Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-11-26
THE STREET RAILROAD.
Mismanagement-A Child Run over
Horribly muttlated and Killed.

Horribly mutilated and Killed.
Running street-cars at the rate OF ten
miles an hour down the Beal street
grade, and through a street which is al
most always crowded with people, wo-
men and children especially, caused a
melancholy and horrible accident on
yesterday. Street-csr No. &C, driven by
I. R. Walters, while rushing down the
curve at the usual rapid speed, ,ran over
Johnny Robinson, a boy aged about
eight years and son Of Mrs. Robinson, a
widow who resides at 81 fernando
street. The mule knocked down the
child and the car-wheels passed over his
left shoulder and tore the flesh from his
face and head, inaicting horrible and
fatal wounds.
Such accidents, the result Of careless
and reckless driving, are not so much
the fault of the drivera us the managers
Of the road. The superintendent is to
blame for these criminal acts; the
drivers only carry out his instructions
to make time upon an old road which.
is attempted to be run by a schedule
over a lot of switches. Cars get off the
track, have to wait on switches for other
cars, and the drivers are expected to
make time, and if they do not they are
promptly discharged. We have been
expecting for some time that some
woman or child would be run over and
killed on that murderous grade on Beal
street, down which from Main to Her
nsndo the cars are driven at no less
a rate than ten miles an hour. Mules 60
in a swinging trot, and often in a gallop,
in order TO keep out of the way of a
heavilyloeded car, full of passengers.
Brakes are dispensed with as the light
ming express, fast killing mule-boxes
shoot down grade. An intelligent, ex-
perienced superintendent, one who is a
philanthropist having a desire to protect
the lives of women and children, should
at once be employed by the Street Car
Company to manage the running of the
road; but such a change as that, which
would meet with public approval, need
not be expected when three men lone of
them the superintendent " the con-
trolling stock of the road, and elect
themselves and each other to the big Of
fees. The superintendent will keep
himself in Office until a few people
are killed by acknowledgement, and until
public sentiment becomes so strong as
to cause a change by forcing the ten cent
monopoly to employ an experienced and
competent man as superintendent. tits
more than likely that a heavy suit for
damages will be the result of the bloody
work Of yesterday. The car drivers
ought not to be made the scapegSats of
these accidents; the superintendent is
alone responsible. He employs a man
to stand on the corner of Beal and Main
streets, with notebook in hand and
watch in pocket, to note the time Of cars
and note every moment lost by the dsi-
Vers. Those halepaid employees are re-
CURED to make the prescribed time, ac-
cideut or no accident. The drivers are
required to go down that grade at fearful
speed, beneath the eye Of the notebook
man, and very often beneath the watch
ful glance and ominous frown of the SUI
perintendent. We beg leave to assert
that the drivers are not ia fault when
serious accidents occur to either passen-
gers or pedestrians on that Beal street
grade.
THE CHILD DEAD.