Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-15

To the Editor Of TIVE EVENING srkR.
AS the uncompromising champion In al matters
pertaining 20 District All airs address YOU relative
10 the dreadful collision on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad SATURDAY evening, with q view 10 place
before you certain facts In order % enable YOU 20
elGcdate the causes for this catastrophe and 10
the blame rest where IL really should law win pre-
mise by saying that there Is doubt nut that the
whole responsibility VIII be burdened on the poor
nag man, who, With ned ana white lantern IN hin
hand, attends To two and sometimes three"
crossings, running IN front OF the train from one
crossing 10 the next: he works Is hours in the day
ana receives the munircent sum OF $50 for 81 days
OF such work. after fl25 has been deducted Tor the
relief fund. Now ask can any responsible party
be found 10 work for such pay: doubt Il Again.
how easy IL is FOR him 10 mistake The iGhI by which
he Il supposed Go be controlled the same being
but questionable red, consisting of n piece OF r,1
nannel instead of red glass, In front OF the lamp,
or again the red portion OF his lantern NAV be
turned away from the next nagman at the moment
he Is looking Tor II by the slightest position Of body
or hand ihis very same thing has happened 20 tho
writer, who came on account within four rDet
or being run over with his whole family The sY,n
as IL Is called Is used 10 reverse the trains N Is
forms triangle with the other Two roads. thus
a train from the west INSTEAD Of proceedins along
LIST street direct 20 the depot comes along the cop-
necuon TO street where regulator engine takesn
remaining IN front OF the writer's house on street.
where water tank has been erected, oiling ana
watering up. after which IL proceeds TO the DEPOT
bitches 10 the trout az the train and takes II on IT,
way 10 Baltimore front foremost The same oper-
aton taxes place. vice versa when a train arrives
from the east. Now the law requires that trains
shall enter the city at no greater rate OF speed than
four miles per hour The Baltimore train on Satur-
day came at the rate OF from fifteen 20 twenty
miles an hour. Again the law provides that there
shall De a fagfnan placed each crossing The
crossing where the accident happened Is attended
by a man AT the next crossing, he running frmn
one 10 the other when the train arrives. and very
often there Is no one on some OF the Crossings as
can testify. have seen children walAng along /
street towards a point near which the road mpingcs
on the pavement, suddenly jumping 10 one side,
without any apparent cause, the reason being that
they feel themselves drawn towards the train by
the suction or draft Of the air. As said before.
there is sometimes no one there. and ut all times
the man has 20 leave TO run 10 the next crossing as
soon as the locomotive reaches him The law ALSO
requires that lamp post shall be provided by the
railroad company al all such CROSSINGS. but there
are none. II any complaint Is made 10 the powers
that be. they shrug their shoulders and say that
they are powerless TO do anything, or II Is no use
provides that train shall go faster lhan four
miles an hour In the city limits, and IL can pass
every policeman In town at the rate OF twenty "
thirty miles an hour, as the limited express
between 10 and IL O'clock does, can conductor who
Is % minutes behind time bc blamed for running
this risk in order 10 make tnes For these reasons
Mi. Editor, hold that primarily the responsibility
lege TO turn around railroad trains In the city,
when, as L understand, they had no night 20 grant
the use or the streets Tor railroad tracks and
secondly with the present authorities who. being
paid and sworn 10 execute the law permit it TO be
violated constantly with impunity. and who do not
Tor which the company received a "temporary-
permission Some years ago This is the third acci-
dent here, and the wonder Ii that n does nos
happen more Often A SyFFEkER-