The Wilmingtonian. (Wilmington, Del.) 1882-188?, 1884-06-07
ONE MORE VICTIM.

I
| Thursday of last week, have most properl,
appended to their verdict resolution cen
surfing the Company for running its train,
through the city at such a rate of speed ant
calling the attention of the city authorities t.
the necessity of enforcing the ordinance reg
| ulating the speed of trains.
This is precisely The course THE VIII
MINeToNIAN has been urging on City Council
for many months past, and the recent fatality
| is but one of ffnany accidents cleaily trace
able to violations of the city ordinance by
the Railroad Company in the passage Of theii
trains through the city limits.
A very brief analysis of the evidence
adduced at the inquest ON Alexander Hill
will suffice to show that the Company's
servants were beautifully unanimous in their
testimony that the trail was only moving at
the rate of or miles an hour. We should
not be surprised at this, because We well
know, from universal experience of railroad
companies, how small a margin for indepen-
dent thought, speech or action is accorded to
servants under their iron rule; but, thank
Heaven, there were citizens Of Wilmington
who were not to be so silenced, and who
plainly stated that the train was moving at
the rate of from thirty to forty miles an hour,
in fragrant violation of the city ordinance,
and with the result of sacrificing human
life. A moments consideration will show
whether the officials of the Company or the
outspoken and manly witnesses of this city
are the more entitled to credence. The sched-
ule time of train 90 at the West Yard is 1.48
p. m.; at the Depot 1.51 p. m. Now from
the West Yard to the Depot is little short
OF mile and half, and if this distance is
traversed in three minutes, it follows ineYit-
ably that the average speed of the train over
the interval is 90 miles an hour. But more
than three-fourths Of the space thus COW
cred lies within the City Limits, thus show ing
that the ordinance is Systematically violated
by the Railroad Company. More than this,
witness absolutely declared that the air
brakes are not applied till the train reaches
West Street, which is more than half the dis
tance from the West Yard to the Depot 1t
is quite plain then that if the distance from
West Street to the Depot is run at an aver
age Of or 0 miles an hour, tbs statement of
tbewitnass ~ logically correct, heeanse ie
even one-fourth of the distance only were
trayersed at the rate prescribed by the ordi-
nance the train would be unable to keep its
schedule time In fact at six m lies an hour
it would take train three minutes to rua
from the Depot to West Street; without any
regard whatever to the remainder of the jour
ney. The Company is clearly convicted on
the testimony of its own schedule.
1t is well-known that the City Council and
the Press of this city generally are very fav-
orably disposed towards the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, and that it is very diff
cult for an independent voice to make itself
heard even in a case where the Company
have shown the most palpable disregard for
the rights and privileges of the citizens. Even
at the present time two employees of the
Pennsylvania Railroad are applicants for
Councilmanic honors, and no voice is raj ed
to protest against the obvious menace to the
interests of the city so conveyed. 1t is the
fashion to enclose the interest of the city of
Wilmington and the Pennsylvania Company
within commercial palenthesis, and to
sneer at all who would point out how dam
gerous is the bond, as sore-heads, NAL con-
tents and the victims of some petty envy or
faneied wrong. The Pennsylvania Company
has had matters pretty much its own way
for twenty years, and its butchers bill in
our city is an intolerably heavy one. But the
last straw seems to have broken the Cancels
back and now at last, we have not only
a coroner's jury plainly declaring its senti-
meuts on the matter, but the Morning Ne,Os
"a leading journal of the city-coming ont
with the following scathing editorial, in
direct reference to the death Of poor MIR.
Hill
''This is all. The trains will continue to
be put through the city at any rate that the
engines are capable of taking them, or that
the engineers see fit to use. 1t is true that
the poor man lost his life, but he is only one
out of several thousands who have thus been
sacrificed within few years on the altar Of
grade crossings and violated city ordinances,
Other will follow in due time; ard then Mr.
Hills shocking death will only be recalled
as q ''striking instance" Of course these
| acts will have no influence on Council