Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-05-31
Reply to Mr.. suinssellow's Card.

~ t"'
Gcntlemen:-Young Mr. Strins.tllow. in your pa
per OF the 9Th, gives his statement If the facts con
nectod with the accident 10 his father III Hewlett :
Crossing on the Central Road. A. aIl oi those per
sons who know that tho county road and the Kali
road at that point are in full view OF each other ivr II
long distance, have been greatly a,tonished tl'at ho
could have gotten 10 the crossing without seeing and
hearing the train. ] war rather pleased 10 Sc inc
explanation that his mind WIS entirely absorbed with
rejecting on the affection OF the family nc had just
been visiting; but there was no prppricty IN cT!iiiinu-
ting me or irving to put the blame on any hody but
! himself. have heard from several sources that the
injured persons agreed .hnt they only were - blame;
but now it seems M attempt Is 10 be inadct To ccnshrc
me by douIting whether the whistle was sounded.
II ! do not occupy rs high Il place ~ 4 minister oi
the gospel, Vet an an humble professor OF religion,
and l value my character for truth IL much rs Mr..
| Stringfrilow can value his for discretion. II MIR. ;.
il TO hc defended against II mere inference that he
acted without reasonable reflection, AM sure you VIII
allow me To- answer q very direct iht'iIlntloii 'hS' !
have not only told an untruth. but have been regard
lc.r Of the lives Of rnunv human beings: for my cha
rac.cr i, my main rciiancc for thc support OF my
tmnily.
now state most positively that | sounded the
steam " thistle at the usual place. aboaI one mile
from the crossing at ilcwlc,t'>: the rules OF the conf
varv and the orders of my srpcriors require ne 10
do 80 IN all such cases, ard fee! Ito he my dii;.y 10
obey. cali prove by persons on the cars, anu re-
-I,vctablc persons in the ncighborli0od, that the whiS-
I lie Was sDlinucu ~ the tI;iIIl iplV'bII't'i. ''"t PN'
sons on the cars and others near the place. might not
have heard il, for when they ar; in tile habit oi hear
Ing the whistle very frequently, il is quite reasonable
to believe that they would not always take notice
when il sounded.
buvc no desire. 10 reject on lnrs0n Stringfcll"w,
| respect his feelings u much IL any one. but can
no, take blame on myself in y matter OF life and
death Of my fellow creatures. to screen him from the
possibility OF being supposed Mpe9ht.ss or rash.
When ali the facts are known. i: will still rcina,E sn
IN y.t.rt. hOlt. Mr. Sf-nptplnw could.
under the circumstances, have Nnconsclously sp
preached the railroad at the rcgrilnr hour when the
cars ought 20 pass and thus rnn across tn. tram. Mr..
:. is in the habit Of getting on and OF! tie cas- IL
s.Norl's. ubou, two miles below HcwlcttS,' and
ought 10 know tho hours they run, and il the talking
| of the ladies. hi, thinking OF the sick. together with
the rattle Of his carriage, prevented them from hear
ing The whistle when sounded Il, usual. tits o wonder
bow Mr.. S.. on The drivers seat, outside. tailed 10 herr
or see the train. The train with il, smoke aud
steam is a large and attractive object. readily secii nj
n long distance aud makes n loud noise when rur-
ming. Here, for nearly u mile, it war in full view o'
his road for several hundred yards. Now under
these circumstances ought Mr.. Striugtci'ow 20 blame
anybody hut himself, even il the whistle was got
sounded, which | nm prepared 10 prove was doDct
Young Mr.. $. saws that Tor some 'thiazttlt' before
rcachii z the crossing by the county road, the Top
only OF the cans can De seen. Now, examine tiat
statement. and if SIR. 5. could no. zee the top OF The
chr, and rmokestack, which rises high above where
! tic runner StlIlQS. no" cOuIu ~ tc SaptSN.N N"N
could see his carriage when my dome and smoke
stack were in the way. and my bushes, vas To look
ahead. Blu, Il he hnd been seen ut a distance OF
fftY or one hundred yards by the most prudent nun
| ner in the United STATES. it would have been rcasona-
bly, expected ,aa, the carriage would stop and hot
the train.
Young Mr. Stringiellow'> statement about the conf
psrn,ivc speed of a railroad train and j riding car
riapc docs not make out 4 case. which rcinoves the
blame from his fathers 10 my shoulders, any more
than his no. hearing the whistle. He puts the train
q, So miles al hour o carriage usually goes abou; -.
! miles NIL hour. That is, . train ruins six time, -, .as:
KS a carriage, or, while the train ruhs one mile the
carriage would 90 one-sixth Of II mile, which is about
three hundred yards. Now, therefore, making al
lowancc for the actual difference iii speed. when the
can were in sight, ncar where they whi.tled, about
one mile of. the carriage must hav. been 900
yards OFT, which ought to have given time. 70 SEE,
hear, and keep out OF the way OF the train.
will now close by saying that I had nothing TO do
with the pieces in the Dispatch which displeased
young Mr.. 5: and | don't think they could have hurt
his fathers character without an answer and, tho
the accident il 70 be Changed to nobody but himself,
yet ! have prayed, and do still pray, that he may
get well, and rejoice to hear that there is good
prospect that he will soon be well.
j. II. McCAspLsH.
Richmond, May %. 1889.