Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-11-24
WRECK FROM THE PULPIT.
The Disaster OF Lake Labish Dis
cassed In the n. &. Pulpit
Sunday Night

late tTalu NItth ~ lsohS A<HptSh q
few miles north of this city. He
took for a text: "Set thy house IN
order, for thou shalt die, and not
live," I'd Kings, 20:l.
"Iu this fatal disaster three persons
were killed outright and one other
died next morning on the train ar
riving at Portland, and multitude
of Others are destined to go down to
deaths door more or less MANNED In
body or limb and one man at least
must bobble through life IN one
foot. The coroner's jury, composed
Of good and reputable men, and the
railroad commission, composed
of fellow citizens of the
commonwealth, aided by compe-
tent counsel, decided the track had
not been tampered with, and that
the bridge was faulty. To say that
all possible care had been taken,
under such decisions would not be
true. To say that the railroad
company did not care for such a
wreck would be no less untrue.
They are not Indifferent to the dead
and suffering. The coat has been
immehse to care for the wounded in
the hospitals aud hotels, and the
costs which must be paid the fam
lilies of the dead and to the wounded
show that the company was no,
careless from financial standpoint,
1t is difficult to place the blame
in such a case. First, 1t may b.
from incompetency. II the man
or roadmaster did not report
to the company the correct condi-
ton of the bridge, the company is
not morally to blame, but the blame
resls upon this man. II the COM
pany knew the bridge was iD a bad
condition then it is morally and
legally responsible for the disaster
Such fatal disaster shows some
body somewhere is to blame. The
theory of the rail being tampered
with is q fabrication.
Never did, feel more serious thar
when / looked on those dead faces
and heard the groans of the wound
ed directly after daylight the mex
morning. This whole disaster i,
the result of unintentional delay
unintentional-o oh thou demo nfeed
ing tbyself on blood and the souls o
men,"
The unusual attention which thu
sermon has attracted makes NOR
than the above mere formal notic'
necessary and the JOURNAL ha'
obtained from Rev. Cline the follow
ing synopsis Of his remarks:
THE RESPONSIBILITY for this aw
full work has been the subject o
much coment of the press and amoni
the people.
The ceroner's jury, composed
no doubt of good and reliable citizen
after investigating the facts place,
the responsibility upon the railroad
q commission consisting of three mel
chosen from the commonwealth a
large, aided by the ablest counsel oil
both sides, after days of patien
examination, also declared the re
sponsibility of the railroad company
Truth and justic in matter lik
this requires that We be temperate
in utterance and to say that all ne
cessary or all possible care hat
been taken to prevent this disastc
would be contrary to the fiHdin,
uf both the coroner's jury and tn
commission. To say the railroad
company did not care whether sucl
q catastrophe occurred or not, woult
be both untrue and unjust. 1t is my
privilege to be perlonally acquainted
with the general officers at Portland
and am sure they are most excel
ent gentlemen. They are not deat
to the cries and sufferings of thei
fellows, particularly when these per
sons are IN their care.
Nor is it reasonable that these mer
are careless from a financial stand
point. Successful railroad manager
are the last men TO be indiffreut in 6
matter like this. The cost of this
wreck to the company is simply tire
mendous. The loss of rolling stock
caring for the wounded, which the
company have done IN the most com
mendable manner, and final settle
ment with the injured will run into
many, many, thousand.
For this calamity some person oil
persons are to blame. The genera
manager and road master are sub
ordinate officers. They are the GUS
tOdians of the directors and stock
holders. These subordinates may
have been 80 anxious to make a good
showing OH the credit side of the ac'
count, and thus neglected to keeI
the road in good condition. Or, the
trouble may have been with the d.
rectors and stockholders In not al
lowing these subordinate officers suf-
ficent means TO keep the road In
good order.
Let us for the time conclude that
the company intend to be both care
ful and humane. How may we
then give a rational account of this
disaster.