, 1873-08-18
horrible in tho swollen record Of American rail
road chthstrophes, ,,.,


road cnthstrophos.
Vlowel In no othcr light than that Of gl,ass-
II horror, by which forty-tlroo human bo-
ingB aro brought suddenly and unexpectedly
faco to face with death, Or with aufforin8a worso
thnn dcntl,, auoh catastrophe ia appalling to
xsvory person Of common eympnthios. But thoro
Is anothor and more horrible inspect to tho pres-
ent disaster, which likowiso proaonts ltsoli In
most Of our railroad ncodenta. Whon no think
Of 1t as d Bacriaco and slaughter. which Ia tho
character TINT most Of tho reports fix
upon 1t. tlore is d demand for rotribu-
ton na natural as tho spontaneous suggos-
tion Of sympathy md sorrow. Though tho flnan-
cial responsibility Of the Railroad Company for
tho damages Of tho acoidont ID worry c1onr.
thoro appears to bo no hlamo attaching
to The chiof officers OF tho road unlosB 1t shall
bo shown that tho conductor who Is directly
guilty waa known, or might have boon known to
thom, to DO rookleas and irresponsible person.
All accounts Of tho accident fix tho Immediate
responsibility upon tho conductor OF tho freight
train. Tho passenger train ia reported as rum
ming on time with tho expectation Of passing tho
freight train at tho nc1t station, por schedule.
But the freight train abandoned its timo-card
and en1navoted to mako nnothor station, tho
conductor thoroby incurring tho hazard, ii not
tho certainty, Of a colaion, with open oyos. BY
the rules Of the road, hoconduotor and ongiuoor
aro mado jointly responsible for tho running Of
their trains. Tho coal train WIS regular trim,
aa was the passenger train. Tho latter had boon
running On this time for several years, aud tho
fornor for moro than yoar. Tho conductor Of
tho coal train had had charge OF 1t during oil this
timo, and know perfectly well tho running time
OF this particular passenger trim, which he mot
ovoyrip. 1tig therefore, yet utterly inexplica-
bio why ho should have loft Lomont, or why tho
onginocr should havc allowed him to do 30. Tho
managers Of tho railroad claim that both tue
conductor and the engineer woro efficient
and experienced mon, and say that they
-havo ascortainod TINT thoy were per-
fectly sober at the time Of tho collision,
This only adds to tho mystory which surrounds
thoir action A plausible explanation which has
boon advanced is, that, as it was Saturday night,
the men were anxioua to reach home as curly as
possible and took grcnter risks thnn thoy would
hayo taken ut any other timo, but this scems
perfectly Incredible. So fur thoro has boon no
explanation which reliovee tho conduct
or and engineer Of tie coal train from
hondiah recklcasnoss. the crimiuality Of which
could scarcely have boon Increased by a dc1ib-
orato intention to run into tho passenger trnin
which thoy know to DO coming. At 1ast accounts,
tho engineer had not boon found, and thorc wero
rumors TINT he had run array; md tho conductor
WAS reported crazy from concusBion Of tho
brain, caused by tho injuries ho received.
If this Lenlont disnstor ehall fail to bo
thoroughly Investigated and tic guilty peraonB
punished, tho officials who have tho matter in
charge will share tho responsibility for tho
slaughter. Coronor'H juricH and petit jurioe, aa a.
rule, fail to do their duty in casoa Of this
kind. Wocannot now rccall Single instance In
which tho persons responsible for great diBas-
guilt. Gu tho other hand, hundreds of cases
have boon allowed to pass out Of recollection
and public concern without any punishment
whatevor for criminal reo1iloasness. Yot 1t Ia
cortain that ton years in the ponitentiary for tho
conductor mud engueer, II they. aurviyo, and il
tho fact8 shall bo proved to bo as thoy arc now
stntod, would bo but moagro rotribution for their
guilt. It is equally certain that such result
would bo tho most ealutary loaaon that
could bo taught to railroad :. employees in
general, and that tho number Of accidents at-
tributable to cnreleHsness would decrease in con-
sequence of it, Public sentiment is somewhat
to blamo for tho laxity with which these railroad
and stoamboat slaughters arc treated, bocauso
| tho people aoem to exhaust their anger within q
day or two, md forgot all about tho dead or
writhing yictlmD before tho diBastor Gun bo thor
| onghly investigated. Let ua hope That this caao
may prove an exception to tho rule. aud that tho
awful manslaugltor which now Btnros US in tho
face may not pass into oblivion without its ap-
propriato punishment. a..
|
THE PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL.
Tho Hon. John Bigelow, formerly Minister to
Franco, was the first to urgo upon public alton
ton the proprioty Of celebrating tho centennial
OF American independence. Ills plan WA to