The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-01-24
On Tho Elevated Rallrond.

To what do you attribute Such accidents
as have occurred on your road2 was asked
of conductor Oh the New York Elevated
Railroad.
"Chicfly 10 the hurry and rush Of passen-
gers. 1t is peculiar charact erisiic of thC
people Of tits city to run after anything
that is in motion. This is not confined to
railroads, for you see it cxcmplificd in tho
ferry traffic on the rivers. Men, yes, and
women, too, for that matter, having ever
80 much time at their disposal, not unfrc-
qucntly imperil their lives by jumping for
ferry boat after she has been cast off and
is already some feet out in the slip. The
moment they arc aboard they cool down,
read their papers, or laugh and chat with
their friends, rs if they had all the time in
the world at their disposal. But the NOM
cnt the boat enters the slip on the opposite
side of the river in their cagcrncss to get off,
and for no apprcciablc cause, they rush
forward seemingly preferring to jump
rather than walk ashore, every one bent, as
it were, OH being first. So it is with the
elevated reads; men and women come
sauntcring along the streets, apparently in
no hurry, until they reach the platform of
one OF our stations. Then in moment
there whole manner changes. They rush
by the officer, barely taking time to pur-
chase a ticket, and if not withheld would
frequently jump on the trains before they
stopped, or after they had started to move
off. Now the company uses every prccal-
ton to put stop to this. Aside from the
gates on the car platforms, which compe-
tent brakcmen open only after the train
comes to stand, ard close immcdiatly the
signal is given to start again, we have at
all tho main stations men on the platform
to restrain this ovcr-impaticncc of passen-
gers. Why, have seen, right here at this
Rector street station, men rush forward
and jump clean over the gate OH the plat
form Of the Car after it was closed and tho
train IN motion. Now these men in reality
arc in no hurry, fer on leaving the train
they will take their time about getting to
their homes or places of business. II is
that unaccountablc something, as l said be-
fore, which causes New York people to run
after things in motion. There is really no
reason for this. Our trains arc run with
from one and q half to three minutes head
way. OF course, we have to do everything
with celerity in order to keep the track
cleared with such short hcadway. A fcw
minutes lost in the arrival and departure of
trains simply means blockade. The nc
ccssity for this dispatch with tho passenger,
however, does not exist. II the gong has
sounded he should know that he has missed
that train, and not run to get aboard of it
at the risk of his life, when one minute and
a half more will bring another train to his
service"
''Do you have much trouble with intoxi-
Gated men9 mean in keeping them from
endangcring their livc2"
occasionally. But these VIC. can con-
troll, as rule, better than persons who arc
perfectly sober. For tho reason that, when
the conductor aud brakcmcn see that man
IS under the influence of liquor, they arc
constantly on the lookout to make hun be-
have himself, where's they naturally expect
that sober persons arc sane enough to take
care Of Themselves. Now, it frequently
happens that persons will pass by their
station, then suddenly becoming conscious
of the fact, they will jump from their seats,
run out on the platform and try to get off,
though the train has already left the station.