New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-11
RAILROAD MURDERS.


of railway accidents of late challenge earnest
and persistent public attention. Experience
proves that we cannot trust TO the self
interest Of railroad managers for cor
receive. The memory Of not less than one
thousand valuable citizens, culpably slaughtered
within the past year by collisions and other rail.
way disasters that might have been avoided,
forcibly protests against any such reliance. II
men were always governed by an enlightened
view of their own true interest, there would be
neither crime nor criminals. Criminal law is rem
dcrcd necessary by the deplorable fact that too
many will clutch present advantage or gratiti-
cation at the expense of ultimate good.
Whoever travels extensively must be familiar
with ample reasons for the extraordinary ire.
quency and magnitude OF railway disasters this
season. In the first place, our rails and trucks
are gradually wearing out while the high prices
and scarcity Of labor, of timber, and of iron,
tempt TO postpone repairs so long rs may be.
Next, the principal roads are taxed beyond their
capacity By the immense increase of travel aud
crepit, asthmatic locomotives, barely adequate
to the traction of half a dozen cars, are required
TO draw ten or fifteen, and Of course fail 10 give
the speed required by the timetable. Thus
trains fall behind, and, running often on single
tracks, begin lodging and blindly approaching
each other. An engineer knows his time is out;
but he calculates that the engineer confronting
him will he little behind also, and cracks on
to reach first the next turnout; wherein he
fails by a minute or so; hence a crash, which
kills a dozen passengers and mains as many
more for life Law may do much to stop this,
by making such destruction manslaughter; but
abundant experience establishes that the absence
of law does not and never will.
The late Erie disaster at Cochecton suggests
the necessity of provisions against improperly
located switches. In this case, the poor, ignor-
ant laborer, employed to tend O switch, unlocked
IL to let freight train take the side-,rack, and
forgot to relock it. OF course,
the express train, which tho freight train had
taken tho sidc-track TO avoid. soon came thun-
dering along, and, taking the switch as it needs
must instead of keeping the main track, was
instantly hurled thirty or forty feet down q
steep embankment to the inevitable destruction
Of life, limb and property.
Now admit all that can be urged against the
stupidity and culpable heedlessneSs of the
switchman, and You must still confront the
question-Was it necessary to place the switch
in such close proximity TO high embankment
If not, the switchman, though grievously in
fault, is not alone therein. The road was
vciously constructed or tho casualty OF run
ming off q precipice, in case the switch should be
turned WRONG, would have been prccluded.
And this is one of those errors Of ignorance OF
inexperience which arc not to be deplored
merely, but to bo promptly corrected. Probably
a tenth of what this accident will cost to the
Eric would have guarded against tho plunge,
even though the train had been drawn oil the
track by tho misturned switch.
Our railroad management Is radically vicious
with respect to any sudden increase OF business.
If q tayern.kceper were to say TO his guests,
"You see did not expect so many to dinner:
You are thousand, and have provided for but
three hundred" they would readily answer,
EITHER give us dinner or do not ask US to pay
for it, We don't choose to pay for dry excuses"
whereas railroad company will take thousand
passengers and charge them full fare, when II
knows that 1t has barely seats and locomotive
power fox three hundred, carrying them un'
comfortably and far behind time. yet making no
apology whatever.
This chronic nuisance Of running behind time,
tho fruitful source Of peril and calamity IL
steadily aggravated, while utteyI Without o.