The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-09-11

To the Editor OF the Press:
Dear Sir: / think that most persons will
agree that little heed has been given in the
past to the terrible lessons taught by the occur
rences that are called accidents, which have
transpired on our leading thoroughfares both
on the land and the water. This is evident
since almost week by week new cutlery is
raised, that some should be punished fer
his carelessness or his wilful neglect of pre-
caution, which, there is far too little attic ntion
| paid to urging the removal of the causes of
accidents, or to the reduction of the very low
est point of the reliance that must be placed
upon human attention and watchfulness.
While do not for moment admit that
"they do these things better insEngland' or
that on the whole they are more careful of
life in their countries than we are in this, l
believe that the attention of our people ought
to be more carefully and earnestly drawn to
one or more means of safety, that are most
highly valued by railway managers and engn-
GERS elsewhere.
One of these is the method of working rail-
ways on what is known as "the block SYSTEM"
and by which internal of space is secured be-
tween any two adjacent trains upon the same
track, so that whether one train be behind
time or not, or when another train is required
to follow it at any interval, whether of five
minutes or two hours, the second train shall
never come within less than prescribed dis
lance of the first.
The way in which this is done has been often
described by newspaper correspondents, and
is well known to our railroad managers. and
allude to it only to ask that By continued dgata-
ton this and similar means may be pressed
upon these managers, and still more upon
their directors.
was told liz London, however, by one of
the leading firms that make signalling fix
lures, that plans were maturing for the intro
duction of some of their methods into the
United States, but have no interest whatever
in their system, or any other, except the desire
that by some one of these means the chance of
danger arising from any human failing may
be made the smallest possible, and by these
perfectly simple precautions this chance may
be brought down to very, very small one
indeed.
Allow me briefly to ask attention to one
other matter-tbat of boiler explosiops-and to |
say that experience and the most pains taking !
observation on the part of engineers, has prov |
ed that the large ajOrity of these are unques- |
tionably preventible, and hence without any |
excuse. The remedy is plainly not any spec
ial safety apparatus, whether locked up or not, |
but simply knowledge of the actual condition |
of the boiler. and that this knowledge should |
be gained in due season, or in other words the |
remedy lies in frequent and careful inspection. |
The topics might be enlarged upon at great /
length, but will only add the query whether
it be not as much the duty of the public press
fay, but earnestly, firmly aud constantly, to
press upon the public servants who manage |
railways and similar interests the duties
they owe the people, as it is to assure this or
that person in political public life, that he is
or is not in the way of duty P. BARNES.
Boston, Sept. 9th, 1871;