The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-23

"RAHROAD ACC1DENT5"-A cOrOner'S jury at
last has done its duty in respect to one Of the
many so-called RAILROAD accidents" In the
case Of the late massacre on the HOUSE,
tonic Railroad verdict has been rendered
that the !'collision occurred in consequence Of
the culpable negligence and want Of proper
care and caution on the part of Charles Hunt,
President and Superintendent; Henry L. Plum b,
Conductor; Andrew Winslow, Master Mechanic,
and Edward r. Lyman, Engineer, on said rail-
road" Now we trust that the above verdict
will be promptly followed up and proper ex-
ample be made Of the guilty parties.
The loss Of life in this country by collisions
of trains from direct oarelessness, by cars
thrown from tracks in consequence of mis-
placed switches and rotten rails, by the falling
of RECONSTRUCTED and WORKOUT bridges, by
locomotive explosions, &C., is enormous. In
the United States, from 1854 to 1s63-ten
years-there were one thousand and ninety
railroad accidents attended with fatal results
by which one thousand four hundred and sixty
five persons were killed, and five thousand
eight hundred and three wounded. But tie
year 1864 exceeded all others. There were
(omitting all casualties in the so-called Con-
federate States, rs 1t was impossible to obtain
efficient data .here.n) one hundred and forty
such accidents, killing four hundred and four
persons and wounding fourteen hundred and
eighty-six. or course there were more miles
Of railroad in operation last year than in any
of the preceding ten years; but the percentage
of increase in accidents and in construction
will not bear comparison. The excuse
made by the railroad companies for
this terrible destruction Of life was that
the pressure Of business caused by the
government demand for the movement
OF troops, war material and stores rendered it
impossible to make the necessary repairs to
roads and stock worked to their utmost capa-
city. But certainly no such excuse is now
valid. We are at peace. There has been no
great or sudden transportation needed by the
government since early spring. There has been
leisurely movement Of troops to their homes
in the North, but nothing calling for such haste
that there was not time to prop up rotten
bridge or remove worm-eaten sleeper. And
already this year there have been one hundred
and eighteen fatal accidents--two hundred and
four persons have been killed and one thou
sand and three wounded. These are not esti-
mates, but carefully recorded statistics.
We need better laws for the punishment Of
railroad officials and employees. There is the
grossest ,carelessness in both parties. The
Pennsylvania Legislature, at its last session,
passed law which is excellent 30 far as 1t
goes. II declares that If any employee of o
railroad company shall violate any rule Of such
company, and injury d loss Of life shall there
by result, the offender shall be immediately
arrested by the prosecuting attorney Of the
city Of county in which the accident happened,
and, II found guilty, shall be convicted Of mis-
demeanor and punished at the discretion Of the
court. Bat we need something more stringent
still. Why should not the men who build such
weak structures as our railroads notortously
are be punished What is the difference be-
tween the guilt Of the man who deliberately
undermines bridge or removes rail. that