The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-04
bloody heads around him in the bed Of the

bloody heads around him in the bed of the
river"
What ia the cause of the frequency of these
disasters, which peculiar to the United States
Along time ago we stated 10 this journal that from
the disbonest system of borrowing money to pay
dividends, in order to deceive the public, when
the roads were actually losing money, the com
paDies would be left without means to keep the
roads in repair when the old materials had worn
out. And 30 it has happened during the last few
years one day bridge breaks down, on another
a culvert is demolished by heavy rains, a an
embaDkment gives way, or portions Of the cars
themselves fail from long wear and tear, aud
catastrophe is the consequence, which appals the
whole country for who is it that does not now
either travel by railroad, or has not friends
travelling from time to time? But nothing effec-
tual is done to prevent recurrence of similar
calamitiea The Legislatures are either too cor
rupt, or too careless, or too busily engaged in
their own pet schemes, to pay any attention to a
matter which 80 deeply concerns the general
interests.
But there is one remedy, and it is in the hands
of the people themselves, or rather we should
say, 1T is in the hands of a more numerous body
of representatives Of the people than the State
Legislatures. We refer to the jurors. 1t is in
their power to punish railroad companies in the
only point in which they are either sensitive or
vulnerable-their breeches pockets This is
their tendon Achilles" where they can be NOR
tally wounded. 1t is related in heather mytho-
logy that the mother of Achilles dipped him in
the river Styx when he was baby, to render
him invulnerable. The only part of his bod
which the water did not touch was the heel by
which she held him. Here alone he could be
wounded. Now, it is only in their purse that
railroad directors can be successfully attacked
Let the surviving relatives of the slaughtered
and all those who are injured and not killed, be
sure to bring actions against them in our courts
The jurors can do the rest.
Our readers no doubt will recolect the case
of the Great Western Railroad accident, in Ca
NADIA, at q bridge over the Des Jardins canal, In
March, 1857, when some sixty human beings were
launched into eternity, and only fifteen persons
escaped. The widow of one of the slain brought
an action against the company, aud not only she,
but each of the children, obtained heavy damages
against the company.
From Boston paper which comes to hand
just as we write, we have learned the gra-
tifyiDg result of another suit, brought by lady
who was herself injured on the Boston and Wor
cester road. On the first trial jury
awarded her exemplary damages. The directors
/. of the company obtained new trial, on the
ground that the damages were excessive. The
next jury greatly increased them, aud the direc-
tors again obtained new trial. Again the
amount awarded was increased, and now we are
informed that the directors. rather than run the
risk of having the damages increased any further,
have consented to pay Mrs. Shaw for the injury
sustained upon their road eight years ago the
sum of $24,738-the total of the verdict and
costs obtained by the plaintiff in the Supreme
Court. A few such verdicts as this would bring
to their senses men who are entrusted with the
safe keeping of the lives and limbs of the travel
ling community, but who are utterly reckless
about their charge, and only care how they shall
make most money by swindling transactions in
the stock of the road