Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-11-14
RAILROAD COLLISIONS.

horrible Results Of some Of che Latest
Suggest That Something Must ne Done.
A majority Of the 30 called accidents
on our railroads in the last three or four
months have not been caused by the fail
ure Of rolling stock, bridges or roadbed
70 stand thsstrain put upon them, but to
the terrible carelessness Of employees In
places Of great responsibility. The col.
lision in Michigan was caused by tho
reckless disobedience Of plain orders on
the part Of the officers In charge Of one
Of the trains. Apparently these officers
readily took the risk Of continuing be-
yond the point where they had been di-
rected to stop, knowing that at any time
they might meet another fast train on
the same track. II will be noted that
they were able TO escape by jumping of
Just before the collision that killed 20
passengers.
The collision In Illinois q few hours
earlier between q limited express and q
train of coal cars could not have taken
place If those in charge Of the freight
train had exercised ordinary care and
observed the fundamental rules Of the
service. These are the latest additions
20 an appalling list Of blunders and I'M
stances of reckless disobedience which
have caused great loss Of life since tho
beginning of last summer, and this latest
collision, followed by FIRE that left only
the oharred bodies Of many victims who
could not be identified, is the worst Of
all.
II Is true that In the last few months
many railroad lines have been overtaxed
by = sudden and exceptional growth OF
passenger trafic which has found them
poorly equipped both as to the safe
guards which are needed and the em-
ployess required for the work. tits prob
able also that on some roads employees
who were Trustworthy under old condi.
tions have become untrustworthy and
even reckless under the strain of over
work. But, while the people generally
| may be interested In discussion Of tho
underlying causes Of such q series oi
dreadful events, they are more deeply
interested In suggestions as TO the action
which can be taken to prevent such
carelessness and disregard FOR the safety
Of passengers, as have been shown thii
year.
Are the penalties which a company
may suffer heavy enoughf The loss o.
property in a collision is not an impor
tant loss for great corporation. Th'
conviction of conductor, or an engineer
or train diapstcher on charge Of man
slaughter can exercise very little re
straining influence upon the company
that employed him. But If 1t were pos
sible to collect through the courts larg
sums in damages for the lives that ar
lost the companies would be much NOR,
careful both IN the supervision Of thei
employees and in the establishment o
block signals and other safeguards.
For the go lives sacrificed in Michigan
the relatives Of the victims can recove
from the company almost 100000, o.
81, 900 for each life. II this limit, whicl
is imposed by the laws in most Of thr
states, were removed, such terrible
slaughter as this would be 30 expensive
to company that the establishment o
approved safeguards would not be neg
lected, and every possible effort to insure
the efficiency Of train officers and thu
preservation Of passengers' lives woult
be made. Under present conditions I
railroad company commonly suffers {
much smaller loss in money when pas
senger Is killed than when one is Grip
pied. York Times.