New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-10
4 STARTLING RETFLATTON or DANGER.

There is nothing surprising about the death
of William Walsh under the wheels OF an ele-
waited railroad train except the fact that II j.
the first accident of the kind instead of the
latest in a long series. The report that the
victim was intoxicated. and thcr fore unfit t.
fake care Of himself is cmphatically denied.
and certainly there is not the rcmot ST ncccN-
,ity for adopting that theory in explanation OF
the fate which overlook him. one of the com
mono>t thoughts of observing men, ever since
the traffic of tho elevated roads acquired huge
proportions. must have been the pcrilouN con
ditons under which at busy hours the trains are
boarded. The officials of the Manhattan Com
pany have evidently anticipated accidents. Tor
a, some Of the stations they have placed guard
rails along the edges OF the platforms, by which
the danger j, reduced. \ great majority of the
platforms. however, offer passengers no pro'''c-
ton against their own unwar!n"NN or IN"
pressure of the thronC awaiting m incoming
train At the Park Place station ot IA" sixth
Avenue Linz. for example, StitI.n which has
come 70 ho Of the first importance in recent
ycarS-;hc platform for uptown trains between
and : G'c'ock in the evening j. frequently 50
crovdrd that II i, difficult = find Standing
room upon II. iiI' - t'N'H. i'''''' ~ ''I
pose n thai time Of day tina; every successive
train will he almost or quito full, and 80 th'
waiting passenger, line up along the EDGE IN
the hone of getting aboard and possibly of find
ING . few seats vacant. Pushing. swayInC
leaning forward - per down the tr1'k, crowd
ing pa>t one another with the intention oi c't-
tinc T. the points which they calculate VII b"
oupo,ito tho car platforms when tn tram stops
ihov run the ri~l, of being pushed upon The
track 10 every moment
Now this restless longing - make progress
A all hazards j, Characteristic OF tn" American
uooplc. bat il IS none the Ic>, dcpIoHhlc on that
account WHOM il j. manifested under Grc7n-
.tlnccs which make it dangerous. II Is pos
-ible that the universal Introduction oI guard
rails on the elevated railroad system, especially
If they were provided with gates. would cause
some sill ht delay. and consequent grimhne
on the part of those t. whom rr>t'l ~ is torture.
Bur the law requires a Transportation COM any
10 provide is patrons with rI>pn1ti" p,Oio'-
ton again-t their own ignorance or imprudcn"c.
40 doubt the man killed on Monday night va,
incautiou, m least. lie was sccn wa king along
the edge Of tho platform al Eighteenth -. and
leaning forward - lolk for the exp c'"d tran.
STOW had made the panknS slippery and be-
lo~t his footing. Eyon assuming th1t tbs par
lictlar individual, contrary - Ia" c'id ne,
deliberately threw himself b"ion tine ioco-
motive. the cl,c against tn ',o uuguardod plat
forms j. not weakened. The specific iilu,jfa-
ton doe, not apply. hat the danger remain,
the same Thousands OF person, are conscious
at this moment that they have often taken such
risk, deliberately and other thousands that they
have been forced beyond the limits Of safety
against their will.
II j, hr,lo c,, than miraculous that this dc
feet of construction l. responsible for only one
death thus far. The company has applied an
imperfect remedy her" and there, hui nowhere.
We believe. is the security what II ought - hc
In old times icry-boat> and ferry slip, wcr,
unguardcd. They are now almost universally
protected by fence, and gate, Every elevated
station platform ought f. b" mad, equally safe
without unnecessary loss al tinI".