Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-09-26

tee nave reviewed the regulations Oh Jne
Company to ascertainif any, and what,
alterations could be suggested for the bet
ter protection Of the passengers and
trains; and they are constrained to say
that they consider the present regulation
better than any which has been proposed
for running trains on single track roads,
and that experience has proved them to
be so, even in the recent case of disaster;
because it is evident that it was the dri-
yer of the horses who caused the acct
dent. Was this not so? Had he been at
home, there would have been no accident.
He alone is responsible, and the wisdom
Of the Company's regulations, and the
faithfulness Of their employees, will stand
indicated before the considerate judg-
ment Of an enlightened and moral people.
With this brief narrative Of the circum-
stances attending the melancholy event Of
the 29th August, as proved before the
Coroner's Jury, we might, perhaps, with
propriety close this report. The subject,
however, of safety on railroads is SO con-
nected with the feelings and business Of
our people, that it calls for few addi-
tional remarks from as. To say that the
Company is responsible for this accident
because they have not built double
track, is to apply rule to this Company,
which is applied to 70 other companies.
There are supposed to be now more than
twenty thousand miles Of railroad in ope-
ration in the United States, and but a
small proportion Of double track. Roads
which carry many more passengers per
annum than the Camden and Amboy
Railroad have no double track Even
upon the New York and Erie and Hud-
son River Roads there are not double
tracks through the whole line; and we
are not aware that there is any railroad
in this country which is so exclusively
appropriated for the carriage of passen-
gers as this road is, that has double
track.
1t is a fact, however, not generally I'M
derstood, that the Camden and Amboy
Railroad Co. have now and have had for
many years two separate and independent
lines for the transit of passengers between
New York and Philadelphia. A portion
of their trains pass over one track exclu-
sively, and a portion over the other: and
| it is well known that incipient steps have
been taken to construct two more tracks
between Trenton and New Brunswick
which, including the Philadelphia and
Trenton Railroad, will provide additional
facilities between New York and Phila-
delphia: not in the expectation Of pre-
venting accidents, but to expedite the
transit between the two cities. Nothing
but the depressed state of railroad secu-
rites in the money market has prevented
the prosecution of this work.
1t is held, however, by many, that dou-
BILE tracks are not that guaranty for safe
ty which is claimed for them; the neces-
Sity Of backing the trains even on double
tracks, in many instances cannot be
avoided switches, the most frequent
cause Of railroad accidents, must necessa-
rily be multiplied. Certainly the stats
tics of railroad accidents, in Europe as
well as in this country, seem to favor that
idea. 1t may be added likewise, that on
double tracks the temptation to maintain
high rates of speed is almost irresistable
and that high rates of speed are not as
compatible with safety as low rates. The
public demand, with reference to railroad
travel, safety, cheapness and speed
Double tracks are indispensable where
high rates of speed are in use. But they
are not compatible with cheapness or ne
cessary for safety, where limited num-
Der Of trains per day are run, as is the
case on our road. If lightning from hea-
ven were to strike our cars, it would be
as reasonable to say that the company
was responsible for the result because
they have not fixed lightning rods to each
car, as to say that the company is respon-
sible for the recent. accident, because
they have not built a double track. AsI
to the suggestion of placing a gate at
each crossing, that can only be done by
Legislative authority, and we do not
think it would be as safe, as to require
every person to halt, and to see that the
train is not in sight, before he attempts
to cross any railroad, as is the evident
intent Of the present sign boards required
by law
Every person would in this case have
a perfect protection in himself; why di-
minish it by placing the responsibility
elsewhere and upon persons much less in
lCl6slSN T.! @3o loltS do NVOu anu IRON are
so fragile and defective, there can be no
absolute safety in travelling at the present
speed with which our railroad trains are
driven. We would suggest, however,
that the best means to obtain the desired
safety would be to alter the whole sys-
TEN of hostile legislation in regard to
railroads; to consider them as useful pub |
lie conveniences entitled to the liberal
support an@j just consideration of the peo-
pie, and to that protection from the courts
and juries which every American freeman
has right to claim; not as nuisances to
be reviled without measure and to be Ii
belled and prosecuted on all occasions,
right or wrong; to make them exclusive;I
to fence them in from one end to the
other; to take the public roads under or
over them; to reduce the speed Of the
trains to twenty-five miles per hour, and
to hold all persons trespassers. who with
out authority from the company 90 on
the road or suffer their cattle to go on it.
ROBERT l.. STEVENS,
ROBERT T. STOCKTON,
EDWIN A. STEVENS,
JN0. r. THOMSON,
JAMES NELSON,
BENJAMIN FISH,
RICHARD STOCKTON,
JAMES S. GREEN.