Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-16

Ms A.
.,,y have increased their capital stock to $500 00b
an enlargement of fifty odd thousand dollars By
their charter the maximum amount OF stock is lmi-
ed to S90o,00O.
CENTRAL RAILROAD CoLLIstos.-We gave in yes
ordays issue the decision of the Board of Directors
nth regard to the causes which led to the recent
collision. To-day we quote the material portion of
the evidence given before the Board that the reader
NAV understand the comments which, IN the dis
charge Of our duty to the public, We deem it neces
sary to make.
il appears that the new schedule which changed
the place for the meeting and passing OF the trains
from Gorlousyle to Melton's, contained the follow
ing provisions:
Frst-rrains pass each other ut Mcon's at
l0.45, II. IN.
Sccond--If the down train fails to arrive at lo45
a m The up train shall wait for il - minutes, that
IS until / 20, II. m, and then 90 on.
Consequently, after 30 the up train WAS entitled
70 the track and the down trim had no right to
Leave Gordonsvie, unless it had Jul time to reach
Notions 6etore 1870.
This is quite plain and both conductors acknowl-
eape they understood ii; but only od.yed Con-
duetor Gooch, who had charge of the up train paid
attention to the schedule, and is rightfuly
red from blame Not so with Conductor swift who
was in charge Of the down train will appear from
the following evidence, italicized by ourselves;
at could not be aseerditcd cath the precision at
hat time the dorm train eft GordoRsgHe 1t had been
detained there waiting for the Orange and Alexandria
train, which behind its schedule time, and which
arrived at lS, according to the watch OF the Con-
ductor of the down train, which was found to agree
with the watch OF the Conductor of the up train on
comparison made soon aftr he collision.
The Conductor OF the down train says he thought
he would be able to get OIL il time to reach Melons
before II 20 and that he therefore used all diligence
TO get the mail and baggage car, which had been
brought by the Alexandria train, detached from it
and coupled his own, and to have the passengers
transerred-that this was done very quickly, aud
when he cried call aboard" he Ind eiyd minutes to
enable him to reach Melons before ll2o; that he
thouqf he would be safe ii he had SIC inmates to
make the distance and ,cou,d not hare started ruth
less tine He says lie got off very quickly after cry
ing 'all aboard" and hiahs he then had ut least
seven minutes TO nuke the distance Sone DOUBT as
10 the accuracy Of las obSrrdtton as to the time OF
leaving is produced by the statement OF the Engineer
of his train who says that according to his clock on
the engine, which ms nscertained by comparison
that day. Gotham, seven miles above Gordonsvile)
was oniu one minute faster than the wdteh Of the Con
ductor IL ,cas lis when they started. However this
may be IL Is probable, nay, almost certain, that the
down train would nave reached Melons i'll safety
thouqh the Conductor sbdr'ng has hme too closely,
if il had not not been for the following circum
stances: After the train had got under way, and
had proceeded from | 80 to 200 yards from the start
ing point the engine drivers alarm bell was rung by
some person without the authority OF the Conductor,
and the train was thus stopped IN order that lady
and some children, who had been Left might get on
it, The Conductor says that IN the excitement Of
the OCCASION. aud most unaccountaby to himself, he
failed 10 A Of the Gflc' Of his toss Of f'me-fhdf ne
DIT not ioJk al has wdfe and cannot say hoto mac" '
7as lost b this stop, al acha He he got nnder eau
o,,u The train proceeded and before il occurred
10 his mind that there any danger and while he
WAS engaged in the front in which the most dam
age was done in the collection OF fare from negro,
lie was prostrated by the collision
Here u a Conductor who Mia IS lie hid eight min
utes: who thought he would be safe with st minutes,
who is accidentally stopped and forges 10 look Mt his
watch and ushes on, thnhiag thus and so, until he
Is brought up all standing with 500 damage TO
cars two negroes killed and more manned. Clearly
Conductor in such has no right to thf"h at all
he must kaoo as nearly as human beings can know
ANYTHING that he hls--not time enough to make tie
distance by the skin Of his toeth--but ample time
lie made no allowance for the fact that the watch OF
the Conductor on the other train might be amlEute or
twotaster than his own that his watch might tas
was really the case) be minute too slow, or that he
might be stopped, he stopped, by the ringing
of the bell and delayed 50 that he not only dld not
have five minutes 10 run four miles, bat was absolute
" behind the time appointed for him to be at Mel
tou's--namely: ll:20-and did not have one second
nor the tenth part of it. Suppose he had had eight
minutes. To four miles in eight minutes he would
have had to attain speed ofthirtv miles an hour;
vet the evidence says he was going at '25 miles or
thereabouts" Mr.. A. McDonad's letter to this pa
per stated the speed at IS miles per hour and we are
confirmed in the opinion that Mr.. Med. was right
1t is confessed that the Conductor was sharing has
~
IL confession Shaving time at the rate OF thIrty-ve
miles an hour with train loaded with human
lives for II razor, is q beautiful operation. In
deed it might be called bold-but not commendable,
nor worthy of very frequent imitation
Our purpose is not TO dwell harshly upon Mr. Swift
lie has been dismissed and we are told, has suffered
much in mind. Doubtless lie was an excellent officer
and we regret the loss of his situation MS much per-
haps as any mere stranger could. But we look Meth
er to Mr swift nor to any other Conductor, when we
condemn the fatal carecssness 10 which all tonduc-
tors are liable after becoming accustomed to the per-
il of running n train, and call for a LAW to pUiaSh
negligence and forgetfuness the part of railroad
officials az crimes and crimes. Our only safety
lies III such law ~ >,
A word more The Board have righfully dschar-
red Mr. swift upon whose shoulders the pubic see
that the weight Of blame attaching to the collision TO
an extent properly rests; but they also sustained Col
Fontaine in his prompt and perempory dismissal of
Mr. Timherlake, the former superintendent NOW,
from all the evidence given before the Board we nave
not vet been able to see in what way the cnlpable
NEGLIGENCE of Capt. Swift was connected win MT.
Tinerlake and we regret that the Board did not see
to state hv they sustained the dsmsslon OF the SAID
rimb5rlake Col. Fontaine, in his letters to the Whg
comnnins that Timber lake maniteseda spirit OF suo-
ordination and refused to change the schedule Whch ne
lTmherlake( knew to be a dangerous one. But isat
il little queer that this spirit OF ihsupofua'lon
shonla meyer have manifested itself uH aer me COZ
Hop when it was necessary that some'ody sho"d De 10
bL1,ncq Suppose Timberake did think the new
schedule A dangerous one--the Board say that II Is
mot and this shows only an error OF Judgement Oh
the mart of poor Timbcrlnkc, who was not MS wise rs
Col + and the Board of Directors. And yet 1t hap
neued oddly enough that ati the change IN me scaea
ule anil until the construction Of tie s'dmy al ueoh
that there never had been collision on the central
Al. I'D tt,a made n