Omaha daily bee., 1893-08-20
ARE RAILROADS DEVILROADS
Sending the Country to Hades by Defying
the Spirit of Law.
FlENDlSH ATTEMPT TO CAUSE COLLISION
oakiand's Fight with the Southern Pacific
An s. z. Boat Would Wreck Her
RiyaI--Tne Council Questionable
Stringent Ordinances.

oAhLAND, Odl, Aug. lO-loptCldi Ooi-
respondence. More coal was heaped |
upon the fire of public wrath against the |
Southern Pacific when yesterday morning |
her steamer Transit very nearly occasioned |
a collision with the Rosaie in going through
what is known as the creek connecting the
bay. The latter is by far the smaller vessel,
was crowded with passengers, and would
without doubt nave been sunk had the col
lision occurred and it was no fault of the
Transits that this did not occur.
AS the little boat was riding over the rip
pling surface of the creek the Transit,
freight boat of the railroad company, started
out from the freight slip and took her course
for San Francisco, following in parallel
with the opposition boat, the Rosalic, but
near the left-hand shore and ahead of the
latter craft. Two banks of sea wall ex-
tend at the mouth of the creek, and the
boats are obliged to pass between these to
reach the bay The channel is kept well
dredgcd, is wide, and has no distractions in
it, The Rosalie was hugging the right en-
bankmcnt while the Transit. heavily loaded
with freight cars, was steaming along the
left wall with room enough between
| them for the largest vessel to pass. The
| Rosalie gave loud whistle signaling she
| would keep her course to the right. The
| whistle can be heard for mile. and the
| The boats were about 300 and 400 feet from the
| bay. the Transit 100 feet ahead of the smaller
vessel. Suddenly the Transit changed her
| course, turned TO starboard and directed her
advance across the Rosalie's bows The
| pilot held up his hands in horror, and an cN-
| rlamation of surprise broke from his lips.
i he captain, who had been watching
the other vessel, jumped for the bell-pull,
| and the big brass tongue rang out
sharp signal of alarm and "A moment later
| the engines were reversed and the screw
racing at full speed astern Onward came
the huge Transit. The Rosalie's deck was
| now crowded with excited men and women
watching anxiously the approach of the
vessels. Nearer and nearer they came.
Would they collidel 1t seemed as if that
dreadful fate were inevitable.
A moment later the larger vessel had
passed the bows of the Rosalie. Only five
feet had interviewed. The collision had been
| averted
Did He Intend Murderf
What did the captain of the Transit
mean9 What legitimate object could he
| have had crossing the bows of the smaller
| vessell
Following the events of last Saturday this
incident aroused the temper of the people to
a fever pitch. Men cursed the corporation
| and even women were pronounced in their
denuno iation of the proceeding.
| 81 tell you tnat was Il deliberate attempt
at MURDER" said one.
"The captain isn't to blame" said another.
| OHlS dIJluS ullucI OIueiS IL oHdu
corporation, that MONOPOLY, that wants to
own US body and soul and won't hesitate to
| kill If it can have its way"
Even if the pilot of the Transit were
deaf, he could have seen the lSosalie through
the glass enclosure of the pilot house.
Captain Graves of the Rosalie was averse
to comment on the affair, and reluctantly
spoke concerning it.
II cannot understand what the pilot of the
Transit was trying to do" said he ut GER
tainly looked rs it he was trying to foul us,
and had not the Rosalie answered quickly
to her engines an accident would have hap
pened. If he was not trying to foul us, then
| the action was taken to delay us or cause
our passengers to become frightened The
creek was perfectly free; there were no OBJ
structions, and she should have stood on as
she was heading. Standing on our course
another half a minute would have brought
the boats together"
Explaining how he happened to respond to
the danger so promptly he said further:
II was Watching her. She has tried that
dodge twice before and | expected it this
morning. The other times the intention
was evidently to delay US and she was so far
ahead as not to place us in danger. so / said
nothing about it. Today, however, it was
different"
1t is difficult in such cases tc prove criminal
intentiou but as soon AS possible a formal
report is to be made TO the United States in
spectors in connection, requesting that the
pilot of the Transit have his license taken
from him.
Three Governing Ordinances.
One hour before the Monday night session
OF the city council was held the chambers
were jammed with interested citizens, who
, ! discussed the situation and gave vent to al
, | sorts of opinions which summed up in a
| general defiance aiming Ito see whether the
Southern Pacific owned Oakland or not" |,
, | was the largest crowd ever packed in the
| chamber, and the most earnest ana deter
l mined gathering of citizens ever held within
, | those walls.
Loud cheers followed the introduction oi
| the first ordinance for the placing of fiagmeI
. on street crossings. 1t read as follows
An ordinance requiring ailroad companies
to station iiagmen at certain street crossin =
in the city OF fOakland, and regulating the pas
sage of railway engines over and across sale
| crossings.
BE it ordained by the city of Oakland as fol
lows:
Section 1. Every steam railroad compan,
: operating a railroad in the city OF Oakland
shall station Il tlagman at every street cross
ns Tsep m any oi ] .s ,refs erSSs any ny tracE
t tric, cable or other street railroads on an.
= public street In the city OF Oakland, and shal
keep such iasmen so stationed at each crossing
during such portion OF the day as both of sucl
: intersecting roads are operated, and no office
q or cmployc of such companies shall cause o
i permit any railway engine or ira to pas
X over any such crossing during said time, ,un
=. less "A ilagman be there stationed AS provided
= by the foregoing provisions OF section /.
Sec 2; No person or persons operating o
c%phtr1llins % any railway engine 1ha!i ~ cause
q steam railway or street railway until the flag
i ! man stationed at said crossing shall sigma
him or them so to do.
Sec 5. Any person violating any provision O
Z this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of
II msdemeanor, and upon conviction thereo
l. shall be fined In II sum not greater than $500
and in case said fine be not paid then ther per
y son fined shall he imprisoned at the rate q
a one day for every ~ of said fine remaining un
- paid.
. Sec. 4. All ordinances Or parts of ordinance
" thai conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Sec. b. This ordinance shall take effect I'm
mediately upon its approval.
The second ordinance reads:
! No person or persons having charge or con
II | troll OF any railway engine shall cause or pei
ia nit the same to cross the track of any steaI
" railroad In the city OF Oakland without trs
T. causing the said engine to come To II full sto
is within lOJ feet OF the ntersecting track
n The line for this often 10 Il fixed at $500.
is The last and most important ordinance n
4 lating to this case was for regulating tn
m speed of trains, thus:
no An ordinance regulating the speed OF raj
re way engines and cars propelled by steam /
- the city OF Oakland.
u. Ba 1t ordained by the council OF the city
" Oakland as follows:
Section /. No person, firm corporate
T., having charge OF or operating or conductin
A. any railway engine or cars propelled by stea
in the city of oakland shall cause, permit {
allow the same To pass over, along or upC
any OF the public streets or highways In ii
ar city OF Oakland at II greater maximum spec
han Fl ..h l.. aaaa.. 0a...W Al