The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-09-15
LETTER FROM IOWA.

DAVENPORT, Iowa, September 5, 1877.
DEAR WHIG:-You have no doubt been
apprised of the various railroad casualties
occurring west of the Mississippi during
the past two weeks, first among which
was the destruction of two spans of the
Union Pacific Bridge at Omaha, which was
plainly caused, we consider, by the extra
ordinary discharge or explosion of electric
ity heating and suddenly expanding the
weaker parts of the immense heavy iron
structure, which the great weight carried
downward. The wind, although it blew. a
gale for a few minutes never would have
moved it off the piers. We experienced
the same flaw of wind distance from the
place, which would not blow a single car
off the track, while the same shock or
explosion of electricity would have torn it
to atoms. This occurrence was beyond all
human foresight or caution ON the part of
railroad superintendent or their employees.
We are sorry to say, from an experience of
some eight years almost constantly on the
wheels, that nine tenths of all the railroad
disasters which have come under our OBJ
servation (and they have not been very few,
have been caused by the carelessness, in
competence or recklessness of the employees
The disposition to employ cheap, inexperi-
enced, youthful and irresponsible operators
in the night service of the various railroads,
has been the cause of sad accidents by col
lisions, &c. Besides, reckless engineers
have been employed who were wholly in
competent to be entrust with a large num-
Der of passengers entirely at their mercy,
and they at all times the most responsible
men on the trains; more particularly on
night trains they being supposed to be the
first to see the approach of danger. The
neglect of the track in some instances until
almost every cross tie for hundreds are
wholly rotten and insufficient to hold the
spikes, may be given as another reason
Bridges are suffered to almost rot down
before being repaired or replaced by new
ones, and the want of good and careful
watchmen to see that bridges are in safe
condition and not obstructed by horses and
cattle on the track when the trains are
passing, is another fault. Bridge superin-
tendents and road supervisors ride over the
roads in palace cars instead of hand cars,
from day to day, to see the condition of the
track and bridges where so many human
beings are liable to be hurled into eternity
without a moments warning.
We have anticipated and many times
spoke of the probability at any time of the
occurrence of the fatal accidents which
have so lately occurred. Ashtabula was
no doubt the result of gross negligence on
the part of some one. We have not known
attributed to the same cause. Those who
witness these scenes are the most compe-
tent to judge the cause. A coroner's in
quest, many of whom are directly or in
directly interested, and who seldom, if ever,
ride on a train at night, are poor custodians
of the public good. Some newspapers, too
are employed annually to herald all of the
successful exploits and good deeds of their
employers, anu are ready aC oil Times 10
apologize for all accidents and try to make
it appear that they are nothing more than
the common events of the day to be expected
by those who travel on railroads, notwith-
standing people pay for all the accommo-
dations they receive at the hands of the
companies. These occurrences are becom
ing quite too frequent, and show the want
of a strict accountability being melted out
to all negligent railroad employees.
Yours, OCCASIONAL.