New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-05
MOUNT VERNON AROUSED.

THE POLICY OF THE NEw-HAvEN RAILROAD BIZ
TERLY DENoUNCED-sTRINGENT LEGISLATION
TO BE soUGHT-AS ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
OF THE STATE
A large meeting was held at Mount Vernon last
night. in Fourth Avenue Hall, which was called by
committee of citizens, for the purpose OF express
ing their sentiments in regard to the late tunnel
horror and to take such steps will tend to obyi-
ate railroad accidents in the future" The committee
consisted of John Berry Il. B. Bach, Edward Gay
c. ID. Jones. c. S. Babcock. James Blair and Will
| lam w. Mcclellan. John Van Santvoord, presided.
| 1t stated that at a meeting of the hallroau
Protective Union and other citizens, held on eatur-
| day last, the committee above named were ap
pointed and under their auspices last nights meet
! ing was held preamble and resolutions, adopted
| at SATURDAYS meeting were presented TO
| the meeting for ratification They dehounce
the nigoardly management of the New-York,
| New-Haven and Hartford Railroad Company
for not providing q proper working force on
its trains so as to reduce the danger OF
| accidents to minimum; point out the
| lack of discipline exhibited by employees on
the trains OF the company whereby .h tne
and their lives put in jeopardy, and suggest
cooperation with citizens of other towns 10 Efforts
TO reform the abuses In the management OF the rail-
roads running through that county and into the
Grand Central Depot. $500
A letter from Isaac n Mills was read IN which he
"a
the recent collision The Rev. Oliver Dyer. chair
man of the committee appointed on saturday.
spoke of the collision as calamity but not an
accinent" and moved the adoption OF the following:
Whereas The late collision of Harlem train with
train Of the NewYOrk, NewHaven Hartford Railroad
Company in the tunnel winch OceasIoned tue death ana
mutistion of some OF residents aud citizens, was
caused by the nggardy management Oh the owners oI
said roads in not providing sufficient ana competent eh
Resoieed That the citizens of Mount Vernon in
meeting assembled. do hereby protest against ana
heartily condemn the management OF the said roads
| which renders such accidents possible. ,,--.,. -.
the management OF the waiting rooms in the Grand Cen
trial Depot that eompelS the travelling Puble TO wait an
indefinite and tedious time Tor inc trains 10 pe aue
ready. and which delays trains long after the hour al
| Resolred That We hereby arraign the and
officials of the Grand Central Depot ana tho roads con
ceutratrg therein Tor their wful negligence ana ms,
MANAGEMENT a. set forth In tue FOREGOING preahDe al"
| resolutions -, , 49,
resolutions sent the owner Of the Grand central
Depot and to president. secretary and supermend
York and Harlem. and New-YOrk, New-Hayen ana Hart
~ ResoiSed That a committee of five be appointed 10
wal upon William II. Vanderbilt and t6f Ifesaehs OF
the New-York New Haven anu Hartford Railroad Com
pany with the view o. remedJlng the aD'Nehen''oueu
| thomas NJ Taylor in seconding the adoption of
| the resolutions, said
What we want Of the railroad in reforming the pres
system is no halfway measures no patching up 10
damages wrung from SOUL IS corporation can or wiz
or ought 20 satisfy TIL there has been made radical
and complete change II is not for me 20 say what these
changes sOud be, nut Il Is for me- for ali OF u.s. 10 say
that these shall cease 70 bedeatbraps AmOhg"tuer
chan there Should he Tour continuous track e
Tor through trains for the Ne"-aven trains ana
two for the other road The deathrap at Fltleth St.
where the tracks cross, should De abolished
| Joseph 5. Wood thong that the resolutions we're
| in the right vein the only fault he had to hnd
with them that they did not 60 far enough lie
| said:
There are two objects be attained first, 10 dis
cover the which produced the recent fatal COLL
sion; second To reform the 10 prevent the
recurrence of such accdentsin the future. IL requires
snch disaster that ia the tunnel 10 give the citizens
of Mount Vernon pluck enough 10 get up meeting Ike
this Onr lives and property III the hands OF the
NewHaven Railroad Let II be Known tlat one cannot
ride on this railroad between Mount Vernon and the
Grand Central Depot and then good-by to tne prosperity
Of the town. We obtain redress against ne rail-
road through the Legislature we cannot OBTAIN II in
any other way One thing That we should insist on Is
kept clear Of smoke. superintendent lOucey IN ms
testimony at the CorOneIs IN quest sald tnat ie tuhI
cannot be better ventilated than It Is VIII agree 10
find twenty sanitary engineers III New-fork city VINO
can improve the ventilation -. ~, -, -. ..
ing; there twelve trains inside of thirty i've minutes
every morning, passing cut Of the Grand Central
Of trains under tine existing conditions
W. have now reached point where we SHOULD no longer
ask but denond rights. The one to strike at Is
line are simply outside barbdrians To him. He cares
neither the life safety OF any one on either OF the
three roads.
Robert O. Glover was the next speaker He was
followed by Robert Il. Bach. who strongly favored
the passage of the resolutions. CAPTAIN Frederick
httakeT read an appeal 10 Jhe people Oh Une clde
from the citizens OF Mount Vernon, whch was
adopted and is 10 be printed and distributed HE
principal points of the address were as follows:
We recognize in the present law affecting railroad
III this s. ate these UNJUST features: Jnls act
as finally amenoed in 1870. forblds a jury 10 ward
more than 5000 damages against railroad
company for manslaugnter. and provides. thaJ
the cOmaensatIon for Injury SHAH De estimate
solely the pecnnary damage suffered by the Plalhtn
bis her family through lose OF services III hhr also
that that IL any cOnIiDutory negligence, However
slight, be shown on the part o. the person INJURED or
being dismissed by the judge We ask o. tue people OF
this State that these obviously unjust features
that the maximum Of damages In
OF death caused by railroad company De liked at sum
least $50 900; that the question 0I cOntrlDutOy
negligence lett to the jury not 10 the judge anu hdt
damages be estimated by the jury Win reference
to all the facts IN the ca"e IN u,
same in where an INJURY Is committed
family relations of another. We ask that the citl-
zens OF towns ana villages al
once call public meetings 20 mdOrse these
proposed amendments 10 the railroad laws OF the state VI
X. ana to appoint committees TO cooperate VITA
each other that end b0 before the coming cleo
ton and after the meeting The state Legislature We
election patriots in the face OF danger nae
ing oil alike, by voting Tor no man, as safe
senator, Representative or Executive, unless ne De
uue quvOcaiy pledged 10 the repeal as soon az lhe Leg
saturs meets Of the present unjust Laws anecng ran
road mAssacre, and 10 the enactment OF amendments
recognizing the sanctity OF human NE ana the Necessity
of pumsuing corporations Tor mansllughter anu may
hem on tue same basis a. priYaGe ciuLeIs.
The resOlutiO previously presented were unanl-
mously adopted. Ihe following gentlemen were
APPOINTED u committee to visit Mr. vanderbilt:
Fowler samuel Bernstein, Captain Frederick Whit
taker, and John Van SantvOord.
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