The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-15

Not very long ago, the London Punch presented
its readers with a graphic sketch of new Buffer,
designed for the express purpose of preventing col
hsons on Railways. The device-a remarkably
ingenious one-was simple in its application, and,
if it had been adopted, would have been produc-
tive of the happiest results. 1t consisted merely
in binding portly Railway DIRECTOR in front of
each locomotive, and although the unquestionable
merit of the invention did not depend upon a nov
ell application OF mechanical principles to an i'm
portant use, and, therefore, could not have been
patented, 1t cannot be denied that it would have
proved, in operation, vastly more efficient than
any of the usual combinations of wood. wire. or
India rubber, which have at various times claim
ed the sanction of Commissioners of Patents, and
have put large sums of money in the purses of
those who have held the monopoly of their manu-
facture. But the evil, for which Punch proposed
so excellent specific, is but one of many that ale
common to Railways under careless management
We admit that accidents do sometimes occur.
which are incidental to this mode of CONVEYANCE,
and which no possible or forethoupht could
have prevented. An axle may be faulty, stone
may fall upon the curve of track, the track itself
may spread from grinding, or unusual pressure,
or the flange of wheel may be suddenly fractured
and in these and in various other ways, the safety
of train may be jeopardized, without such acct
dent giving just cause for censuring either Railway
Directors or those in their employ. But there are
other disasters of not unfequent occurrence which
originate almost exclusively from gross negligence
and for the consequences of which the managers
should be rigidly held responsible and whenever
the facts warrant such course, should be sub
jected to criminal prosecution. Civil suits for
damages are well enough in their way; but the
compensation awarded to those who have been
mutilated and to the immediate relatives of such
have been killed. only touches the pockets of the
Directors, in common with the great body of the
stockholders. So far as the public is concerned, a
very different sort of atonement is demanded 1t
will not do for managers of Railways to claim to
be considered rs mere distractions or seek to alb
solve themselves from the consequences of wanton
disregard of the duties they have undertaken
to perform and of the obligations they are I'M
der to the travelling community, to ensure, as
far as II may be possible, the safety of those who
daily entrust their lives to what NAV be called the
common hazards of the rail- but who exnect to no
exposed to no peril from which it is within the
power OF Common Carriers to protect them, by the
exercise of due vigilance and ordinary precaution
The recent sacrifice Of human life near JTt;ca ON
the New YORK CENTRAL RAILWAY. by the f,ll,o, of
bridge which SPAWNED the Sauquot Greek. ot
moment when two trains Were CROSSING If admo,
ishes us of the little regard which is reouentlv mold
TO the weakness of such structures, and the nerec
reckessness with which the trains are kept RUNNING
long after the decay of the tmbers supporting tho
track is visible to the eye of the commonest obser-
yer. An examination of this bridge, subsequent {,
the accident disclosed the fact that several of the
main beams were entirely rotten; the heart of the
wood being in the language of one of the witnesses
''like so much punk Its known effectiveness and
insecurity had been the common talk of the neigh
borhood for weeks before the accident occurred
People in Whites TOWN. village near by-confi-
IDENTIFY predicted just such catastrophe, and the
correctness of their Vaccinations has been con-
firmed by the destruction of three cars crushed in
to each other like the sections of telescope the
loss of eight or ten lives, and the manning or mu-
tlating of some fifty persons.
In Spite however, of the facts elected by the evil
dence we have very little doubt but that after the
first outburst ofindgnaton has subsidized, the whole
record of the affair will be suffered to pass quietly
into that capacious limbo, which has long been
popularity regarded as the common receptacle 'for