Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-18
THE LOSS ATInHNSTOWN.

THE LOSS AT J0HNSTOWN.
Speaking of the JohnstoWn disaster
the Detroit Free Press says: The losses
by the disaster at Johnstown have at last
been footed up with what may be regard
ed as reasonable accuracy. They amount
in the aggregate to $S,655,114. without
putting any estimate upon the loss OF
life. The latter, of course, cannot be es-
timated in dollars and cents; but it is
intellectually the heavier loss of the two.
The question comes up, then, what is
TO be done about itf 1t is comparatively
easy to get at the figures representing
the loss. How is it to be made good?
In one senoe, of course, it never can be
made good. The property has been wiped
out of existence and the wealth of the
country, as we'll as that of those who
formerly owned it, has been just as much
diminished. It is a dead loss and can
never be restored, 1t can, however, be so
distributed that it shall not fall wholly or
mainly upon the innocent victims of the
calamity. Some portion of it has been
so distributed. Subscriptions from all
parts OF the country have spread most of
the loss practically among the people of
the country; and there is no doubt that
he entire amount could be taken up by
he people at large without their feeling
it TO any appreciable extent, This
ought not TO be done, however, until,
an earnest effort has been made to COM
pei the assumption of the loss by those
really responsible for it. coroner's
jury has fastened the responsibility upon
the company owning the dam, the break
ing of which occasioned the loss. This is
not final; but it ought to put the COM
pany on its defense If there is any. The
finding of the jury makes it prima facie
case. It shows-what is matter, indeed
of common knowledge-that there was
criminal peglect, not only of the ordinary
precautions for making such dam safe,
but of repeated warnings that it had be-
come unsafe. If this case is unsound-if
common knowledge is at fault on this
point-that fact should be made to ap-
pear; and in no way can it be so conve-
Riently made to appear as in proceedings
to compel restitution by the company.
There should be proceedings also for the
punishment of those responsible for the
loss of life. The verdict of the coroner's
jury is q charge of manslaug liter againat
some persons unnamed. 1t should be
folio we'd by Indictment, by prosecution,
by conviction. We do not mean TO init
mate belief that there will be any such
proceedings taken as we have indicated.
The records are full of findings of cor
oners' iuries whereby the RESPONSE
biitty of great ealamities has
been fastened upon corporations.
They are absolutely barren of
cases where there has been any p1osecu
ton or conviction. During the past ten
years there have been fifty railroad dis
Rsters at least, accompanied by loss of
life, where somebody was crimiually re-
sponsible and where corners jury has
so found. There has been no case where
the finding has been followed by the
proper proceedings in such cases. For a
week or for the proverbial nine days the
community has been excited about the
matter and prosecution has been urged.
Then the excitement has died ont, public
pressure has ceased and the authorities
relieved therefrom have gladly let the
matter drop. Such, if no special effort is
made, will be the history of the Johns
town case. There ought to be a special
effort. The people of the whole country
are interested in the matter, not alone by
the draft which has been made up
on their pockets, but by the still stronger
draft which has been made upon thsir
sympathies. The matter ought not to
be permitted to drop. There is good
deal more at stake than simple restitu-
tion or punishment in this case. If the
parties responsible for the Johnstown
disaster are rigidIy held 60 that response
bility, both in the Oh md criminal
courts, the chances of repetition of the
disaster at some other point will be
greatly diminished.