The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-07-24

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The Summer Travel ON the Raiiways.
Our railway trains are now crowded with
summer travellers, tourists, seekers after plea-
sure and visitors TO watering places. They ill
the cars on every railroad One or two COLI
sions would, therefore, prove a very serious
matter. Two or three ungentlemanly con-
ductors can make thousand passengers IN
comfortable. We publish communication on
this subject in another column
There is no more remarkable proof Of
the progress Of the age than is found
in the modern system of railway travel
ling Whatever advance has been made in the
arts generally, in social comfort in machinery
and in production, has been equalled if not sur
passed in lOcomotion; and distances are now
by means of the steam engine traversed liter
ally with the speed OF the wind. II is curious
to note the changes which have occurred in this
respect within the memory OF not very old
men. Within the last forty years travelling
has entirely altered its phases.
| The "hying machines" as the early stages
were called, which took three or four days to
transfer passengers from New York to Phila-
dephia, are now forgotten, and the same dis
lance is traversed by a railway train in az many
hours. The old Albany sloops Of eighty tons,
which were from four to ten days making the
passage of the Hudson, even with fair wind.
are suspended, as mode Of conveyance by
| the railway car along the river bank which
! performs the distance in q few hours The
fast coach with relays Of horses that inno-
waited upon the old wagons with canvass tops.
and accomplished days journey at the rate
of nine or ten miles an hour; and the steady,
and comparatively comfortable canal packets,
for time the most popular of all tho early
plans of locomotion, in their turn yielded to
railway progress, and the prediction of Darwin
has been realized to an extent which detes
description.
Our whole country is network Of iron roads,
over which, day and night, innumerable trains
are flying, crowded with passengers, the vital
force Of the nation being constantly in motion
throughout these channels Of traffic and COM
munication. The most distant points are now
but few hours apart, and the poetic enthusiast
who once called on the gods to annihilate time
and space to make lovers happy, If he had
lived to our day would have seen his prayer
granted, not merely for lovers, but all other
kinds of folks-men Of busiAess and pleasure
travellers especially.
Yet with all the immense superiority attend
ing railway travelling, like every other system
| which is human, il has its Inconvenience and
many dangers. Steam is tremendous power;
butitrequires careful management. Machinery.
and to
liable TO arrangement, and the iron rail, though
the smoothest of all road surfaces, is brittle
and treacherOus; the most splendid bridges sink
sometimes into the gulf which they span;
switches are turned the wrong way, and the
misdirected trains dash down embankments
into thousand pieces; the watchmen and flag
men browse at moments when they should be
wide awake, and we are continually obliged to
record the loss of life or the infection of dan
gerous wounds, the result Of carelessness, mis-
management, or of natural causes against which
no human foresight can protect ITSELF
We hold to the opinion that vast i'm
provements may yet be effected for The
security OF travellers, and that they viii
yet be readily accomplished. We expect
yet to see the plan. adopted of construct
ing passenger cars Of iron, so that If they
are overturned or collided with, they will
not break into pieces or splinter. Freight cars
are already used of this material on the prin-
cipal Western roads with great economy and
safety TO freight. Then, again, we are sure 10
have ere long . new system of coupling intro
I duced-at present clumsy, inconvenient and
dangerous. Cars may be so coupled that they
may be connected or separated automatically,
and il any one is thrown OF the track it ia i'm
stantly disengaged from the others. This kind
Of coupling may also be used TO prevent tho
vibration or lateral swing. Of the cars, alike dis
agreeable and dangerous.
But leaving these matters for the considers.
ton Of engineers, there are immediate reforms
due to the public in the routine management
Of the roads, in regard to the comfort and secu-
rity Of passengers, which may he accomplished
by the mere civility Of the conductors, II the
managers Of the roads will take the trouble TO
enforce the circulation Of that cheap currency.
We call their attention to the letter from .
correspondent, in another part of the HERALD,
who has had large experience in railways,
points at an evil Of every days observation,
aud the sooner the remedy is applied the better
for the public.
Dun SOLDIERS AT HOME.--The events of the
late war have developed in an extraordinary
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