The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-10

ucstu ~ youI anu bcou C8u60 the eu&ct
ment Of stringent laws holding the company responsible
for all such accidents without the necessity Of going
through the tedious formaes OF the law notir5 eec
ual will be done to prevent the occurrence of such dis
asters hereafter In the of man who was killed
upon the road and for which suit was commenced by
friend Of mne that friend stgmatized by the COM
psny mercenary priest for he had what some might
consider the misfortune of being minister of the gospel
knew that this gentleman could not fnd the engineer
when seeking for him Witness and I leave it to
to yoU to judge whether they who gave him q
years s1iary for his services knew where and when
to get Inn. 1t looked as if he had been kept
out of the way; but we know, however, where
he last Friday bring forward these facts fellow
citizens to SLOW that something must be done to arouse
the feelings of the community and that proper
may be adoptee Now these facts you ought know
and understand IN order to r.ake you feel the vast
portance of the subject presented to you consera
ton am sorry to see what think timidity on the
part Of some of our fellow citizens, who, believe,
afraid to appear You have a large moneyed monopoly
to contend against, and tell you, when your pstitio4
goes to the Legislature You will find money there and
agents. to prevent If possible any stringent laws
than now exist from being enacted. If you want to
meet that moneyed monopoly you must not be
afraid to show your hands i for no man, when
duty leads me. This is not the first instance where
PuIy uttio ubS oo0n s8nAi, anu Wnoro IOc0mO
ves have been OF the road. 1t is the third Of
the kind that has occurred at Bridgeport and at the
Housatonic similar accidents occurred where the ocomo
tves ran the draw Now they will not pre-
tend to tell that that company exercises
due caution-it is sheer recklessness and so
long as a few gentleman sit in Wall street and
pay dividends t. stockholders
"a voICE-The money wi have to come out now.)
say these men must be made to feel through their
pockets which is r-only bowels of mercy don't
think these resolutions sufficiently strong or the Pc
tton sufficiently definite What is the mere loss o.
time caused by passing bridge slowly compared with
the loss Of fifty vesP speak Of the company as well as
Of the men employed in their service.
Mr.. O. FERRY who, understand is the prosecuting
counsel in this case next addressed the meeting He
spoke of the necessity Of calm yet decided action
the part of the community, and said the fault was
to be attributed much to the public the compa
n.y. The public demanded the greatest speed and the
company had to comply with that demand they desired
to consult their own interests.
Rev. Mr.. BssmI, son of Judge Bissel, Of Greenwich
Conn.,. followed in few brief and pertinent remarks
the of which he spoke of the careless manner in
which the bridges erected and referred particularly
to the Coscob BRIDGE which is about eleven miles from
Norwak. He exhibited piece of wood which had been
taken from this BRIDGE and which perforated with
innumerable wormholes 1t in fact resembed honey
comb and rotten that snapped under the slight
est pressure.
Mr FoorE made few brief and pertinent remarks and
read the following memorial which is to be presented
the Legislature during the present session =
To HoNoRADE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THE STATE OF
CONNECTICUT, NOW IN SESSION AT HARrFoRD.-
We the undersigned petitioners, inhabitants of Nor
walk and vicinity to the Honorable Legislature Of the
State of Connecticut would most respectfully repre-
mt n Nv fha u1a
body, occurred at Norwak Friday the 9th of May A.
D. 1858, by which fifty lives lost, many of them
juIed. That your petitioners believe these alarming ac-
cdents quite too frequent and that the safety Of life
and limb the blessing Of health too often hazarded
by the need Of proper regulations for the of
railroads throughout the State.
In view of these facts your petitioners would humbly
to avoid the Of similar disasters which sug
gestons your petitioners pray may be embodied and
acted into law
Your petitioners would humbly suggest that the draw
bridges Of Of the railroads in the State parcu
ay unsae and especially is that the with the Co.'S
inspectors Of drawbrdges may be appointed whose duty
it shall be to examine said bridges at least four times each
year.
for signals particularly unsafe and pray that said sys
tenn may be abolished and something more efficient sub
stituted.
Your petitioners would further suggest that eyery rail-
road train be required to stop at least 900 feet before
every draw bridge that gates be erected every railroad
CROSSING to be closed until the approach of every train
and that policemen be stationed at not more than one
mile apart to that the road at all times passabe
and to give notice if any danger is apprehended.
ieye it is due that law should be passed embodying
these provisions and desire that it should meet with
earnest and immediate attention Of honorable body
as in duty bound your petitioners win ever pray.
D. MAY, 1853
After the reading of the memorial the meeting ad-
jourhed.