The Portland daily press., 1871-07-03
For Governor:
SIDNEY PsEsx HAW,
OF PARIS.
Tnc In,e RoiIroad Accidents

The Late RaiIrOad Accident
Now that the excitement attending '"e
railroad accidents of last week mas III heaS-
IRE subsided and the responsibility for them
has been nlaced where it belongs, it may not
be improbable to give those iamentabie oc-
currences brief consideration.
If is some comfort-and the only comfort
to be derived from this singular succession OF
disasters-to know that the loss of life and
limb was not occasioned by any general loose
ness of management or want of system on the
part Of our railroad officials. 1t is comfort
to know that it is 10 confusion in the direc-
tons for running trains, no want of fullness
and clearness in the instructions to subordl-
mates and no carelessness as to the proper
condition of the rolling stock, and equipment
OF the roads which resulted in so much suffer-
ing and sorrow. Had a general lack OF sys-
ten been disclosed by the Investigations INTO
the causes IF the accidents, such revelation
would naturally give rise to well foundea
apprehension that the accidents VIII fec"r
and that travel on our Maine roads is neces-
sariy hazardous. But the three disasters
have been investigated by coroner's Jurles aid
the railroad commissioners, and in neither
case have conclusions been reached warrant
ing such apprehensions. The Freeport acct
dent was occasioned by the breaking Of an
axle-a calamity which, as all authorities
agree, cannot be foreseen. The accident Of
Tuesday, below Hallowell, is found to be due
to the forgetfnlness of conductor who was
acting under plain instructions, obedience to
which would have made collision impossi-
BILE. 1t is not found that there is anything in
the past life of Mr.. Merrill indicating want
of fidelity or a criminal recklessness, and the
the circumstances of this case very clearly
show that it was neither habitual careless
ness nor general incompetency that led him
into the terrible error that will cloud his
whole subsequent life. BY his frank confess
sion and unaffected remorse he has gained for
himself large measure of the public sympa-
thy. Yet it must not be overlooked that the
events of Tuesday night proved him to be as
incompetent under special circumstances as
If he were deficient in moral principle or a
man of Incorporate habits. They showed
that he is man who, when laboring under
excitement such as he must necessarily be
often subject to in his business, is dangerous
ly forgetful and negligent. He will no doubt
be removed from the position he filled before
the accident, even if he escapes criminal
prosecution under the statutes of the State.
There is good deal of hardship in this par
ticular case, but where such immense inter-
ests are at stake no consideration for individ-
uals can stand in the way of taking whatever
precautions may be necessary to secure the
public safety. The accident on the Portland
& Ogdensburg read, Wednesday, proves to
have been much less serious than was at first
supposed, but as there was collision oil
trains The fortunate escape from fatal casual
ties must be attributed to chance. As in the
case of the Hallowell accident the blame is
found to rest with the conductor OF one of the
trains. The public do not yet clearly under
stand how he came to make such fearful
mistake, but he should certainly not be left in
a place where he has an opportunity to repeat
It.
The lesson for the railroad Corporations to
learn from their late misfortunes is this
However systematically this business may be
conducted, however rigid may be the disci-
pline to which their employees are subject,
however efficient and vigilsnt the superior
officers may be, and however lavish they may
be in the expenditure of money to render
travel not only comfortable but absolutely
safe, the incapacity or negligence OF a single
employee may render of no avail all that care
and skill can do TO prevent disaster.
An excitable conductor, careless brake
man, or reckless engineer may destroy q
hundred lives in spite of all that the organi-
zing genius of his superiors can effect.
The plain inference is that the utmost care
should be exercised in the selection of en-
ployees. In running railroad train euery
place is one of great responsibility, and only
the best man that can be obtained should be
trusted with it, If there are any more men
employed by our railroad corporations like
those whose negligence occasioned the disas-
tiers of Tuesday and Wednesday they should
be remorselessly weeded out, whatever may
be the excellence of their private character,
their general intelligence, or the amiability of
their temper. No influence of friends, no ia
voritism, no sympathy and no consideration
for long and faithful services should for one
moment delay the fall OF the axe. The suffer-
ing occasioned, directly or indirectly by one
serious catastrophe, must be thousand
times greater than that arising from the
wounded sensibilities of men who are dis
charged for incompetency. Any REPETITION
of these disasters of last week that resulted
from the collision of trains would cause the
railroad companies to be judged much less
leniently than they now are.
Mr.. PILLsBURY, in one Of his speeches at