Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-13
RECENT RAIL DISASTERS.
Evidence that Carelessness Wos the Cause
Of Several.


Of Several.
Our great railroads are, for the most
part, conducted with a decent regard
for public opinion and the rights Of
the people. Their managers realize
that, deriving from the people all the
franchises they enjoy, and being de-
pendent upon them for support. they
owe in return efficient service and the
employment of all available means Of
security to their patrons There are
some corporations, however, which
seem wholly oblivious to their obliga.
tions in these particulars, and whose
only purpose apparently is to get out
of the public the maximum of profit
at minimum of service. These are
the corporations which defy public
opinion in the matter Of protection
at railway crossings, which exact Of
poorly-paid employees unreasonable
and unnatural hours of service, and
which treat with contempt the in
terests and wishes of communities
which are deprived of the advantages
of competition. Hardly day passes
that does not record some disaster
which is directly traceable either to
this picayuBe management or to cor
porate Indifference to the rights of
the public. The recent disaster to a
Manhattan Beach race-train is case
in point The switchman at the
place where the accident occurred is
paid $50 month for twelve hours
work daily. Overworked. he fell
asleep on duty; and when awakened
became tewildered, turned the switch
away, and sent the train, with its 600
passengers, to its doom. The man is.
of course, responsible for his needless.
ness; but Is not the company which
places fifty dollar man in position
requiring the very highest efficiency,
and keeps him there twelve long
hours, without time even to get his
lunch, also and more largely culpa-
BILE?
The other day, over in New Jersey,
a train on branch of the Ere road
dashed into a carriage at an exposed
crossing and killed five people. The
avenue crossed by the railroad is one
of the popular pleasure-drives OF the
most poDulous county in the State,
and there was every reason why it
should have been protected by gates
or otherwise guarded. But, while the
public has implored and protested, no
protection has been provided other
than was supplied by an inefficient
electrical apparatus. Five lives were
sacrificed and two families were DIES.
olaJed in order that the railroad com.
pany might save few paltry dollars.
1t is said that there are within a
radius OF few miles in that part of
New Jersey over two hundred cross
ings ON railroads running hourly and
half-hourly trains, which have prac-
tically no safeguards. Just now the
local authorities are endeavoring to
secure from the companies the adop-
ton of some methods of protection,
but there is little prospect that they
will succeed in their efforts. The only
remedy lies in the enactment of laws
requiring all crossings to be protected
by gates until crossing at grade is
abolished, and this latter should be
required by statute in every State of
the Union. 1t is time that corporate
greed and intolerance of wholesale
restraint should be arrested by an as
sertion of authority adequate to their
suppression. Frank Leslies.