, 1873-08-22
THE CoRoNER's VERDICT.


THE CoRoNERs VERDICT.
III rendering q verdict tint tho lato collision |
OH tho Altcn Railroad waB tho result OF "crir1l-
inal caro1cssnosa" on tho part Of Beano, tho con-
duotor, and Joshua pufronborgor, tho ongnoor,
OF tho coal-train, tho Coronor'a jury did only
what tho ovilonco forced upon them. Thcso
mon wero clearly proved not only to have yio-
lated the rnlos Of tic road but to hnve abnnlon-
cd tho ordinary caution wAicl,, In tho absence Of
MI ru1oB, should govern mon WHO hold
human lifo in their hands. Tho evil
donoe clicited could not fail to establish
this Tile jury erred In stopping hero. Tho
scope Of thoir inquiry comprohondod tho rogu-
1ations Of tile Company. Tho opportunities aro
exceedingly raro for Investigating tho means
adopted by ralrond companies for assuring tho
eafoty Of paasongors. It can only DO done by q
Coronor's jury in caso like tho Lomons disaH-
tor. Tho jury in tho present instance neglected
to entor into this phase Of tho inquiry. If they
had done so there is little doubt that they would
have probably found tho rulos OF tho Alton COM
pnny which, by tho way, arc not osaon-
TALLY difforent from thoso Of railroads
gonorally- dofoctiye, md they would alBo
havo found TINT higher officials than tho freight
conductor and engineor failed to do their duty
on TINT fatal Saturday night. Tie promptnoes
and energy Of Superintendent NfcMullcn aftor
tho tlisastor; the solIctudc OF tho Attorney Of
tho road to Bocuro tho nrreHt OF Beano and Puff
fouberger and tho general disposition on Tho
part Of the Company'a officers to facilitate tie
investigation, were oil calculated to divert tho
| jury from rigid examination OF tho ruloB aud
| everyday practice Of tho road.
| In n sort Of informal conversation With Super
intonlont MoSIu1len toward tho oloHe of tho in-
vcstigation, he Expressed tho opinion that a
moro general use Of tho telegraph would not make
railroads safer, and that a double track, whilo
it would prevent liead-collisionB, would increase
tait-collisons. Horo was proper subject for
tho jury's investigation, with tho Lomont dis
astor Oh caso in point. Woro tho rulos Of tho
Alton Road regarding the movement of trims
by telegraph sufficiently broad aud explicit
Vas tho telegraph properly uBcd on the night Of
tho collision, aud, If not, WHO was to blnmo7
Woud not double track decrease tho liability
Of collisions both ways? If double track il M
olcinont of safoty, why las tho Alton Road fnilod
to supply Has tho money which ought to
llayo boon spont in double track boon diverted
| to branches and extensions? Those wero tho
most important inquiries which tho jury could
hayo cntertainol and an Intelligent discussion
Of thom With verdict Ill accordance with tho
evidence, would have been good basis for
future lcgisation.
The only reaHon Superintendent NcAIucn
| gaTo Why lo thought double track would ill.,
croaso taii-collisions was. that thcro would then
DO groator confidence, aud consequently less
caution. Wo fail to SEQ why. By hiA own ad-
mission. double track would be no protection
against tail-collisons then 1t would lold out no
encouragement for grcater confidence. Tail
collisions arc moro frequent ut stations than
anywhere elso. II there wero d rule requiring
all trains to conc down 10 certain low ratio Of
speed aB thoy approach station, 30 that tloy
could be stopped in case there wore train
on tho sa,no truck, tai1-collisonB at stations
could be avoided Formerly tile worst and most
humorous collisions Oh railroads occurred at
crossings; einco tho law has required all trains
to como to q full stop ut crossings, there have
boon no collisions whatovcr ut these points. II
is uniyorBal custom, whonevor thero is q delay
or accident betceen stations, to sond back flag
in tho daytime, or u light at night, which is d
, warning to all approaching trains. Whi1o this
rulo il observed, there would be no moro dango,
| Of tail-colliBious with two Tracks than with ono
| op} Of on1r 1,oc
collisions is too obvious to require remark. Even
o Superintendent nlcAIullon admitted, finally, thai
u IN double track was a good thing" and III.
wished ho had moro OF it,"
When Superintendent 1loAlullen says ht
= doesn't bolioyo there ought to l3o a,y more
l., general use of tho telegraph for moving tran'
g than there is now, ho says, in effect, that th'
Q aituation Of Saturday night did not domand th'
t employment Of tho telegraph, and that an.
q similar situation in the future will not domant
), it. For the fact is that tho telegraph was 10
IS used on tho night Of tho collision till aftor th
}, accident. Tho rules Of tho Alton Road, whicl
J. wo hayo consulted, do not specify any particula
j. class Of emergencies in Which the telegraph
sl1an bo brought into roquiBition for tho rcgula
r tion of trains. We infor that this i
al loft to tho discretion Of tho Super
10 i,tendont, tue train-master, and til
1t regular train-tliapatchors, Us the rifles aa
10 that theHo aro "the only peraona authorized
l. to moyo trains by telegraph" On the night q
tho collision, tho Superintendent waain Chicago
II tho arain-1naator VAS, according to hia own ev
" dence, absent from tue ofllco; but tlcro was
n regular train-llspatcller on duty, Tloro il a rll
Il requiring the conductors Of all trains to 60
r. the telegraph Office aud report to tho train.lit
IL patoller; also to inquire whether there an
J. special orders. Wo presume that Doauo did tlif
II al nothing appears to tho contrary in the ev