Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-24
For the SPECTATOR.
Can They be Avoided

In view of the many sorrow-clouded homes
SO darkly Swallowed by the recent terrible
disaster on the Norfolk & Western, most
truly, the much-enduring public can ex-
claim in the words of that most ancient OF
biblical writers, "Days should speak and
multitudes of yeals should teach wisdom"
From the succession of horrible catastro-
phes in the near as well as more remote
past, it certainly appears that some more
effective method Of railway signals and
service might be devised that could prevent
in measure, this appalling loss of life. In
this age of rapid transit and electrical mes
sages, railroads are as much a necessity as
were the slow-creeping stage coaches OF our
dear old grandfathers. la becoming pa
irons of the railroads, the public intrusts its
life and property to those, for whom the
recent heavy rains have fully illustrated the
fallacy of building foundation ofsand, and
in return, has every right TO expect that
the greatest care possible for human fore
sight to exercise, be taken for the preserva-
ton of the same. Certainly the time has
come when the necessity Of taking rail
way trip of even thirty or forty miles, sends
premonitory chill through ones entire
nervous system, as the horrible picture of
Thaxton's and dozen others still fresh in
ening detail before ones mind. While oc-
casional accidents are unavoidable and but
repeat the truism uttered by that poet of
Scottish renown, 'The best laid plans of
mice and men," ETC., yet, by more rigid
enforcement OF the rules, the obeying of
which should be like that of the Medes and
Persians, aided by telegraph Offices, in
charge of competent men at every station,
conductors and engineers given shorter
runs and more time for rest and recreation,
and larger force of reliable watchmen, the
result, perhaps, might be seen in the lesser
number of darkened homes whose black
draped doors seem mutely asking for hu.
man sympathy. AS an instance illustrative
of telegraph offices, the writer had occasion
| few days past to enter rather important
country depot, and beheld, with what
surprise it may be imagined, the telegraph
Office calmly presided over by youth of thr.
teen or fourteen summers, whose smallness
stature precluded any other livery than that
of childhOod-knee pants-and that the
only telegraph Office among four or five de.
pots placed on stretch of road four or five
miles in length? True, he was only assis
tant day operator, but the regular man be.
ing out, left him in entire charge. Among
the writer's friends are numbered severa
railroad men. In speaking of accidents,
one said recently, soften have been OF
duty for two days and nights without any
sleep, and by the second night have felt nc
desire flor sleep 4; but of course my entire
nervous system was on such strain thai
was hardly accountable for any misinter
probation Of ORDERS" And heard severa
of the men say that the recent collision at
NJ. occurred more from loss of sleep thar
from any other cause,
Certainly the number Of employees nigh
be increased sufficiently to allow shorte
hours of duty for all. 1t is but reasonable
to suppose that man on duty without an!
rest for twenty hours out of the twenty
four is very liable to forget or misunder
stand orders, and that the responsibility o
accidents should not rest in every instanct
as much On the engineers and conductor
as on those whose orders they obey. Sucl
accidents as the one at Thaxton's appear
unavoidable, but yet it seems that if reliable
watchmen were placed during every heav!
storm at all the bridges aud places liable tt
damage from the effect of high water ant
protracted rains, the danger would be less
ened.
r. G. LEE.