The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-12-28
The C. 81 o. Collision


Scarcely week passes that we are not
called upon tochronicle some fatal accident
on the c. & o. Railway. Indeed employ
ment on that line has gotten to be almost
equal to death sentence. Men could enlist
in an army.in active service. and, in proper
ton TO numbers, have a better chance Of
coming forth unscathed. So frequent
have the additions TO the black bordered re-
cord been that they have ceased. in single
instances, to excite comment. 1t is only
when a wholesale slaughter occurs, such as
that at Hinton. about two weeks ago, or
that at Millboro on Monday last, that there
is an awakening to the sense of this terrible
sacrifice of life. When the fearful fact
comes home tot in the death of O6r friends
and relatives, it recalls all that we have seen
or heard for weeks past, and causes us to
wonder WHY it is that the heavy hand OF the
law seems paralyzed; why it is that the
public does not demand most rigid inves-
tieation of the causes of these ccidentS fix
the guilt upon the proper part and bring
them to punishment, speedy and condign.
We censure. for the moment, the officers Of
the road, seemingly forgetfu that the. law
officers OF the Commonwealth have duties
which they have sworn to perform, and in
the discharge of which they have shown
shameful derelction. Had each and every
accident on the c. Il o. road been the sub
ject of a strict legal investigation had each
and every culpable party been brought be-
fore the bar of justice to answer for the
or ime vi recklessly taking the life Of a fell
low man; and had pun ishment been in
tlicted 10 a merited degree. this accident
which we are called upon to-day to chron-
icle. would. in all probability, have be en-
averted. Until men are made 10 know that
carelessness on railroad is crime, land pun
ishabe with severe penalties, they will not
exercise that caution which the duties OF
their positions demand. 1t Is not enough
TO saw that their own lives are in jeopardy.
They have no right to suppose that others
are rs reckless as themselves. and when
they act as if they s1 thought, then the law
sailed. In the instance of which we write
the duty of the grand jury is plain. The
engineer and conductor to whom are trace
able this horrible collision should be made
examples OF. 1t is only in prosecuting as
criminals those who are guilty of crime, that
society finds security. 70 allow this tiagrant
wrong to go unwhippcd, is to invite sim
liar disasters and make the law dead let
! ter. Public sentiment demands prompt and
effect i've action, and those whose province
/ it is TO enforce the statutes should not be
SLOW in taking the proper steps.
Whilst in this case the authorities of the
road are blameless, yet the frequency with
VIII ich accidents have occurred on this line
calls for rigid inquiry into the general
policy and management of the company.
We have every confidence in superintendent
Smith and look upon him as one of the most
able and valuable of railroad men. To our
mind the causes of complaint reach back
| to the primary policy, beyond the mere eX-
ecutive officers. For some time the G. & o.
has been undertaking transportation beyond
! its facilities. 1t has been doing the business
of double road on a single track. With
insufficient sidings, it has crowded its trains
one upon the other in such quick succession
that accidents were almost inevitable. An
other fruitful source of disaster has been
incompetent telegraph operatorS-half paid
| boys entrusted with the work of cautious
men. The Hinton collision was directly
traceable to this cause. That collision
| should have been investigated. and the road
held to a rigid accountab ility for the action
of its employees, when those employees are
assigned duties they are not capable OF
! performing.
! Since The completion of the Western ex-
tension the traffic of the road has nee
essarily increased. THAT increase will be
still farther augmented with the consum-
nation of contemplated connections. Unless
the company doubles its track or multiplies
| its sidings. restraint should be placed upon
| its transportation. Certain it is this sac
! ritiee of human life should be stopped and
| that summarily. Forbearance is no longer
! virtue.