The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-27
Premature Blame for Disasters.

Tho cause OF tho explosion In Park place
on Saturday still remains o mystery
Whether It will ever be cleared up or not Is
uncertain. The complete destruction OF tho
building and the TACT that those who could
tell most about tho circumstances OF it's fall
arc dead, constitute serious and perhaps
insuperable obstacles to satisfactory In
vestgation. The difficulties Of the inquiry
in the very nature Of things are great
enough; and it lie. therefore. all the more to
be regretted that many persons interested In
the result are pursuing course which
tends to obscure rather than elucidate the
truth.
These people advance theories OF the dis
aster most accordant with their own inter-
ests, and then shut their eyes to all facts
which do not tend to uphold them. Some
body must have been to blame" they
say, land We must see to 1t that the blame
does not fall upon us. or is not placed any
where 80 as to affect US injuriously." Thus
the underwriters scout the idea OF there
having been any explosion or fire In the first
instance. They wish to escape as far as pos
sible liability upon their policies OF insur-
ance. The owners Of the building. on the
other hand, and some ut least Of the officers
OF the Department OF Buildings. are equally
confident that an explosion was the pri-
mary cause Of the accident, and they
refuse to entertain the idea that the
building was structurally weak or over
loaded with machinery Mt the timo Of the
disaster. Then, again, there is always In
such cases peremptory demand In some
quarters for the punishment OF somebody
or other, through the agency OF tho criminal
law 1t Is assumed, In advance OF any legal
investigation. that some one must be GRIM
inally responsible for the disaster and the
cutlery which is almost certain to arise for
the discovery Of somebody to punish is apt
to deter those who know most about the oc-
currence from disclosing the facts within
| their knowledge, lest they themselves or
their friends shall be made the victims OF
popular feeling. All these conditions hinder
and impede successful investigation.
| Such an inquiry as is necessary in this
case, should be entered upon without
indulging In any presumptions what
ever. We have. In the first instance.
the fact that the disaster occurred.
1t may have happened by reason OF some
body's criminal negligence. 1t may have
happened under such circumstances that
| nobody Is really to blame. Those who
desire to get at the truth about the matter
should be equally Indifferent as to which
conclusion may finally be reached. Their
sole purpose should be to ascertain every
| fact and circumstance from available
| sources which will help them to reach a
conclusion that shall be absolutely correct.
whether tho result Is to absolve every one
from blame or to demonstrate the fact that
some one has been guilty Of negligence
which amounts to crime. Conducting an
investigationin this spirit, Indifferent as to
the outcome so long as 1t shall be the truth,
and without threatening or desiring to pun
ish any ono or shield any one the authori-
ties may solve the mystery Of the Park
place disaster; but any inquiry conducted
otherwise than in this fair and unprecedented
manner must inevitably lead to an incon-
| elusive result.