The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-12-26
aneed of nailrona rrnIns

While railroad matters orc being sgitatad
it would seam proper that some attention
should bo paid to tho speed of passenger
trains? That thOre is limit of speed
at which trains on ordinary rosds cau
be run With sal " no emo will deny, aud, IN
our opinion that limit is far below ii f.y
miles per hour. With road bad sad
track in perfect ordsr, with sAgiaes and
cars in tho same condition, trains cza car
tainly be safely rua at u spaol Of Grty, sixty
or oven seventy miles in Nn hour; bu.
when will all these conditions inset And
Ahd il enc of taem is absent, danger 10 li'e
and limb is the natural oJAtequsncp. There
ore 80 msay and such various combinations
of circumstances connected with sill moving
machinery that il is never safe to count on .
M6re theoretical limit Of iafsly. An engi-
neer who would build a rIilroaa bridge Jus.
strong enough TO carry the heaviest load
that would ever probably b9 pu; ;sn it, would
be tcinng with human life, snd lishle 10 be
punished for any sccid ent that might occur.
Allowances in such cases arc always made
for any possible delect 10 matirisl or wsrlc-
manship. Tho engineer, in calculating how
much strain an ron bridge will scar, alwsys
adds ia practice, certAis per cast more
material, to csVer ap any dotOct thst may
lurk unston ia tho iron and wood used in the
construction OF the structure.
The same reasons should apply TO tho run
ming trans, that 10 to tA9 building of
bridges. We know that ON soma OF the bost
roads in this couatry and Europe, trains
sometimes run st sp9ed Of over ple in
a miHute, This is exceptional, ARd hal ohly
been done when all tho conditions we're high
ly favorable. On ordinary roads, watch are
never in perfect order, and with ordinary
engines and cars, which ara set sluAys in tho
best condition, it is trifling with hunsn life
10 run at exceptionally high rates OF speed.
1t Is no excuse to sSy tsat the travslins pub
lie demands ii, for this is net true IN tho hrit
place, and wsuld DO no argument II i we're
| true. Granted that there are men in the
| world whslars satislss with nothing less than
mile in a Minute. IL the life aad limb Of
everybody elsa to be put in jeopardy to graf
| ify the reckless wants Of man whs would
not hesitate 10 mount a wild antelope! Some
non take delight in courting danger, but
thsir wishes should not contrsl tssis who
hAys control of the travelling public, and
into whose hands men commit the lives Of
! th.ir wiys! and children, IS we'll M their
own. Nor Dc We believe tssrs is any demand
| for such high speeds. Running thirty mile,
| an hour, with no unnecessary delays and
| with a fs.lias Of security, will satisfy q ma,
i,rty of taoso whs travel on railroads, and
| The lew who are not satisfied should be made
10 understand thai the general welfare si
| Tho rnblie |, psrAnount TO the reckless de-
drts ofa few. If fowo the leading rail
rad msn of the ssns!ry would decide to
ADEPT q reasonable ratio Of speed .. their
| road,. It would settle the matter for the re-
| mapdsr. If railroad nsn will rot DO 90,
the tine will come when iaw-AaEsrs WI
lSsi.lalo for msn's lives as wall aiior tne
property, and that time will not be very long
delayed. Human life is tso precious to b.
ieopardizsd for the purpose Of making lit
| tle better time on railroads.