New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13


in view You will give it prominent position and an
editorial backing. Very truly, &c.
Boston, Jan. ., 1877. c. +. ADAMS, JR
The Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, NJ. c., Washington.
My DEAR SIR: You. believe, represent the Ash
tabuIa district in Congress For this reason ana
this only. apply directly and personally TO you
in the hope by doing of securing some good pubic
results from the deaths OF the hundred victims OF the
recent Ashtabula railroad accident AS respects the
number OF those killed 1t leads. believe, the whole
CHASTITY record. Before its details, then, WHOLLY dlshp
pear from the press and the impression made oy IL
from the public mind. wish to call attention 70 one
great want which 1t revealed in our public system All
the world I'm America travels and the travelling is neces
sariy by rail. In that the intercourse as Wen
as the commerce between the states Of the Union IA Kept
I'D Now IL is perfectly true that this travel Ia wonder
fully secure-not taking the Union whole, so secure
as IL Europe, but still its security j. marVeo"s
Allowing all credit 10 those 10 whom cret' = u"e oh
this account it still remaus true that during he last
four years there have been, upon an average iioo re-
ported railroad accidents year. resulting IN tie death
Of $50 persons and the injury OF 900 persona Annually
There, also, the of accidents deaths ana IN
jures which know Of without system OF olciai
reports. How many more have occurred Oh WINCH iio
record has been made we have no means OF ascer''hS
Now very likely may be said that this Is not large
price on human life andim to pay for such an enormous
OF pOrtaon at such great RATE ol sPcc"
This may we'll be so and yet unquesonably oven this
amount would admit Of great reduction IL can, now
be reduced only by careful study OF its causes ana
by distinctly placing the responsibility for each accident
Just where il belongs
In the case OF the Ashabula accident for instance the
railroad company and probably will investigate IL
Thoroughly IN ia own interest The public cannot. IL
has machinery better than a '.crowners ques1 lot
doing So Yet in this matter tho interest Of the public
finua
In case OF mansiaugher do not generally leave the
investigation into the circumstances wholly IN the hands
OF those responsible for the killing Practically ths IL
exactly hebitually do in this country when the
killing is done by railroad company Hero In hassa-
every railroad accident which occurs is at once
investigated by the Railroad Commissioners, and II IL
presents any features OF Importance formal report upon
il is published These reports always specify exactly how
and why the accident occurred and whs any one was
responsible FOR The annual report OF the board for the
last year will include eight Of these special reports each
one of which closes with distinct statement that this
accident due" to such and such The board Ia
special tribunal conduct nquests In the case OF accl
dents OH railroads.
This matter however, ia which does not belong to
tie States and it includes duty which the states cam
not possibly fulfill II is incident to commerce between
the states. Its dangers like those connected WIN
river cOastwise navigation and the National Govern
ment should take cOgnizance OF them. VIII not you,
therefore, take tho matter up and TO II that some
measure introduced Into Congress which viii place IL
on proper basis Nothing radical Is needed Congress
need not assume any new power. nor 90 anything even
looking toward general railroad legislation lie occa-
Sion does call and asks Tor thGt legislative
nuisance comprehensive measure. All that Is ne
cessary ia that provision should be made In connection
with the Department Of the Interior for bureau OF rail-
road statistics should include two officers the one an
accountant and statistcan the other railroad expert
and engineer: The first should collect and put IN shape
for reference the vast amount Of Information connected
With the interior Of the country which now
practically inaccessible The last should make study
Of all railroad accidents and himself specially investigate
those which present unusual features or the cause OF
which is difficult OF ascertammcni. The public wonid
then know what the railroad comp nies are now under
the strongest indictment to Keep t. themselves In the
first place it would kuow-what now 1t does not-how
many railroad accidents take place, and how many lives
are lost or injuries sustained in them. In Great Britain
last year-carrying their railroads at least twice as
many travellers as We did oursthey reported but IL
passengers killed No can say how many were killed
during the same timo In this cOuntryprObably 10 times
H. But apart from statistics we should then know
to what cascs-whehcr carecssness, or defective mate
rial or imperfect appliances or poor consrueiion or
natural agpncies-cach disaster was due. The expert
cnco of one railroad would be made the experience OF
ALL Now each official Is limited to his own narrow range
OF observation. Finally and most important OF all.
tlrough sch an agency the of improved appliances
could be fastened An official report stating with un-
pleasant precision the conclusion that this disaster
vou,d NOT have occurred had the train been equipped
with some well known appliance this conclusion exer
clscs wonderfully quckcning influence on every rail-
road official who reads it, 1t form OF words Also,
which would often have to BIO used
The lives lost ut Ashtabua will not have been thrown
AWAY H. through you, they should arouse Congress to
sense OF tho proproty OF creating some machinery
through which other and similar holocansts may be
inelIirontly investigated feel very confident that II
vou would Introduce aud now urge forward the neces
.orv measure 10 bring that about you would sntisfy
s,ron0y feel, public demand and the law could be passed
with oppostion from no one. With great respect. &c.
Rost,n. Ian. O. 1871 CHARLES Z. ADAMS, jr'
RAILWAY BRIDGES NOT TESTED RIGHTLY.
IIGHrESISG NUTS IN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
WHICH FOLLOW IN WINTER.
To the EditOr or The Tri6une,
SIR: 1t is undoubtedly true that metals are
asctronc in Winter in Summer But il ia also true
that II an iron rod while warm be subjected 70 great
strain and them without relieving that strain the
rod be cooled only few degrees the contracte force
may approach and exceed the strength OF the ma
t.ria and rupture take place Now railway bridges are
usually examined in summer and all loose nuts care
fully tghtened Comparatively few mechanics ntrusted
with such work appreciate the Importance OF exercising
both care and Intelligence in adjusting these nuts as
Ia distribute the strains prOpOrtOnatey among the sew
er,I parts. II j. common To screw M every nut as
tightly AZ possible and IN this way great strain IL often
thrown upon few rods which when they come 10 cool
from perhaps 90 need only the jar and weight
of a railway train to break them.
The real cause Of the disaster at Astabua may never
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