legislature OF Connecticut now IN session.
and we cannot but hope that in the State where this fear
full acciden, has occurred, prompt measures will be
taken to subject these having the control OF these
srea, public routes 10 heavy and direct respon
sbii,y In cases of such sacrifices OF life in the poseeu
lion OF their business So far the of this casu
alty has been explained it seems 10 have been TO a
singular extent without excuse or justification. 1t oc
Cured in broad daylight The break in The track caused
by the raising Of the draw bridge must have been visible
at considerable distance The teegraphic reports state
that the usual signals of danger shown at the
bridge Yet the train of crowded appears have
rushed iuriously till they and the persons within them
were dashed into the river. and fifty OF the pas
seDgers crushed TO death or drowned.
We transfer to our columns with full approval the fol-
lowing remarks on the subject from the Philadelphia
North American:
.sThe casually has been attended with a shocking
amount of personal uteIing muation, and destruction
of life and until II be certainly asceained who are
thed thousands
ton OF the country must undergo The most excuciang
anxiety friends and relatives who, by possibility,
have been in the way OF danger
shall hear of for the next day two, vast
of pity expressed for the victims Of this sad calamity
and as censure, doubt, of those who respon
sble for it but as In every previous instance oil The kind,
popular and Indignation will probably end in
nothing, and the whole affair." with its melancholy
be speedily forgotten The fact is that
are strangely enough, growing caous 10 these wholesale
murders rivers and railroads. from their very FIRE.
auency and under the mpunty which the parties who
are properly chargeabe with these dreadful outages
low they are rapidly multiplying The hoffd details OF
one of the sort scarcely related before
are startled by the of another and the chances Tor
life highways are il seems, daily growing less and
less.
"Some remedy must be speedily applied; and the first
step TO be taken eectng reform is for the legislative
and judicial authorities OF tho land to hold the agents OF rail-
way and steamboat companies TO direct and rigd &C
connaby in every case in which death or manning en-
and prudence.
at is great mistake, and Of the Of the
appalling evil under which suffer, to coll and contem.
plate these OF MY people at
a blow, ccidens la ninetyniue instances in every
hundred thsy really raceaoie 70 nexcuabe
Rec, or Tashness aud might readily bs avoided But 90
long as public opinion recognises and speaks OF them
casualties aud attach crininalty % those who,
from some mad spirit Of rivalry Of Vigilance, blow
M inboat or train OF OFT precpice, at
awful sacraos Of human life may confidently expect
these thogs uuIil which has boon mans fate TO-
day vii be tomorrow and safety for anybody be
upon thousand horoughares Of travel either
by land or
cit cannot be denied heretofore existed and
still exists reprehsnsibs lrrospon sblty the laws
part the ocers and a{sits employed Ia conduct
ing the business of carrying passengers the river and
railway routes Of the country, and that the with which
they get OH, spon plausible, but unusiiabe,
PLANTATION, from righteous liability to punishment for
gross carecssness eneftty is literally giving them
charter pcrps,rae manslaugher al will This subject.
which is hourly becoming of graycr consequence the
community, be regarded by the legal tribunals Of
every State with tar seriousness than they have hih
exhibited la relation that jIico which hang,
the homicide who kills victim with bludg eon
knife bat Hcqu another who reokessy punges seventy
or hundred innocent men, women, and children down al
abS uto river, will become farce, aud neither
cite the respect OF vuols people the lear OF the absn
doaed."