The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-31

of the hesxlrending railway accident near Bur
lingtOD, N. j. We are, at an earlier period than
usual on such occasions, placed in possession Of
all the material facts, and enabled to point
with perfect confidence to the causes Of the
disaster These are, first, that rule of the
Camden and Amboy Railway Company which
directs the train first arriving at Burlington to
wait ten minutes for the opposite train then to
run whether the latter has made its appearance
or no and secondly, the want of double track
on that part of the line. Some Of the reporters
have attributed especial carelessness TO the
conductor of the train on which the accident
occurred. We lay little stress on this point,
because. in the first place, the mans misconduct
is not fully proved, and, secondly, it does not
appear that, under the circumstances, any care
or vigilance could have prevented the acci-
dent. The main facts are these in pursuance
of the public rules Of the Camden and Amboy
Railway Company, two trains were run in OPP
posite directions on the same track, at the
same time, and collision between them was
only prevented by an accident which destroyed
the life OF at least twcnty-four individuals, and
wounded ffty-five.
A grand jury inquirirg into the case could
find no more than this. No more is needed to
discover the guilty. Since the awful disaster
at Norwalk, every notable railway accident
has been commented on in these columns; we
never remember to have been called on to
chronicle case in which the responsibility was
20 clearly brought home to The railway COM
pany. we know Of course, that before long
affidavits win be produced from unknown per-
sons going to show that the company S rules
were not rules, that their regard for life
was greater than their love for money, that
white is black, and so-forth but until the ma
nagers have had time to prepare evidence Of
this kind, the testimony on record proves most
conclusively hat the twenty-four persons killed
at Burlington persisted by their act. They
We're as clearly and as simply the victims OF
the railway directors, as ii the latter had di-
| rected gun loaded with grape to be fired
among them.
| There is no occasion for angry words about
! the matter; little temptation to indulge in ine
writing. Hero are twenty-four Of us killed by
| the railway We know they need not have been
killed The train might have waited at Bur
case on al we'll ordered lines; but there YVES
the order Of the directors to wait ten minutes,
then go on slowly to meet the down train
There might have been two tracks, in which
case collisions would be impossible hut it ap-
pears the railway company did not choose
to go to the expense. And 50 ii fell out that
twenty-four Of us-old and young, honored CT
ITEMS loved mothers, tender children all in
health and spirits on Wednesday morning
are now dead, and ifty-ive more wounded.
Now The question is once more, how long
arc we to submit to this sort Of thing? Is il
impossible to prevent manslaughter on rail
ways? What is there in the quality Of . rail-
way director that invests its owner with i'm
punity lfthese twenty-four persons had been
killed by The overt act or gross. negligence Of
a merchant Or a lawyer or an editor, indict-
| ments would have been laid, trials would have
followed, and the guilty would have been
punished; why does the railway company cs-
cape in The like case? The men who framed
that rule, and refused to build that track.
knew perfectly, when they did 30, that acct
dents would probably follow; any ono, with
ever 50 little railway experience, knows hat
II two trains run in opposite directions on The
same track at the same time, collisions viii be
imminent: why should not these ruen hc held
to answer for the consequences OF their al.
We take most Of our Jurisprudence from Eng
land and France Had The burlington acct
dent occurred in those countries, Us DO not
hesitate 10 say that at this moment, the direc-
tors and superintendent OF the Camden ana
Amboy Railway, together with The conductors
of the train, would have been in jail, and The
Attorney-G eneral would be proceeding against
them. In cases where the guilt or negligence
Of The company was far less obvious tfan Il j.
here, British railway Girecto have been in
prisoned for term Of years. There are at
this moment at the galleys al Toulcn, in
France, Two oil French merchants who were
sent there because fatal accident occurred
on The railway Of which they were directors,
and the jury found that they had shown neg,i-
gencc. The consequence of these measures IL
that fatal railway accidents rarely occur in
England and hardly ever in France; whereas
here six months never pass without IN awful
massacre, and collisions clips from tie track,
a.. are Of daily occurrence. Now, is Il bet
ter that thirty or forty useful lives should
he sacrificed every six months, than that
one OF two leading men should u sent fer FIVE
years 10 The state prison by way Of example?
What aggravates peculiarly the case Of the
Camden and Amboy Railway, j. the position
and advantages Of the company. u has been
iosuarIy-but truly said that they own be
Jerseys The people Of New jersey Who nre
not connected with The railway amour. 10
nothing. u appears 70 he their function In
life to aspire 10 serve the great monopoly; Vie
highest aim e their ambition to become is
tool. Accordingly We find the whole legisla-
ton OF Jersey framed, not in order to deyelope
tho resources Of the State, but to foster The
railway and IT, dependent enterprises The