Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-05-14
Railroad Murders.

The terrible fatal accident on the New York and
New Haven Railr lad, has sent thrill of horror
throughout the country, as the trembling wires
convey. with the rapidly of lightning, the awful
intelligence which made so many hearts aud homes
desolate. One ater another, these fearful &C.
counts follow each other, in rapid succession, rs
if epidemic. Accidents recur like contagion, and
seem to have their regular seasons to follow each
other, like the spread OLA pestilence. Every
where the inquiry is being made-what shall be
done TO prevent these wholesale slaurhters? That
reform, or an Improvement is needed, is abun-
dainty proved.
Anew facts will satisfy every reader, that ON
some roads, at least, one single reform would make
the lives OF passengers more secure and probably,
prevent most OF these terrible accidents. We al
lude to the intemperance OF men in charge of the
road and trains. or the characters of engineers
and conductors, as Glass; we have no reason to
complain, individually, but as we happen to know
something of one road running out Of New York
city, we think clue may be had to son of the
accidents in that quarter.
A few months since we had the privilege Of in.
specting diary kept by a conductor, who had
been, for some time, employed on the road alluded
10. He was man who never drank intoxicating
drinks. From this diary learn that at one
time he was riding on an engine, with an engineer
who bad charge of train OF fifteen loader freight
cars. The engineer drunk, and at one time,
while running on down grade, at more than dou-
BILE the speed prescribed for the freight train, and
coming near a short curve he spoke to the engi-
neer TO slacken the speed, according to the posi-
tive orders when rounding curve. The engineer
did not stir, and. on examination, he found him
fast asleep with full head of steam on! He shook
him so as to awaken him, and the reply of the en-
gineer was: 81 always pull her open and let rum
ibis was freight train, but it running at this
terrible speed, out of time, 10 make up long stop
at The station, where the engineer, with other rail-
road operatives, took time 10 drink and be merry.
Had the engine run off when going at such speed,
every car in the train must have been destroyed,
and probably every life of the hands on hoard.
Besides this, they were out of time, and might
have met an up train, if the engineer had not
man to ava ken him.
The diary further shows, giving all the names
and dates) that engineers on the passenger trains
were in the same habit of drinking and getting alb
Solu:ely drunk that they had staggered to the
CINE which was to draw the loads OF human beings,
under the guide OF such Il mali. Facts, IN regard
to the drinking al every station Of one engineer
ming up and fastening his train (reight) 10 the
just ahead, before leaving station, because too
drunk and stupid to attend 10 his business; of the
meeting and drinking, by conductors, spending in
the Curse of Sunday, thirty or forty dollars CT
somebody's money, and keeping up such life
whenever they meet. 1t ais, discloSes the fact
that there was not another one who did not drink
intoxicating drinks.
These we know to be racts We know the man
who hos accumulated this alarming information,
and il he ever sees fit to publish it, as hope he
will, for the benefit of the travelling public it will
come with an authority that will not be disputed
we regret that we are not at liberty TO disclose his
name at this time.
Such being the state of facts, OH one road at
lea>t-and that of immense travels it not time
that the public should demand that total absti-
nence should be the constant habits of engineers,
conductors, ana brakesmen, at least nay, all 9TH
ers who hold any responsible place the rail-
roads3 Should not the Sta Legislature pass laws
ol'llgng the companies 10 employ only such per
sons as are of known temperance habits? We
are confident that this alone would save many lives,
and hone that, the case of the last terrible.
accident, the investigation will be so made that we
shall know the habits OF the engineer in this ic-
respect. Let all investigations particularly note
these points. If such had hitherto been the fact,
we should, undoubtedly, have the statistics of de-
struction from the effects of drunkenness, swelletl
TO an alarming degree, and the already frighfll
catalogue Of murders and "accidens' by this evil,
greatly lengthened.-Phila. Reg.