The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-10
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN ENGLAND.


ton in I'm Gland and which the lately published
report Of u royal commission has undertaken
To- answer.
II results from tho vnst amount ~ ovid nee
laid before the commission. that the causos Of
these terrible disasters are to n very large cx-
t1nt susceptible Of remedy. II was shown that.
Notwithstanding the constant assertions 10 the
contrary, railway accidents are seldom or never
attributable to mere speed. or even 80 undiscov-
able fnulis in mechanical appliances Tho fllst
step to this conclusion was n careful classiilca-
| tion Of such casualties which naturally sug-
gcsted tho rcul sources Of catastrophe. In tho
category " train accidents were grouped
those oc asoucd 10y dcierts in the rolling stock
or roud bed and by collisions. II Sns de-. dod 10y
the commission that to the former " these
! heads must ho referred the disasters commonly
! charged upon excessive speed. The testimony
was conclusive that If tho rolling stock and per
! mnncnt way are In perfect order the fastest
| train NAV travel as safely N the slowcst. A. to
| tire accidents in general Sir Horny Tyler ,csti-
fed that they are. OF all mishaps. the most mex
| cusHblc. and might be avoided by simple and
| wcll-known precautions Yet during the tour
years over which the cummis5ion's inquiry OK
! tends. no less than eighty ono casualties some
OF them appalling are asoribcd 10 faults in roll
INK stock. and onc-fourth of thom were tire ac-
cidcuis rs regards road bed. 1t is stated that
! several English companies have proved Thorn
selves signally romiss. The most recent
and glNring case WIS On section Of the
Great Western Railway whose dangerous
condition occasionrd shocking accident
Here Wa arc told the OIL rail rested
| loosely on the longitudinal sleeper. and the
| sleeper loosely ON tho bailnst. Another curious
stuto OF things was detected at tho site of dis
astcr on the 81 OF November last between Bland
ford and Wimburnc. where the Shoppers were
! 40 rptteu that in very many sn.g3 tlpy could
| pinched to pieces between the ilngcr and
thumb. OF accidents chargcabic to such causes
the commission says: There can be no DIM
Guilty III asccrtaining. day by day, the state Of
the rails. slecpers. and gauge OF the permanent
way" SO far us tho rolling stock and road bed
are concerned. twas pronounced quite possible.
by due care in construction and diligence in in
spoction. 10 attain almost absolute safety aud
tho theory Of a necessary percentage Of acct
dents arising from fault in these respects
was distinctly repudiatcd.
Collisions. which in England. rs elsewhere.
are the most fruitful source Of accidents TO
trains. are a-cribed to unpunctualiiy or 10 the
shortcomings OF railway servants especially 81
signal men and switch men. II IL clear that
railway companies ara responsible Tor irrcgu-
larity IN the despatch and arrival of trains.
which can only be referred to a defective sy--
tom of ticket selling. inalcduat" accomnoda-
ton Of tho permanent way, OF e. an insufficient
stan of employees. Delay seems To- he invited
hy the existing arrangements for the rial" "
tickets. which are only obtdnabo within "a fcw
/ minutes 81 the time OF starting, and not. A. In
the United States. at any hour of the day. II ap-
pears. too. that since the recent development Of
the mineral trafn' ou English lines the neces-i-
~ of increased facilities has become extremely
urgent. large proportion Of accidents occur
ring ou thee" roais whore this Kind of truflr is