The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-03
Railway Accidents and ShlpwrccI<s-Rcclk-
less Destruction OF Life.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.

RAILWAY Accidents and Shipwrcclxs-Rccl-
less Destruction OF Life.
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
The article in your paper of the Gath inst, with
the above title, must meet with universal attention.
The subject Of mans Of prevention thereof, is one
of vast importance, not only regards the safety
of human life, but il involves the consideration Of
means Ct relief from the heavy burthen the public
have to sustain in the loss and destruction of pro-
perty, and it seems to be we'll worth the attention
Of the press.
The sovereign remedy suggested by your article,
Is legislation. No one doubts the efficacy Of legiss
tive remedies for curing certain existing evils bat
in the case in point, the query naturally arises:
does will the enactment Of ever 50 severe penal
laws for Furnishing employees or principals, after
an accident, provide Or suggest the WAYS and means
for preventing II" Hardly q week passes by that
the feelings Of the public are no; narrowed up by
tie recital Of fightful accidents, both on the
and on the lands and it is not wholly confnai to
our country-each one contributes more or less ita
share to the general sum Of accidents either the
sea or land.
In almost every case, if not quite all, the scci-
dents which have occurred within the last Gig teen
months have resulted from carelessness or want of
perfect attention to the performance Of maofest
duties, yet 1t may be said in exenuation think,
that had there been provided proper ways aud
means for prevention In the frs. place, the caami
tous results might have been modified to great ex-
tent to say the least Is IL not probable IN the alb
sence Of the provision OF suitable ways aud means
for effestually guarding against possible accidents
that employees, better understanding the insgnif.
tbnr any body else, sbond become reckless aud even
Indifferent TO som eextent in their care AMI attention
to the performance of tboir manifest duties, and in
feeling sentiment that fatality attends their
station or csllngY
This sentiment will be found to prevail among
some IF the most skilful engineers and Others de.
voted to the business Of conducting railway trains;
and Why? be 'anse they fully uuiers stand tae made
euate mears at their command in case of al emer.
gency, to prevent the accident.
We have little to say about the subject in con-
Dection with SHIPS Owing 80 the nature of the cr-
cunstances attending the business Of navigation in
general 1t Is difficult matter to reach the evils by
legislative acta yet it is subject well worth con.
sheraton by those more intimately interested
therein.
With railroads. it seems to us to be some what diff
ferent and it is within the province Of the lsgis-
lative powers to do very much more In this way;
aud II is to railroads. in general that the subject Of
these remarks is more particularly applicable.
Before we begin TO suggest the remedy, let US
of the evil we'll as tbs Cliff ultiss Of the case, are
rightly, practically understood. Oa all important
lines Of railroads the public require frequent trains
to be Iun and at high rates Of speed moderate speed
go a-head age, ard nothing less than an average
rate Of speed of thrtfve miles per hour at least,
affords satisfaction. Tee great danger 10 running
at this high ate Of speed is the inability to control
the motion Of the train by the means in general use
for brakipg up the speed, efsctually to bring
It to stop within safe distance after the danger
il discovered.
A train of cars, running at the speel Of thirty
five miles Per hour, cannot be brought to a stand
still by tie mears now in general use for braking
up, in shorter distauce than half mils-ssy
$500 feet aud it is without doubt fact, that 10
the majority OF cases trey run five eghths to three
quarters Of mile--say from 5000 to 1000 feet.
All railroad managers OF every grade understand
and know this 70 be so, and many Of them deem it
an impracticable thing to devise means which shall
eftectually control the motion of the trains when
under high late Of speed, within uniformly safe
distance. Every one knsws the means universally
adopted for braking. up the speed Of railway
trains and It is needless to describe it, TIE brake
men, as Glass; ere os attentive to the execution Of
their duty As any other Sc. Of men; they do what
fectuaticg their object, as enorgeticaly and
promptly as II is possible for them to do; beyond
that their efforts are OF no avail. The public gone
rally, as familiar as they are with RAILROAD travel.
where total ignorance docs not exist is generally
ihe case, about the subject, mistaken Impression
does In fact prevail of the truth OF the same.
Yet the public continually cry out against the
careessness and matt entien Of q very useful and
faithful SCI CT men, % body, and call Cor legsla
tive Enactment OF penal laws to punish unoflsnding
men, as though that was the sovereign remedy for
the evil. Nov, how much more, Is it supposed, that
legislators, however competent, know about this
very subject than the great mass of the community?
That II Is O subject incumbent upon them to in
vestigate In the performance of their duty no one
will hesitate In affirming but frat Let them INQUIRE
into the nature OF the subject and when they arrive
at the point that they see what is required to be
done, let them call upon the public {, suggest the
ways and means for controlling the motion OF the
trains when under full speed; and when an efactuL
way Is found never fear but that the railroad man
sgers will be ready to adopt its use OF their own free
viii and accord; but II they hest late, then we would
say enforce its adoption by legislative acts Then
BY the adoption Of other prudent rules and regula
tions for safety, holding employees accountable for
the faithful observance thereof and the general per
Torrance of their duties, 1t Is quite probable that
we should not in the future be Unlisted with the
pair fol emotions heretofore so frequently expcrien
Ced In the recital of numerous accidents which have
resulted often times from want Of suitable means o.
hand TO prevent the same.
Ast0 the extent and mode OF punishment to be
fixed for derection OF duty VIC have no opinion to
express-t is we think, subject for after conside
ration. Our province Is to deal with tho case as we
find It TO cxistfrst ascertain the cause Of TIE dil
fcultes, then devise the ways and means % effec-
tuate cure, and when the remedy Is found or pre-
pared administer II. aud IL not taken idiIy then
we say enforce Its adoption. DEvIsER.
EARTHQUAKE IN viRGIvIA.-The razowell Couu-
ty Advocate states that the 22d ultno about
four +. NJ, q slight shock Of earthquake was felt
in several parts Of Tazewe county and probably ex