New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-22
a RAILROAD CRIME,

The wreck on the Grand Trunk road at Battle
Creek on Friday morning was the most de-
structive and in its incidents the most dreadful
of all the railroad disasters which have added
70 the gloom and grief of this calamitous year.
No language can exaggerate It's horrors. Inc
most stoid reader Of the dispatches In when
they are described must shudder at the recital
and feel impelled to join in the demand that
when the responsibility has been Enthusiastically
fixed an adequate penalty shall be imposed.
Overwhelming proof has been furnished by
the consequences Of negligence on numerous
railroads that the Indispensable conditions OF
safety have been violated during the last four
or five months Doubtless their managers had
difficult problems to solve. but though the COM
plications and perplexitics of an unusual and
rapidly increasing traffic have been eXpertiy
adjusted on paper there has been woful neg
lect in practice of some essential requirements.
The material resources have been multiplied or
stretched TO meet extraordinary demands, out
no corresponding cultivation Of the moral quail
tiles which the emergency imperatvely called
for has been disccrnbe. On the contrary
general relaxation of discipline has been start
lingly disclosed in an unparalleled succession
of disasters caused by criminal negligence or
wanton disobediencc. The companies cannot
put off the whole burden on the individuals VINO
have been the immediate agents OF destruction
The guilt of managers has been in many in
stances great and obvious. They have over
worked their employees, have knowingly con-
iidcd great trusts TO incompetent hands. ana IN
various ways have set an example OF unfaith
fulness to solemn obligations which could not
fail to be initiated. Instead Of strong. steady
and persistent Indictment 10 vigilance and pre-
cision their own conduct has encouraged IN
difference carelessness and q feeble recognition
of duty The special conditions affecting tn"
transportation business have demanded the
highest development Of conscience and Skill
and the demand has not been met That is the
plain truth and it needs to be reiterated.
Unfortunately, there can be no punishment
for such general delinquency except that which
comes slowly and indirectly through forfeiture
of public confidence and loss Of personal reputa-
ton. But that those who arc fundamentally
respousible cannot be reached Is not a sufficient
reason for toleratlng the sins Of their subordi
mates. The safety Of travellers requires that
criminal negligence, which is the direct cause
an individual. shall be vigorously and Impair
TALLY punished. Such an exaction for the COM
mon good is just and In a large sense mcrciful
And yet almost the rarest judgment OF an
American court is a Judgment expressing that
principle For the public at large and jurors
on oath instinctively shrink from the obliga-
ton of Furnishing man who had no evil intch
ton whose intelligence perhaps had been over
rated by those responsible for his employment
or overtaxed by excessive labor. and who for
one fatal moment Of mortal frailty was I'M
equal to his trust From the consequences of
such a default the escape Of the delinquent,
whether lust or not is almost inevitable.
But there are cases in which no such consid-
erations plead for pardon or extenuation and
the catastrophe on the Grand Trunk is one Of
them. The sole cause of that unspeakablc hor-
ror was wilful disobedience Of an imperative
written order The special excursion train run
ming east was ordered to wait on Il siding for
the westbound Pacific express, but instead of
being held there in safety I'LL the track was
clear it was sent forward, and moment later
was in collision. From the flaming wreck more
than twoscore charrcd and mangled bodies
were taken and as many more living victims.
The statements Of the conductor and engineer
of the excursion train are contradictory, but
neither denies that the written order TO halt
was received and understood. vigorous
prosecution will easily determine which. If
either Of these two men is gutless, and when
that point has been asccrtaincd the duty OF
Judge and jury will be clear and imperative.
The longest term Of Imprisonment which the
law permits will not be too long for the Grim
inal who deliberately chose TO take an awful
risk in fragrant violation Of positive com
mand and SO accomplished an atroclous
slaughter