New-York tribune., 1878-10-12
COMPANIES NEGLECT

ling public sometimes called upon to endure are VI
any use in the worlds economy 1t is because they may
be held up warnings TO other people TO avoid places
and roads where they are most likely TO occur.
Last week a rain-stOrm swept away bridges In ONO
and Pennsylvania Passengers by the Plttsburg and
Fort Wayne and Atlantic and Great Western Railroads
left Chicago on Thursday afternoon at 515, all uncon
scious OF the Of the storm, and arrived twelve
later in Kent Ohio, important station OF about
$500 inhabitants the Atlantic and Great western
Road Before the twenty minutes always given
there for breakfast over, the word went from
mouth to mouth that could get no further the con-
ducor did not the train to give information
nor was any other official more communicative.
The rain fell steadily, and those people kept their
seats until noon, when the hosplaDle hOteI
keeper at the station walked through the
cars announcing that the train would be de
layed here two hours and might be ten, and that not
wthstanding this uncertainty dinner would be served
at the usual price Meantime sombody had taken the
liberty to build fires in the day coaches, but people In
the seepers obliged to get what warmth they could
from pillows carpets drapery and ornamenAuoh
Strange as may seem all OF these four were not sufficient
TO prevent least lady from taking serious cold
In the evening another train from the West arrived
and its passengers distributed among the cars al
ready twelve hours In readiness to depart NO one
dared leave the train for the night because for aught
we could learn likely 10 move at any time NO
preCautiOn was taken by the company TO insure the
safety OF the property or lives OF the passengers
while they slept Had not two ladies discovered the
mysterious movements Of suspicious-lookin0 man.
who at intervals walked about with bottle In his hand
scrutinzng tho faces OF the people, and kept awake all
night to watch him, Of us might have awakened
poorer, II not nearer our Journeys end. At a IN.
Messengers in tho Cincinnati sleeper were suddenly
reused and told that II they wished TO return TO Cncn
natl thcy could stay where they were, otherwise they
must leave at once coach back the fact
III ~ tftf lH
TO New-York making difference 1t IL but fair 10 add
tina; they were furnished with " draw backs" which
would entitle them part Of the money paid
for their places in the sleeper. At a. M the morning
train from the West arrived bringing people VINO had
bought tickets only few miles away from the scene
Of the detention and yet had been told the
road was IN running order. 1 could give the
name OF gentleman who had bought tickets FOR party
Of five al Mansfield not than fifty miles away, to
the amount OF $685. and who, when he asked the agent
there II they could through, had been told that he
1.-THE agent would guarantee that they would take sup
per Buffalo that night II Is evidently The policy OF
the Atlantic and Great Western not TO have s employees
know what Is occurring outside OF their own oices.
Thus the population Of Kent, or rather OF the msera-
bile cars standing beside the swollen creek increased
by two trains a day stn nothing authoritative could
be learned as to the condition Of the roads the progress
OF repairs the probable further length OF our delay
Lunches which people with slender purses had brought
from home, were Dy tns time htAle OF
sons who had started with lunch and little
money had already spent that little; and still
Others Of amper means, felt that their credit would
soon be their only In view OF these facts the
long patience Of the passengers and The utter want OF
attention on the part Of the railway officials petition
was circulated which should lead 10 telegram 10 the
supeIlntcndent Of the road 20 what provision he
would make for people who hungry. Then the tel
egraph operator begged US TO wait, saying that the
station agent-who all this time had succeeded in con-
cealnR his ideuty-had been IN correspondence with
this officer aud might give some Information on the
subject. This agent may have consttutlohal lhped
Ineut IN his speech he certainly sammered badly when
he hegan Ia 1plaln that the superintendent had that
mornng ordered him feed the destitute at the expense
NJ, the company. His tongue was 80 hard
10 manage 1t no wonder ho did not
try TO tell why no had not Informed the
Messengers OF this order. That night we all had a
comfortable meaI-somc Of us promising the landlord
that H. later OD the company should discover We were
not destitute enough TO be the recipients OF their
bounty. We would save him from any lossi others
simply showing their tickets satisfied that the company
owed them some return for their money.
Saturday night the reports were 50 frequent emanatnR
from no one knew where the bridges would not be
ready for the passage Of train IN less than foryght
hours that many people began TO plan for place
IN sleep Three ladies who lived In Kent offered TO en-
tertsin as many they able The landlord Of one
OF tho hotels put his rooms at our disposal at
what seemed very low rates, but which proved
high enough for what be gave IN return
Sunday morning brought sti another load OF people,
whose faces puzzled looks Of surprise when they
found they could proceed no further ana had been 80
victmized The day passed, until about half past two
In the afternoon when unusual stir suddenly arose
on the PLATFORM and II nOised about that train was
preparing to take the through passengers somewhere
They were scattered various GircctOns some were
at hotels some in the streets. some stl In the cars
There announcement made III public about thls
movement no effort on tie part OF any Officer 80
far could carn to get Information 10 about
the matter And yet something ala seem 10 DC III lhe
wind. individuals tried to get light upon their own
cases. and In the attempt stumbled upon a who
said he the conductor OF Train then being made up
Whether he had been concealed IN the town all these
days. was created on the spot or came by means OF
unseen aud unknown agency to the spot Just then,
will probably always remain mystery. lie said he had
orders IN his pocket TO take forward people bound Tor
Buffalo and points further east to Cleveland, and that
arrangements had been made with the Lake Shore Road
TO carry them through To Buffalo. At O'Clock there
fore, after much confusion, train started
Of them, nfty-hve hours, and left behind
others whose stay had not been less bugO whom reach
them, though they comfcrted tRemseiyes with the
thought that should probably not get far We did, In
fact, only get about fifteen miles by steam when We
were told that to be conveyed at the
company's expense across the country to another
road II the company Is obliged TO mortgage
anything 10 pay for the lumber wagons and
the services Of the reckless drivers who took
that rough ran-washed road, hope IL will be
the hOrTid, filthy which the only protection
from the elements which many or us had for those
three days at Kent Waiting about an hour, when we
left the wagons, taken up by train and hurried.
faster than We wished, toward Cleveland. on the
way the conductor told many OF the passengers-and
even showed telegram to some-which he
said authorized him to tell could
proceed to Buffalo that night leaving Cleveland at 10
o'clock. We arrived there the hour he mentioned,
1880 hurried out Of the train into the small miserable
waiting OF the Atlantic and Great Western Depot.
where there not seats enough for the ladies'
and told by the ticket agent that train would
start for Buffalo that night In vain repeated what
tha had tnId M he had rda