St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-12-29
Pennsylvania Central Railroad,

'"''0 VI a." cA0"a"Sc, stdIlns tuat tne
Pennsylvania Central Railroad has carried
ever 50 many thousand passengers the
past year and has not killed any Of them
We can see nothing strange in this fact
for to our own personal knowledge this road
was built for the express purpose Of
carry'~g passengers; and never made any
arrangement for killing them. We can.
not understand how people would get
killed on that road as long as they stayed
in the cars and obey the rules. For years
that road was the means of conveyance
between our ofi"e and residence and We
should as much have expected to be killed
in bed at home us on the road; for We
knew how it was built and how it was
managed; and we do not believe any
other road in this country of anything like
its length, bears any comparison toit in
either respect.
The accidents we read of on other
roads arc impossibilities on it. A double
track nearly if not its entire length
trains running in opposite directions do
no: run into each other. Every two and
one half miles of the road has its Waterman
who passed over that portion Of 1t, walking,
with strong light between the rails just
before each night train is to pass it and
giving his signal Of "all we'll" as the train
comes up. These watchmen are the most
sober, steady, reliable men which good
wages and prompt payment will secure,
and thcey arc always watched, not Know
ing at what hour Of any DIX ak, wet, cold, or
clear warm night disguised superiutend-
ant will walk down the road.
Then gang of men whose BUSINESS it
is to repair with a superintendent is attach
dcd to each beat and early in the morning
nc passes on the road to inspect any
appearance Of defect which may have been
reported by the watchmcn, or to discover
some for himself and have the proper
repairs made. They do not wait until a
rotten tie or cracked rail has run train
off; and then repair it, but replace the
defective article before the smash up
Net only every one and all of the employ
ces ofthc road look out for, and report
perspective causes Of accident; but the
residents along the line Of the road keep
a look out, and no matter who sends
information Of something wrong, or-likely
to be wrong it is thankfully received and
the matter promptly attended to.
Lately there was fearful accident Oh a
western road, caused by a freshet, under
miring an cmbankmcnt. Why, in case
Of an unusual frcshet in Pennsylvania
there is not culvert on that road that
would not be inspected before train
passed over. There is very deep ravine
crossed by fill up Of earth aud stones in
sight of our former residence on that road
One Gay there was terrible freshet and
althe u gin the culvcrt was known to be
large enough to allow three times the guam
tity Of water to pass which was ever likely
to be in the stream, the rain had not
ceased falling when there were three or
four men at that culvert came from differ
ent points to see that the embankmcnt was
all right o: signal the the train expected
soon. We have again and again, seen
trains leave the depot, every twenty minutes
carrying from 600 to 800 passengers two
miles through crowded street, End for
days together without one accident. .
Once country woman with nursing
baly stepped off the platform on the
track and sat down to tend the baby with
her back toward the train, backing down
so near that to step it, before she was
crushed, was impossible. Officer Fox,
one Of tho watchmen, sprung. to, and
STOPPING over lifted her, chill and all,
bodily up and set her in safty;' Just As the
grinding wheels passed over where she had
one instant before sat down.
Oh, no! They do not only not kin
people on the Pennsylvania Central Road,
but take great care to prevent people from
killing themselves. Neither do they
smother them, for the bed of the road
being clc:n broken stone, there is no dust;
and every officer tf the road is gentlemanly,
polite and obliging. Those who go east
and want q comfortable Rail Road ride
should goth1ough Pennsylvania.