The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-08-21
rxELEnonr n,.AxrEs.

The recent collision OF the Cllic5ec, Alton
& s.. Louis railroad shows that the best man
aged railways are nc, entirely exempt from
accident. The di.aster near Lemont which
resulted 20 fatally TO the occupants OF the
smoking car can be attributed to the blum
dering Of freight conductor, and is another
terrible warning against the employment Of
inconpeien, men to take charge of trains. 1t
was the conductors duty to place his train
on the side trace and wait for the passenger
train, but instead of doing tina; he moved ont
on the main line, perhaps with the expecta-
ton Of running to the next station before
the "pa.senger' would reach the same point,
and the foolish venture cost many indvidu.
ais their lives.
The passenger train VISA running On time,
and, as iis officers could have had no ap.
prehension Of danger, it must have been
running at the regular rate Of speed. The
coal train was running wild, and as it was the
purpose Of the conductor to reach Willow
Springs station before the passenger train
could leave, il must have been running con-
siderably faster than the ordinary speed Of
freight trains. Tie extent Of the disaster
indicates that the collision was one of ire
mendoas force. Oae engine wa. piled upon
the oiher. and the boiler Of the freight en-
CINE was Immediately torn open. The cars
we're not telescoped, however. A large
number OF persons were sitting in the smok.
ing car, as ia usual within an hours ride Of
the place of departure, and there was no Is.
steam tina. poured forth from the engine
that was jammed up against it. The num-
Der Of killed and wounded is reported to be
between forty and fifty, nine Of whom
were dead At The last accounts.
The large number OF deaths and the fright.
full character Of The wounds and burns, along
with the inability of the passengers to ex-
tricate themselves from the place where the
scalding steam poured in upon them, rem
der the accident one Of the most horrible in
the swollen record Of American railroad ca.
tsstrophe-.
The Chicago Tribune, in an editorial ar.
ticle, summing up the causes OF the accident,
closes as follows:
eff this Lemont disaster shall fail 10 he
thoroughly Investigated and the guilty par
ties punished, the officials who have the mat.
ter in charge will share the responsibility for
the slaughter Coroner's juries and petit
jurIss, as rule, fail to do their duty in mat
tiers OF tai. kind. We cinnot now recall a
single instance in which The persons respon-
-ibie for great disasters have
been punished in proportion 10 their
guilt. On the other hard, hundreds Of "a -es
have been allowed to pass out of recollection
and public concern without any punishment
whatever for criminal recklessness. Yet il
is certain that zen years in the penitentiary
for the conductor and engineer, if they sur
vive, and if the facts shall he proved TO be as
they are now stated, would he hut meagre
re:ribution for their guilt. II il equally Ger
tain that such a result would be the most
sa.u,ary Lesson that could be taught TO rail-
road empl lyees in general. and that The num-
Der OF accidents attributable to careless
ness wouId decrease in consequence
Of il. Public sentiment ia somewhat
to blame for tie lsxhy with which these
railroad ana steamboat s!aughters are treated,
because The people seFm 10 exhaust their
anger within day or two, and forget all
about the dead or wIithing victims before
the 'ss-ter can be thoroughly s'igaied.
Let u. hope that this case may prove an ex-
cep,ion 10 the rule, and that the awful
msnslaushter which now stares Us in the
face NAV not pass into Oblivion without Its
appropriate punishment"