The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-27


Cincinnati News Journal
or course the officials of the Louisville, New
Albany & Chicago railway should not he held
blameless for the Salem disaster. To be sure the
accident would not have occurred had the road
master inspected the culvert before the train
due, but then it was very stormy night,
and it is hardly fair to compel an officer of Il
great corporation to go out when the sleet and
the rain is pouring down merely to see if the
bridges androadways are in proper condition
for trains loaded with common passengers to
pass over them. Now, from a strictly railway
standpoint, Providence is responsible for the
Salem wreck for had the storm been steered
around the culvert, the waters would not have
injured the structure, and the train would not
have gone down. But the rain and the snow
not forced to go by the other side
and, consequently five passenger were
killed outright nine others were seriously
wounded, and a whole train of cars was de-
stroyed If, however, Providence is not at
fault, the officers of the L., N A. IL G. certainly
must be for this particular disaster, and when
all the facts brought out it will be found that
there was no such thing discipline or rigid
enforcement of the rules and regulations for the
government OF employees. and that the accident
was the result of a go-as-you-pease kind OF
management. The most complete regulations
human wisdom devise are d moekery if their
rigid enforcement is neglected, and immunity
from accident under lax discipline becomes sim
ply a matter OF good luck. To be sure, there can
be no absolute security, however vigilant officials
and employees may be. A defective rail
a flaw in part of the locomotive or
Ear machinery may be the cause of given dis
aster, for which one really be blamed
but it is clear that large percentage of railway
Incidents are attributable directly to individual
negligence or earelessness. 1t is perhaps naru-
raj that trainmen, including engine driver and
conductor after years of running without ser-
Dus accident, should feel far greater degree of
security than exists, and grow less vigilant and
less distrustful of the material composing the
equipment in which they fly from station TO sta
tiOn Mt the rate of forty or fifty miles an hour
But is it right that the safety of the travelling
public should be Jeopardized, when a little more
vigilance and little more dependence on their
DWa knowledge of whaG it takes to insure
comparative safety and less faith in the COM
neteness Of the roadway, structures aud equip
ment on the part of employees, would rednee the
number of accidents perhaps so per cent. or
more? Patrons of railway companies have the
right to expect that every precaution will be-
taken against disaster, and those whose duty il
Is to supervise the movement of trains and the
physical department of the roads will not cease
Eher vigilance a moment until the agreement
between the passenger end carrier has been
complied with to the letter, and that can only be
done by delivering the ticket-holder safe at the
station designated upon the ticket. But the pol
icy and methods of the Louisville, New Albany
Chicago don't seem to contemplate anything
Of that kind. You pay your money and take
VOur chances.