The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-04-24
FREDERICK w. BAKER, Editor.
The Accident on the Maryland Central

Corporations are said to have no souls, but
we doubt not that the officers of the Mary
land Central Railroad Company have hearts
sympathize with suffering as other men nor
can we doubt that they feel most deeply the
anguish which has been caused by the fright
full accident that occurred at Overshot trestle,
on the 10th instant. Individually, officers
and employees of the company have stated
that they believed the trestle to be perfectly
safe for the passage of loaded trains, all the
trestles having been inspected from time to
time. 1t is reasonable to accept this state
ment as the sincere opinion of those in author
ity, for would they have been willing to risk
the heavy pecuniary loss that the company
has sustained, to say nothing of the sadder
and irretrievable loss of human life? The
fault here has clearly not been that knowing
the danger the company recklessly disregard
ed it. Examination of the timbers since the
wreck proves conclusively that the structure
was, and must have been for some time, utter
ly unsafe, Hundreds of persons who saw the
condition of the timbers after the train went
down would testify to the truth of this as
sertion, the wonder being that the trestle
stood as long as it did. Yet, as has been said,
officers and employees testify that from time
to time all the trestles had been inspected"
Here, then, is the weak place in the manage
ment. Either the inspection was not made
as the companys officials supposed, or the in
spection was intrusted to careless or incompe-
tent persons. In either case those in author
ity are responsible. There ought not to be
the least possibility of either state of the case
existing. This is not the kind of care which
the public has right to expect from those
into whose hands the safety of human life is
intrusted. Railroad companies ought not
only to believe their roadway-including
bridges and trestles-to be safe, but their be-
liefought to be founded on the absolute know
ledge of persons competent to judge in such
matters.
We have no desire to censure uDjustly or
even too harshly the management of the
Maryland Central Railroad, and we are far
from charging all or any of its officials with
criminal intent. On this point the Baltimore
Sun says:
"They cannot be presumed to have planned
or intended injury either to themselves, their
own property or that of their road, or TO any
other human being. Yet frightful accident
ensues-human beings are killed, it matters
not whether through design or ignorance.
If the evidence discloses the facts that in de-
spite of warning, or through neglect snd fail
ure to examine, the structure of the road it
SELF its bridges, trestles, &C., has become IA
tally defective, then it is the province of the
law to intervene and prevent future disaster.
Because it may be In contemplation to make
the Maryland Central an important link and
connection with the Belt Railroad and the
Baltimore and Ohio-to improve it, retrack
1t, rebuild it, almost, at the expense of its own
stockholders-that is no reason why it should
be suffered to fall into ruinous and danger
GUS condition in the meantime and be operat-
ed at the risk of the lives of everybody who
travels over it. The failure of the coroner's
jury to express any opinion as to whether
any blame or responsibility attached to any
body for the recent disaster only makes plain
er, easier and more imperative the duty of the
grand jury. The fact that the people killed
or MANNED were employees of the road makes
no difference"
Let the case be thoroughly and fearlessly
investigated, so that the responsibility may
rest where it justly belongs.
States Attorney Webster has ordered an
examination to be made into the condition of
all the trestles on the line OF the Maryland
Central in Hartford county, and the same &C.
ton has been taken by States Attorney Dun
can with regard to Baltimore county Their
course is to be commended. If the trestles
are declared safe confidence will be restored
in the road. If they are found to be unsafe
trains should not be allowed to run over
them until they are repaired.