, 1874-09-05

1
tonnage of England ia increasing mucl, moro
| rapidly thnn tho other.
| @...-s.---
| RAnwAY-Aco1DEHrs III ENGLAND
We havo boon having d respite, for d alor,
time, from tho horrors Of railway accidents. with
theic conoon1itauta Of maimcd and stuaabe;, anf,
phrboilod passengers. Tho hoading, "Great
Dtaastor on tho Eric Railroad" which Eaatnrn
paporn aro enid to have Ind Btcreotypod for con.
atant use fov yoara ago, haa not appeared 80
constantly Of laso. Patont brakes, safoty
platforms, improved methods Of coupling, aud
perfected means Of communication botweon all
parta OF tho train, hayo groatiyout down tho por-
ocnt"go Of deaths among travellers by rail. Tho
english roads, slow to adopt any improvements
OF American origin, and therefore cut OF from
tho nest aud tho latest, have rccontly begun to
aoetfo7 lilo at ratio which strikes tho British
na'no as something fearful, although the killing
of out OF evcry 11,9s1, 300 passengers docs
hot Boom especially appalling On this eldo Of tho
Atlantic. Tho main su1ro1ors In ENGLAND aro tho
railway employees OF whom out of aa3 ia killed
| and out OF 213 injured annually. Thoro ia an
Ehe1fah Official, Capt. Tyler, whoi is charged with
! tho investigation Of al1 railroad accidents, Tho
complete fuldllmcnt Of hin task is impossible.
pocause tho companies, despite stringent lava
against such concoalmont.' do all thoy can to
koop tho misbaps of their trains gecrot Tho
Board Of Trade, represented by oapt. Tyler. iu-
sesagasod AT accidents during 1873. It's roport
Rsatea tho cause Of ovor $40 Of them mud points
out tho romedy. Tho cauaes may bo sunuod IN
under fon heads:
carolossneeB In constructing road-bod and roll
ing-stook;
Neglect OF needed repairs;
Dlsobedionco and ignorance Of rules:
oVorwork Of omployoa.
Ino last fs raro causo Of disaster, although
the TACT Of overworlt is pa1pablo. Men bavo
boon Kept at thor posts for thirty hours without
inteEnisaion. III one case, whom heayily.1oad,
% passenger e1prcas running at full speed was
switched into freight train On a sido-track. thu
e"itchman bud not boon rc1ioyoa for nineteen
hour7' Half-awnke, he had pushed tho gwitcl
t"o inches too far. Tho neglect OF rules.
through ignorance or othoruiao, is q profiao
source Of disaster. But the tvo main cnnuoa
afo tho hrst two enumerated. Thoro Is great
c"ro'esanoss in construction. Curves aro too
sharp. sldo-tracks arc too short. Signal mn
chinory is defective. Engines and cars aro not
constructed on approved principles Ono
aceadent VAS caused by tho broat-
ing of tire Of wrought-iron, It
should have boon steel. Eight or ian
Woro caused by tho insecure attachment Of tiros
TO whools. number might have boon prevent
ed II tho passengers could hayo signaloG tho
cngtneor. But tho English roads which detgn
to provide my means of communication botvoon
tho 1ocked-in passengers md the onsinoor in
cioso tho boll-cord in g1aas which has to DO bro-
ken before tho cord can DO pulled. Tho object
OF this Is to prevent pasaengora pulling tue cord
for lark, The result la that tho connection
cannot DO tested, and Is often found defective
whom there is need Of 1t. Tho fact TINT tho COM,
panfes haVo boon hold responsible, In some SUITS
Tor thoir neglect to ayail themselves of tho
1atest improvements, may leal to q change for
tho botsor, so far ms tho adoption OF
American Inventions is concerned. When
road-bed and ro]ling-atock hayo onco
boen constructed, tho railway mana;ors
aeom to regard both as immortal. Repairs ara
ehockingly neglected. In stating tho causes Of
these accidents, Capt. Tyler says: "Tho eu-
glno (which had burat1 had boon bought from
another company and Was pretty noa.ly worn
0us' This wagon Il. e., carl had bceu
previously running with at least one-third Of It's
axlo 1raeturod. Tho a1lo, which lad run
10000 mlles, showed q law through two-1lftus
'f its sectlon opposite tho koy, iu tho shepo Of
i ha1f-moon,"
For all these four classes Of Causes the CON-
panies arc directly responsible. They eau avoid
'ver"orktng their eu4ployos by hiring enough Of
'hom- They can soou stop disobcdicnco of rules
y olamiaslng every unu guilty Of it, whether or
lot disaster has followed his disobedonco
roper precautions will prevent ignorance Caro-
esshesa OF construction a,'d neglect Of rcpara
Ire OF course directly olarg eablo to tho men at
NC head Of alfai1s. Inyest,. cation, like that Of
APT. Tyler, may do good by arousing popular
and 30 soaring thu companies iuto
ONO regard for their precious 1'roight Of life,
ut vigorous inspection. entirely Independent
tho rpads, would DO tho most eire,,tual moans
+ prevention. Thoro il no doubt that tho State,
9th in England and Amorica, may rightly cu-
orco ouch inspection. The railroad Company
1at solls paasongor-ticket tacity consents to
10 duo care md precauton in transporting tue
1ycr to lia destination. II it brea1ta tho con-
act and kills him, no money damages can con,-
'nsato hs wifo nnd children. Because tho
70 IL 10 inefilcaoious, tho prevention Bhould lq
orough.
Judge 8asif Hamilton, tho Ka!amazoo oento-
riau, has tuat dlod ut tho advanced ago Of 1Os
ar8, preserving his facultioa oloar to tho last,
u peacefully ending peaceful 1lfo Tl4oro
70 aomo tntsroatlng facts about tho old gont1c-
III. uo was one Of family Ut twonty.throo