The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-08-20
THE RAILROAD MURDERS.
The Comuany's Responsibility


There are two considerations connected
with the recent catastrophe on the Chicago
and Alton railroad which that company
needs to take grievOusly 10 its own atten-
ton, and on account OF which the public
cannot and will not hold It blameless
/. The fact that the conductor of the
wild freight train LETT the LemOnt station
to attempt 70 reach Willow Springs with
aut knowing whether he could make that
terminus or not, indicates criminal loose
ness IN the management OF the road.
There can be no debate on this proposition;
That u permit tram TO leave a station
Tor another without telegraphio assurance
from that station that the road Is clear. is
criminal because 1t opens the door to dis
astcr Had Mts conductor Be1Hs rsIrhsd
WU03c Springs he sltfB TIC r1up1ag
5r10ii net hare ceHsHre0 him fer rytag 10
do a. 10 Is true, a. Supt. McNulleu says
that 70 Is generally understood among oih-
GERS oi the road that passenger trains have
the right of way But Beanu has the right
10 claim that the company provided no
means for hun % ascertain whether the
track between Lemont aud Willow Springs
was clear or not, that the Suppositon was
IN his favor, and the company rules re
cugnzed by tolerance the running of trains
on Supposltlon The company may claim
that the expressed rule-that passenger
trains are entitled 10 the track-nught 10
have been enough. This is not nhappily
the first time that sound theories have
been buried beneath a murierOu. array of
iact, The catastrophe proves that this
rule was not enough The freight con
ductor probably recognized the fact that
It- mi. n.
hood. aud cnuiesSe~ how near he knew it o.
hc. but II 1t were a rule of that road that
no tram should leave station until "a
properly authorized person received from
the next station IN it, course telegraphic
assurance thar the track was clear Beaue
W"uIu NOT nave lett Lemont or the pa--eu-
ger '1lu NpuIu nave tarriel at Nl.iuw
spring i'i ms arrival W hlie II Is o. be
e'uceueu t"Hl tie RUE concerning the pas
,ehset tralh rlght oil way ought to have
Teeh 'uihelGht Io nave detained Beane at
Lemont % j. palmer sun that au absolute
RUE eom peHnE the detention oi trains 40
't4tlons unul the condition oil the track be-
"lu'l'iy luaue KNOWN would have pre-
Eeutu TINS accident anu every other ari,-
lhE rom % similar cause. y collision which
occurred on New York road few
months ago lhEoiFing serious loss ut lite.
drought upon the company the seyerest
pubic eNe'ratl"h because az one OF the
wv" s''I''h, "" 'elesrApu operator was
~" III u't' Instance however tbere
wa U9F''slap,,t cpllln9hicatloh' nut the
lu'e' " ny o'uhPany ula hnt require rs
~ ''Is Ioi'ueel'Di must De noted me
'',o''. W w Jus'use' 81 the freight
'l,' ~ l'u''',iIe1 III tlle '"''' on yester-
,, II =. Va, =" .nl"u,'' between MS
',ei ; anu l,,' .o''D'Ilgl'I ,. Iu business
~, luna" ,'p '' tH''l ItleIe ni
'l LII '''.,," .'',I N"'1e ''.e.y uslelio
w, ,uy nv! w ''iAe WIN winch
~ ,I't'' t'. t''o' auv' Hluereure a'
,,'l, ,''''u "e l,'''.Dit uIl.ier ordinary CIR
e'iii' ',,Ces llIulc,'.es AGAIN culpaGle loose
v, mana lion,' 'puie .! the rem
syl'a''iia Io,'us' reallIlng t.l- dlihcul'y'con-
.laoteu win d I!anuarI A a watch
ou ,,iiI w i-lslu, u tlls state i'T a
,,.itl ., it'i " M I''I'D'e
49,, ~ o'''' = l''I Ma'I''''
-. ,,,;,i, -, tid"y ulc en
tx Loo,,i,,', ~ = o..'o loI l!leI
,,,';oj ,., .,,, III. i',e, as 'Iey arg
IN, yooII..,,, -, '''' IA"
CIic,gn AMI Az, ,i,a ' ~. ''se G ~ }'.e
s,,,.,,,., b,' ii ,''. IL ms
Ji,,i'it ' III 'i',l mus "lt'u prop
~ ",u'' '''' nav oD'sgH the
,',a''D''' III rl',.,iayy 10 start Tor VINO"
" ,., III ah "oI'nli's watch ,. seape
m bnrl I'm H., g',,., n.y., va, every "a
cl,,rl ,ir,sl D.. ,lli'-,-,' "i''i .yl'"!t
I'LL H. o. ..'l.-.,!.'i''i ana ,h'l "
''oJn ~ luI l'1'"uNt "''y OF every
ool.'iuo.g. u'lt engineer % compare hls
w s5 WIN tnl' ci9fA. these precautions.
y ail,Oju NV WI n9l restore 70 lie the
D D+,' ' -, -,,'',J gaa Dut they "Ili
..,;J"n;, !, ,l,a .ne average number oil
III NJ ~ Ill WY 'u ,;,I III. a,
. r,iicc :" ~. "',l l winch thc company
C..... -. ~ tiil 9oene o' the disaster
CONCERNING this there are strange mis-
statements 0upt Mchullen says It took
an hour anu zen minutes to get news OF the
accident 70 ms house Now i was quite
proper that Supt. McNlullen should be no