Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-12-27
RAILRoAD CALAMITY.

We present this afternoon an account
of the horrible railroad disaster which
occurred on the Erie railroad, as tele-
graphed to Western papers. The par
ticulars are sickeuing in the extreme,
but as a part of the history Of railroads
and the speedy transit demanded by the
travelling public, it should be read and
considered by all. II is often claimed
that railroads and telegraphs annihilate
both time and space Yes, but do not
the former annihilate time and
usher in eternity in far more real
and terrible sense than the latterY
A coroner's inquest will be held
over the mutilated remains Of the I'M
fortunate wretches, and verdict may
possibly be returned that the train was
running little too fast, or was out OF
time or a switch-tender was off duty at
the fire to save his own life, aud 1T -
barely possible that some poor employe
working himself to death to support a
dependent family will be discharged, and
that will be the end of it. But that will
neither restore the dead to life or com
fort the living. Grief and suffering will
be carried to many freside, where pub
lie sympathy nor coroners inquests will
avail anything to the mourners, and even
q tender of pecuniary aid would
only be a mockery of woe. These
sickening casualties seem to be q
part Of our boosted civilization.
A man who travels at the rate of thirty
or forty miles an hour takes his life in
his hand. BE has read of the terrible
accidents time aud again, but hopes that
he will be an exception this time, and
takes his chances exactly in the same
manner as those who have been lost be
fore him. The railroads are usually
censured, more or less, yet they are
simply complying with popular de-
mand when running trains forty miles
an hour. Public sentiment is only spas
modic on the subject Of reform; an out
cry may be raised against reckless rail
road officials when all classes demand
the right to risk their lives on railways,
and the faster the speed the better salts
fed is the average passenger. How
many persons were ever known to leave
a through express train making up lost
time, for the safer freight or accommoda
ton train slowly bringing up the rear
Precious few indeed. Public indigna
ton never seeks victim until after al
accident, and then only for an hour or 9
day. Just such accidents as the one re
corded to-day have occurred on the Erie
road time and again, and still there is nc
change Of schedule or general running
management. The road could not re
duce the schedule to ten or twelve miles
an hour without complete surrender Il
rival lines. In the future, laws may b.
passed which will compel all roads to ruI
on comparatively safe time, but this i
not likely to occur in the nineteenth cen
tury. improvements may be mfde b.
scientific inventors in the construction
of cars. Fire proof material may b.
used at some future time, thereby divest
ing these doubly horrifying calamities o
the hideous spectacle Of wounded pecpl,
being roasted alive and the killed burn
to ashes. As yet, however, no prac
teal remedy has been discovered or az
piled for the railroad slaughters tina
shock and bereave whole communiie
every few months.