, 1873-08-19

bility axcd whore It properly belongs.
THE LEMoNT D1sAsTER AND THE ALTON
RAILROAD COMPANY.
1t is important to fix as accurntely as possible
tho responsibility Of tho railrond managers for
m accident like that which occurred noar Le-
mont. In this caso tho Immediate blame at
tachos to the conductor and enginoor Of tho coal
tram, who violatod existing rulcs, and by what
appears to have been deliberate md poryorso
actiont insured tho hazard of d collision with
Tocklossness that ia altogothel unparalleled. No
oxcuHo has yet boon offerod on tho part Of tho
conductor who took his coal train from Lomont
contrary to orders, and also contrary to custom,
with tho full knowledge TINT ho must meet tho
regular passenger train going south, unlesa
thoro woro somo unuBua1 dctontion. Tito ongi-
moor ts reported ns saying that no wns uisloa by
his watch, which was fifty minutes slow Ifthis
Is tro 1t is no o1cuao for him, railroad traina
arc not run by engineers watches. But tho story
| has tho appearance OF having boon invented to
shield him from b1a1ne. He accounts for tic
watch, being 80 much bchnd time because
the hands Ind caught. Whom tho hands
Of q watch catch, ono OF two things
occur: Either tho watch stops, in which
case the engineer would haye known it, or
the watch gaina timo by moans of tho minute
hand carrying tho hour-hand forward. In no
oaso CAP the hands 60 backward. Tho ongi-
ncors story ia hardly entitled to credonco in
Wow Of tho terrible responsibility from which It
is intended to relieve him. Ho must hayo known
! tho danger which tho conductor was mourning,
| aud It was Ills duty to rofuso to run tho train.
| Whatover mny be shown to hayo boen tho short
comings OF the Railroad Company, It does not
now look as though tho conductor aud ong-
1ieor Of the coal train can escapo
conviction Of criminal reoklcsanoss, which
ahould bo severely punished for tho common
good Of humanity. This cannot excuse or ex-
tcnunto tho errors In tho management of tho
Chicago d Alton Road, which aro primarily ro-
| Bponsiblo, and tho only possible Justification
for which is to be found in tho circumstance
that thoy aro common to tlle management Of
nearly a1l tho railroads in this country.
FTrst-Tho Chicngo l. Alton Railroad ought to
communication from . large railway stock
hollor, in which he takes the broad ground that
| oyory rn1lroad should bo compelled to lay o
double track BY imposing statutory pen
atty Of 100000 for every collision TINT oe-
ours. AB q stockholdor, he believes that tho
Investment would pay, but outaido Of every COIL
sideration Of profit, the safety Of human life do
1nanls it.. double track Is tho first and great
: est protection against collisions. So long M
trains thunder along on single track In oppo-
Hite directions in the black night and around
curvos, neither human judgment nor human
caro- can bo trusted to always nvert collisions.
Human liability to err soems to be intonBfiod OF
railroads. Il double truck alono can aeouro the
certainty Of two trains passing each othcr with
out danger. THIS applies to all railroads. The
blanc that attaches particularly to the Chicago l.
Alton is, tint its business has warranted
the layiug Of double track before nov. Tho
rnilroad has boen in operation for twenty years,
and for many years past has been making great
deal Of money. There certainly should hayo
boon double truck between Chicago mud Joliet
long ago. Tho stone business aud coal business
a]ono would have warranted 1t. Tho LOSSES OF
| tho road by this single accident would almoa.
1layo laid second truck for that diatance about
40 u,iles. Tho track could bo laid this distance,
probably, for Sb00,0o0; tie loaaes to the Com
pany ou account Of tie present diaaster will
porhaps, reach 100000 It is probablo TINT there
I will DO eighteen doatha, the penalty for whicl
is Axod by law at a5 1000 oaoh. Tho doatl,s a1ont
, will cost tho Company 100000. Tho lamagot
: awarded to thoso who survive thoir injuries vii
, be gtill larger, as there il no statutory limit
Tho loss OF tho locomotives, damages to car
and track, delay and loBH Of buAinoss will max,
: another largo expenditure. Tho disaster is ON
that Is likely to occur any day, and It is nafo t.
J aay that the money saved in damages would NOR
J than balance tho interest on the cost OF socon
track. Every trunk line running to or from CHI
cago should Lave doublo track q
lcast within 100 miles Of tho city, i,
} order to do the business safely or eyol
J thoroughly. Az railroad companies arc not ap
. to listen to tho arguments OF outBfdors, perhap
the suggestion OF tho railway atookho]der-
$780, 600 penalty for collisions resulting In doatl
= will commend itsolf to tho Legislature.
: Second-Tho Lomont collision illustrates 81
: obvious error In train-diapatching. .Trains At
! run on all railroads nowadays by telegraph. III
, train-dispatchor is at tho Headquarters of til
division, Chicago In this caae.---and knows III
precise location Of every train on tho road. I'll
. arrival ut station ia instantly reported, an
0 instructions Immediately returned. I'll
+ present custom is for the station-mas
}, tor to hand tho diapatah to tta aantluoto.