Morning journal and courier., 1892-06-07

those who have had a peep behind the scenes. And it is said they are willing to contribute round million to gain a simi- lar favor in this city. How much the rail- road corporations gave may never be known. The railroad commissioners acted with subserviency to the railway interest totally incomprehensible upon the theory judgment, but in the absence of all other proof they must stand uncondemned of the crime of venality.
 From every town and municipality where the trolley is working we receive al- most daily reports of the killing and maim- ing of the people and the slaughter of horses. There seems to be no way of guarding against the ever-present danger. No matter how carefully the wires are in- sulated, it needs but 8 slight disturbance to start the current on its mission of death In New Jersey last week torrent of rain furnished a conductor that took the cleo tric current down the iron column, laying the four horses of 8 coaching party pros trate, killing one of them and seriously in turing several persons who sought to rem edy the difficulty. A new peril has been discovered in Boston. The electricity which passes off under the car charges the rails, but these in turn are supposed to give the power back to the earth. It seems that the iron sometimes refuses to do this, and the bar thus becomes what is known as a "dead rail"
 It is entitled to this name in @ double sense. On Wednesday driver for Mir G. F. Burkhardt was crossing the track when one of the horses, 8 beautiful animal weighing seventeen hundred pounds, trod upon the rail and fell dead. There was no car passing, no wire had fallen, but the trolley owners explained that ''there was no outlet for the electricity which the rail contained" The other day gentleman was out with his two sporting dogs on his way to the country when one of them ran up to the trolley post and put his nose to the iron. There was a snap and over went the animal in deadly convulsions. We have long list of accidents where people have been run over and injured, and quite a number of young children who were in stautly killed, not being able to get out or the way in time.
 A Boston paper, referring to the recent crash at Westchester Park and Beacon street. asserts that it was not expected and "may happen again tomorrow" It de- clares that "as long as every one of the streets of Boston is grade crossing men and women and children will be run over" The trolley it pronounces altogether wrong for a surface system. It is danger ous and bad. It carries death overhead, under foot and on the surface. These ac- cidents are increasing in frequency. They will keep on increasing as time passes and the plant deteriorates. As the trolley wire wears out and the guard wires-which do not guard-rust, and the great feed wires lose their insulation, there will be danger to life on every block in the city. There must be different system" And yet when the Brooklyn aldermen returned from Boston they reported that the trolley system was approved there and was 8 great successl As far as we can learn the doctors. undertakers and accident insu- rance companies are the only parties st the Hub that have a word to say in favor of this modern Juggernaut.
 When it shall be put in operation in the streets of Brooklyn and the slaughter be- gins, we wonder what the reputable citi- zens who own the railway shares and have secured the right to substitute the trolley system for the horses will think of their action. Will the increased dividends quiet the bangs of an accusing consciencel They will send the maimed to hospitals to be cared for at their expense, and they will give costly funerals for the little inaocents, like those at Pittsburg the other day, who are killed in the streets, but will they feel comfortable when they think it all over in the quiet of their own honest And will it be such financial success after alli In Boston and other towns the people who ride are becoming a little shy of the electric cars, and many prefer to walk. Their watches are msgnetized, and like everything animate and inanimate con- nected with the system, refuse to tell the truth. And the doctors say that nervous diseases are aggravated by the constant suhjection to the electrical influence which none who travel in these cars may escape, and new and yet unnamed in lection is traceable to the came source. 0a the whole the trolley is what the great politician called "worse than 6 crime"- it is a huge blunderI