The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-20
Z. hA.r..soAD MAE AahMhrr.

The EeeainJ Post, in an article on the
friy it.Gf ife1uency Of railroad slaughters, and
the caipable crclessness Of railroad officials
inSAl1coaatry, Says s'-ssi ~ sg's1AssLlas
Let the American people far andlwide re.
de1s ap9n tae TACT WATCH we now cite then,
on dae authority OF an Official fort Of one 0 +
TIE D-isish consular agents. 1t is a factso i'm.
poeafs taa5 we pms il in conspicuous type
n Germany, ejlcg the bg9ianilsg Of he rail-
ToaI sJsge ,.ts0cs5yOf thirty gears ago, not
tJ3 has 5esa t9s5 Ia consequence of careless
nc or nyssTs cye;Tsslt on Lle part of r1ss-
r0z5 ogeats, a few persons have Killed them
ssVes b cautiously appr0ae ainx OF jusnpiao
OF l.i.in, bal none have been Killed by VIVA
ars casse,l accidents Or c2Sualaties.
Nfai5is&1e FACT; and now lei u5 look at tlls
rc2yoa oi y. II the first place, the ,GermaI
ttail5 areAl1aited to q maximum rate of spcss
---aay twenty-five or thirty miles an hour
wn.ca i3reyacded as the nishe It rate compsti.
be with tie regular wear and tear Of materia.
aud the consequent safety of human lie. III
tae see0nd place., the iron machinery. the rails.
Tao waesls, the syies, &c, are By law renewed
a. tas end OF every certain number of year.
WAesne- sloy show signs of weakness or not:
fez, experiment having proved that iron, after
atine, gels disintegrated or disorganized BIZ
the Incassant beafings OF the wheeis upon TIL
rails, tee prudent Germans think it better Ii
rsiay taeir traczs before than after fracture
has killed or MANNED a hundred persons. II
tas taifi place, on ali the German railroads
guards ara stationed az such intervals that til,
ca sLnears cfstae locomotive are never cut O
si.sas OF some ons tJ-warn them OF the condi-
ton Of Tho tracks.
sGslesa Il viii be seen are simple provisions
reaUisinS no eiebo gaJe changes, anil yet aSsur
in al almost certain exemption from danger
1,s45s- u rail
most SsgT'eeabie form of locomotion, is render
ell also the safest. A traveller enters his car
with a5 nlcl confidence as he would enter hi
parlor or tisbedroonl de knows that Lie viii
reach his p9ias OF destination Just as surely
anA as Comfortably as most men know tina.
they wiif eat baeir dinner. 1t Is true that il.
VIII cost something to carry these provision.
into effect, il viii diminish dividends TO lar
down new raiH,.to pat on new wheels, to. hirI
aalar ger foTse OF ;kael; but is not tae end wor
tly O. the eo5t? Are net lites and ease, and
hag9insSg worthy OF. being paid for? We ex
pend ps5aiyf3us sums to assure them in otile.
resoeess, aad we do not see why we should NOT.
incit tae outlay to assure them on the RAIL-
We nope to see the legislature of every
state dining the coming winter, do two things
pass, in the figst place, stringent railroad law
rounded a9on 5ae experience OF tae several mar
tom, rom which an INTELLIGENT COMMITTEES
w0ald soon learn; and then to appoint com
ni5sion Of. Commissioner to see its attachments
thoroughly executed, on pain of the seizure O.
the road, by which they should be neglected.
Cases OF caipabie carelessness, like those o.
Charlick and Rich, or the master mechanic on
the Hou5tonic road, ought to be made crizniI
nal offences, and the Commissioner empower
ed TO prose31te them in thenearest and mos
ex 5eai1iouS courts, In this way the p9onle
w5uld 1k3ap the important franchises they
hS7s granssi under theiri own control. and
te2ca ths Enpst powafidi rnpanies taat there
w-sstilfa power greater thaa themselves.