Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-07-24
The Inst Railroad TrngeIY.

We had, yesterday, brief mention Of a COLI
sion on the Pennsylvania Northern Railroad, by
which more than n hundred children were killed
and wounded. The Augusta papers have some
what fuller information. There were about eight
hundred children in the excursion train. By the
collision, the train wns piled up into n heap of
ruins aud, in this condition, the butler of the To-
comotiyc exploded, setting fire to the wreck
Twenty-four bodies in two cars were burned to q
crisp. 1t is horrible to repeat such statements,
but it is necessary.
\ correspondent Of the National Intellgencer,
little dreaming that he was uttering his caution n
few hours in advance Of the most cruel instance
of railroad acknowledgement in the whole history of
our country, writes n follows:
awe read in the newspapers rs follows "A re-
turn Of the number of accidents on the Prussian
railways during the past year has been publish
ed. Not one life was lost and only three persons
injured
"Why, 1t will be asked, was no life lost on the
Prussian railways for the last twelve months .
We answer in a few words. In Prussia no one is
permitted to be m engineer until he is educated
for that profession, and ,heu he is required to
bring testimonials from board Of skilful engi-
neers before the lives and limbs of people are con-
tided to his care"
We can make n statement still more striking
The main trunk of the South Carolina Railroad
l3a miles in length, has been in operation for
twenty-three years, and i'll all that time not
single passenger has lost his life. On the Colum-
hia branch, which has been i'll operation for half
that time two passengers lost their lives but they
were not Mt the time in the passenger cars On
the Camden branch no passenger has ever been
killed. 1t is possible, therefore, even III the Uni
ted States, to save innocent travellers from whole
sale murder. withoutdeprivng Railroads of good
diyidends. But this is only an instance of the
voluntary caution and systematic good manage
ment OF u corporation.
Is there any means Of enforcing system of eau
ton upon Railroads generally! The authority of
the United States is far more doubtful and far less
complete than in the case of steamboats,, where
the legislation Of Congress hus done much to di-
miuish the so.eacd accident. But those Rail
roads are, in almost every instance, conveyors of
the mails, and provisions could be made in every
mail contract, making certain precautions neces-
sary-such as would secure the regular and safe
transmission of the mails. An Act of Congress,
defining these precautions, would be more useful
than most Of the acts Of that body.
In another respect the United States might find
room for benefcent legislation. Whenever the
citizen of one State has to bring suit against cit
izen or corporation Of another State, the Courts
of the United States ore his natural recourse In
this direction, too, Congress might enact some
useful laws.
But the great remedy is, undoubtedly, with the
States. They undoubtedly can alone determine
what Is the crime of sacrificing, from haste or
incapacty, hundred lives to mistmed arrival
at given point. They alone can decide whether
Railroads that allow Of excursion and extra trains
are criminaly guilty, unless they provide for sig
ualu nnl tinol tn apf fha
danger of collision with the regular trains. This
system, orrther want of system, cannot last long.
The frghtful tragedies come too often to last
Charleston .NcrcHiy.