The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1879-12-31


should be accurately measured and
posted, with warning boards at cross
ings, and warnings Of approach should
be given at least four hundred yards
from any such crossing. Also that
the roads should publish their rate
Of freight, through and local, and post
them at their dcpots, and that the
Commissioner be authorized to call on
the encouragement and solicitors for
counsel and assistance.
a list Of the accidents occurring in
the past year is given. The most
serious one, not causing death, was
that near Ridsccway ON the 18Th of
August. Commissioner Bonham is
satisfied with the report made by Col.
j. B. Palmer as to The cause Of this,
and he seems TO conclude that the acci-
dent was one Of those remarkable
ones that cannot be prevented. We
regret extremely that Commissioner
Bonllain should have been satisfied
with these &c p011c statements.
Charges of gross negligence were
made by all the passengers, and were
reiterated by TILE News AND HERALD,
and yet Commissioner Bonham never,
as far as We know, inquired into the
facts from any but paid officials of the
road, who are bound to say that the
accident was unavoidable. We think
that Commissioner Bonham should
have made more diligcnt inquiry than
he did. Cumulative evidence going
to show rccklcssncss in this case, is
found in tho fact that besides this nc
cldcnt five persons were killed at diff
irrcnt times during the year by the
Charlotte Road. There arc fourteen
roads in the State, and thirteen per-
sons were killed on them last year. or
these one road killed five, and the
other thirteen only eight altogether.
Most of the deaths on other roads
were Of intoxicated individuals, but
| not so on the Charlotte Road. Twcn-
ty-scvcn failures to connect, five
homicidcs and one upset, ought to be
enough cumulative evidence to cause the
Commissioners to seek for information
further Off than at railroad hcadquar-
tcrs. In all accidents reported, if of
Il serious nature, the Commissioner
should repair TO the spot and examine
disin,crcstcd witnesses, and, if ncccs-
sary to elicit the truth, should insti-
tutc proceedings against the roads.
II he has not the power to do so un-
der existing laws, it should be given
to him.
With this exception we arc pleased
| with the report. 1t is not to be cx-
pcctcd that the arduous duties Of the
Office could bc mastered in single
year, but we arc confident that Com
missioner Bonham has been jealous
and assiduous. In preventing Mr.. y.
Pope from imposing discriminating
tariff on the Wilmington Road, and
in promptly ordering cessation of
what he believed to be violation Of
the charter Of the Charlotte Road,
Commissioner Bonlam has given
proof OF the value of his Office to the
State. We hope his powers will be
still further enlarged and defined.
In conclusion we will give state
mcnt OF the net earnings Of some Of
the more important roads. South
Carolina, 1886, SOL; Charlotte, Colum-
bin and Augusta, 1892 500; North
Eastern, $l35,Wl; Air Line, $685.
9i3; Grcrnvillc and Blue Ridge, $685.
5%l, and Savannah and Charleston,
S27 ,i2o. The Port Royal Road lost
,Sl3, and the Wilmington Road
S6,7l2. This is q good showing for
the Charlotte Road, whose profits
were almost fifty per cent. Of the
gross receipts, while the South Caro-
lima Road cleared only about thirty.
three per cent. This goes to show
what we have always said, that if
properly managed, the Charlotte Road
is the best line in the State.