Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-01-18
The Railroad Disaster.

Inv hhihuhu btsuSttis
Flippant and rasping criticism of railway
corporation management is cheap and easy.
There are no greater or more responsible
trusts than are hourly reposed in these cor
porations. Human life is constantly in their
keeping. The safety of presidents and min
listers, Of judges and lawmakers, of those we
love and tenderly cherish, of the great un-
distinguished mass of humanity that is daily
whirled by millions along the rails in rush
ing cars, is one aspect, and the most momen-
tous one, of the trust confded to the keeping
of railway managers. To say that it is
lightly held is doing the grossest injustice
to class of men who for foresight, vigi-
lance, caution and alertness, are not sur
passed in any department of business man
agement. Every instance in which the ex-
ercise of these qualities fails to avert dis
aster is published in the glazing head lines
which announce the recurrence of a catas-
trophe like that which befel an Inflated
train on Friday, in narrow cut within the
municipality of the city of New York but
the thousands of cases in which they sue.
coed and the high average rate of safety
which attends the transportation Of millions
of passengers yearly are either never publicly
known or receive scant recognition. The
details and the difficulties of railway man
agement are family understood or apprecia-
ted, and this fact leads to much hasty and
absolutely unjust criticism. 1t is fol. the in
terest OF a railway to use every means to
avert disaster and the presumption is that
in this, as well as in other directions,
they selfshly, if not from higher motives,
seek to protect their own interests. But
their agents are human, and human weak
ness is factor they have steadily to COM
bat in the business of transporting human
beings. Unless reports do him injustice, the
accident of Friday is directly attributable to
the dilatoriness of brakeman in displaying
the danger signal at a safe distance in the
rear of the disabled train. If this shall be
proved against the man his offence is as Gull
pable as that of the sentinel whose negligence
imperils the safety of an army. But back Of
what is charged as the direct cause of the
accident, the public, after making every rea-
sonable allowance for the difficulties and
embarrassments which beset the manage
ment of stupendous railway system, will
discern the fact that this rich corporation
had not provided any of the ingenious me-
chanical appliances which have been brought
into existence for supplementing human Wig
lance and for opposing check to human
infrmity. By the operation of some one of
these, like the block system, two trains
could not, unwarned, approach fatally near
each other. None of these appliances of
safety are in use on this road and there seems
TO have been a beggarly paucity in the
physical force of flag or signal men or lights
at point characterized by sharp curve,
a deep gulch, and the passage OF numerous
local trains. If the road has been niggardly
in its expenditure for wise means of proven
ton in order by large dividends to fortify
its watered stock, if to do this they pay
their subordinates inadequate wages, or
adopt regulations that initiate so severely
against their servants that a brakeman hay
ing in mind the penalty for failing to rejoin
his train, fears to go sufficiently far to the
rear to hang out an effective danger signal,
the public will look beyond the unfortunate
subordinate whom the officers of the law
have placed under arrest and demand that
the great principal in this business of whole
sale murder be brought into court, and on it
be visited the chief penalty. This disaster
should inspire mandatory legislation in every
state, compelling railways to do for public
safety that which their cupidity may prompt
them to neglect.