Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-23
1a11rastrr frlteIlige1lcer.
EVENING. JUNE %. 1888.
The DIllervflIe Wreck.


The DilIervilIe Wreck. /
There was nothing very doubtful
about the responsibility for the rail-
road accident at Dillersville yesterday,
which good luck rather than good man
prevented from involving the
loss of many lives, as may always be ex'
pected when two passenger trains try to
get over a crossing at the same tlme'
The Reading engineer went forward IN
accordance with the signal given to him
to advance, and the Pennsylvania train
passed on Notwithstanding the red sig
nails for it to stay back. 1t Is not
presumable that so proVerbiaily
a cautious and experienced an engineer
as Mr.. Jeffries would wilfully disregard
these signals nor recklessly take the
risks of death to himself and destruc
tion to his train and its load of passen'
gers.
Mr.. Jeffries is a very candid anu
truthful man as well as 4 gOod ENGINE
driver, The account he gives us OF the
accident may he taken rs correct. In II
he takes to himself all the blame which
can be reasonably attached to him. He
admits that the red signal for the cross
ing was down, and that he did not see 1t
as soon as he should. If he had looked
forit the moment it was visible to him,
he could have checked his train in time,
especially as he was going slow, un'
der orders to stop at Dillerville,
lust over the crossing. If he
had been running at full speed lie
might possibly still have seen it in time,
though this is not certain. But rs jeff
ries had the special signal for his track
to watch, and that was white, and he
expectod that to he red II he
was to stop ut the crossing, it is
not remarkable that he failed to
be as alert as he should have been in oh
serving the special crossing signal. 1t
was an omission on his part, confessedl>
but such an omission as any good engine
driver might on occasions he guilty of
which is sufficiently shown by the fac'
that SO careful Il man rs .Jeffries was
guilty of it. The fact being conceded
thai. a careful and experienced engine
driver drove his engine into the crossing
engine, it shows indisputably that the
regulations governing the crossing
were defective. 1t is partlcu
IarIy dangerous place, because TIL
Reading train runs in deep Gu
until it emerges right upon the Penn
sylvania road, and it cannot, therefore
be seen from an approaching train OF
that road, nor can the Pennsylvani;
train be seen Oh the Reading road. Th
engine drivers must depend entirely OF
the signals That this is an unsafe d"
pendence to two trains rushing ut spec
npon another, each out of sight of th
otter, goes without arguing. There
too great liability to error and neglec
on the part of the signal master o
the engine driver, and to derangemen
of the machinery of the engn
or the signal stations, to enabl
any railroad company t"justify its reli
ance upon signals alone to prevent di:
aster. An accident, much like this one
happened in New Jersey 4 few week
ago, at crossing of the Penn
sylvania and Bound Brook road:
though in that place the train
were not concealed from each other, b'
rushed together in open view of theI
engine drivers. The cause of this G."
lision has never been published so far
we have seen but for it we might col
clude that it would suffice to c''
away the bank of earth approach
ing DilIerville which conceals til
trains on the two roads from eac
other but in view of the demonstrate
possibility that two trains in open vle'
NAV collide at a crossing. it is right I
conclude that every train approaching
crossing at grade should ba required
come to dead halt before reaching it.
is the only guarantee of entire saf+t.
The Legislature should enact this into
law, as the railroad managers have III
sense sufficient to declare it for the
own prote:tiOn. We were under IL
impression that there was such L law
this state, but we do not find it In I'll
digest OF the statutes.