The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-08-15

and mors especially from Chile. They nigh,
not openly espouss sks Skass Of Heru, but
would most likely sdopt neutrality dome
what In tho style Of that Of Englsud towssds
this country Spain would find sacb contest
. great burthen. Owing to the distance the
expenses Of this war would soon exhAast the
but spsrssly supplied treasury Of her Catholic
Majesty. Should Peru be defeated, Spain might
expect to ind the whole Of the Central and South
American republics banded against her as
result, while to be defeated BY Peru would
cover her with ridicule and deprive her Of
the prestige gained BY her contest with Morocco,
aud her late succssses In San Domingo. The
position Ia difficult one for Spain, and It
may be that it is the knowledge OF this fact
which causes the Peruvian government to
evince 50 much pluck and determination. Be
that as it may, the question must soon be set
tied, as Peru seems determined to obtain sais-
faction or 60 TO war.
The Late CelissSen ON enc washIsgten
and Baltimore Rsttroad.
The collision on the Washington and Balti-
more Railroad. few days since. appears, from
oil that we can gather, to have been due prima-
rily to the false and niggardly policy Of the
company in not completing q double track be-
tween the two cities-a work that ought never
to have been left undone one moment after its
necessity became obvious; aud this necessity
has been glaring for twenty years past.
The conduct of the State of Maryland in re-
gard to this road has, from the very start, been
as blamewortby as that of the company to
whom the franchise was granted-the BaIti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company, presided
over by the American railroad king, john W.
Garrett. The State sxaoted one-dfth of the
fare on every passenger transported on the
road between the two cities ss bonus for the
charter. The fare for many years was two aud
half dollars, OF which the State got ffty cents.
1t is now one and q half dollars, Of which the
State receives thirty cents. The receipts from
this source, which are nothing more than poll
tax on the foreign travel through the State, are
SO large that the Constitutional Convention,
now sitting at Annapolis. refuses to allow the
States interest in this tax to be alienated under
any conditions whatever, though It has pro-
vided for the sale Of all other works in which
the State is an owner.
So long, therefore, rs the State refused to
relax iis grasp upon the revenues Of this road
the company has been content to work it on
one track aud at the least expense. Several
attemp pts have been made to induce the State
to release its hold upon them, but in vain, and
the company has only been driven by the i'm
mense Increase OF business upon the line to
build second track at all, which is done as
far as Annapolis Junction from Baltimore, and
is slowly progressing from the Junction to
Washington. The policy Of the company in
holding back so long from completing this
double track cannot be justified upon any plea
of self.interest, for the more the State would
be benefited, still more would tho company
be; but there is no use in arguing against the
stubbornness Of prejudice which narrow and
contracted views Of things beget.
We have said that the collision, by which two
men were hurried into eternity and the lives
of hundreds OF others endangered, was owing
primarily to the want Of double track from
Annapolis Junction to Washington. Had there
been such track, Of course there would have
been no collision. This needs no demonstra-
ton, and there is no just excuse either for the
State or the company In neglscting this work so
long On the contrary, every reason was in
favor Of its having been built long ago.
Now for the particulars that led to the catas.
trophe. 1t seems that Mr.. Taylor. the conduc-
tor Of what is called the forty-dve minutes pas.
four O'Clock r. NJ. Communication train from
Washington to Baltimore, has been for some
months past required to make the distance from
Washington 70 the Junction, and stop at
all intervening points, in time to meet
the Baltimore thirty minutes past three
o'clock 2. N. train at the Junction. He
has many times demonstrated with the com-
pany's authorities against the brevity Of the
time allowed him, and told them he appre-
hended some day q collision; and it has only
been by the skin Of his teeth that be has bceo
able for months past to make his time. The
authorities at last gave him six minutes more
time toenake his distance in; but even this was
too limitsd for certainty and security. The
communication passengers have been trying to
get this train put back TO its old hour Of fifteen
minutes past four r. Ma much better hour
for them--but In vain, though no good reason
appears for refusing The application.
On the day Of the collision. somessay that the
time Of arrival for the Washington train had
expired, by she watch Of Mr.. Hoover, the con
dactor. in which case he had right to The
track. Others say Mr.. Hoover started four
minutes before the time was out, owing to q
Discrepancy in the times OF the watches of the
two conductors. Both conductors have been
on the road for many years, and are deservedly
esteemed. Mr.. Hoover has lost his position;
and thi. act of the company would seem to in
dictate he was in fault How easily all this
would have been ohviated By the completion