New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-04
BEST
OPINIONS OF RAILROAD MEN.
SOME DEDUCTIONS FROM RECENT wREcKs-MR


DEPEws IDEAS.
The recent appalling confession Of four scarcely
grown lads in Rome. y. Y, that they had deliber-
ately wrecked passenger train on the New-fork
Central Railroad for the purpose OF plunderng the
passengers seemed at first almost 20 stun the pup
lie 1t difficult to realize Immediately that 80
enormous crime should have been accomplished
by beardless boys although the passengers All
escaped death. II has therefore happened that the
public interest has grown. rather than diminished,
with the lapse of time. DIR. Parkhurst has called
for the prompt conviction and quick execution or
the four young criminals.
The fact OF such a crime having been committed
has led many persons to call for the passage of a
law making attempts at train wrecking capital Of
fences whether not any lives are lost by reason
OF the attempt California already has such stat
ute in force as the strikers discovered in the great
railroad riots Of 1893 and the severity Of the law
is held be amply justified by the character OF the
offence.
But the Rome disaster has aroused vast deal OF
comment of an entirely different SORT, which IS OF
special Importance to the travelling public, az
showing the great improvements that have been
made by the New-York Central and other railroads
in their train service and the safety thereby sc
cured the passengers
Chauncey NJ Depew, president Of the NeW-fork
Central Railroad. in interview last evening
made a comparison between the Rome wreck and
Lackawanna and Western Railroad. While the
latter he said was an accident such as could not
occur on the Central because II is equipped with
the latest system now considered perfect, or DOCK
signals by which switches automatically
locked still the Preble disaster had drawn further
attention TO the at Rome The Rome wreck
he declared to be unparalleled in modern railroad
ing, and more like some happening In the indian
Territory in oldcn days than an incident in New
York State in 1895.
Commenting on this Mr. Depew told one thing
not yet known to the public. The detectives OF MS
company in searching one of the four boys fouhd
an ordinary household hammer tied to his arm with
a stout cord. When questioned the young scouhdrei
confessed that their purpose had been to ROD the
passengers after the train was wrecked, and that
the hammer was for convenient use on any pas
senger who might show signs Of life and resist the
robbers - ..i-,naro
lively demands the strictest measures for the re-
preston OF premeditated crimes OF TINS sort,
He further emphatcally indoFseI .ie 80. r
that 1t pays railroad company to use me DTs So.
most modern system or Hte-saVing SPpIa ~,
That Is question, he declared on whieh no 5ne
is possible. Personally. he mad ai%ays1 e GHIe
all in his power to have every merorroub5 n 70
adopted on the Central Rairoad ms si,, o os ~
keep his company always in the van o. pFosresSS' f.,
prominent operating oInc'a' c 81 between
the Rome wreck and the one almost preGIse,y, I'M
Vermont. in 1857, in which some twelve or thirteen
persons were burned to death He pointed cut WIZ I'm
parlOnaOle pride the fact that MS cOhlpdi! ny nc
adoption of steam-heating apparatus ana tne t use
of the Pntsch light on its PASSENGER uaHlss a't'
wh.ch was the one most dreaded Of al, in tire case
of possible wreck For II IS wei N"V@n "a a.
that the od-tme Kerosene lamps nave. heeh me
cause OF an immense destruction OF botn HE ana
property; 49,. u,.-s,,,,ro o,r,ia,ces" he con-
tinuei THE Rome disaster would very likely nave
caused as terrible loss Of life ~ any Of the most
aement by the introduction Of air brakes. the
block system and steam-heatng apparatus and by
~ ffrhf 81
iniized the dangers of railroad travelling. - H..
There IS another side to tns which IS OF qrfcs
company shows conclusvely that Sucn appliances
only Increase the earnings 2y thG r0 aon p by
reducing the operating expenses. This beng the
case and it IS now fully demonstr there is no
viii come into general use on al or the principal
railroads In this country several otner prominent
Charles Whiting Baker, Editor Of "EngneeFing
Ne%s SPOKE II ia rs smaf d s5rn M adopi
any Improvement that would pay and experience
rro,n the deration of safety which. OF course
is the most interesting the passenger and the
lie was especially emphatic in praisng the ar
rangemens for heating and Lighting the cars so gen.
orally adopted in lieu of the oil lamp ana tne car
stove He has investigated the Rome wreck care
fully and concludes that with the old applahTsss
there would doubtless have been great loss OF h
and property. 4 mail car such as there was on me
wrecked train mas to be ghted WIN ne Pee arap
a certainty As ii was. nothing kindied though
some of the gas tanks were smashed ana some "eIe
emptled by reason Of broken connections. IN one one
Sleeping car the gas burned at one jet all night
after the wreck, the lamp being uninlured .,
This last circumstance was partculaTiy fortuna
according TO the testimony Of George IL Ely presi-
dant of Tho First National Bank, of lllyria, ONO.
,ybo was passenger on the Inflated train He was
awakened hy the shock when MS sleeper was vas t de
iight from the one gas jet mentioned. That was
sufficient however. to enable him to dress hlinseIl
comnletely even 20 his neck-tie and scarf PIN lie
thrn with the other passengers in his car. all OF
VIII IN had also dressed, could see sufficiently well 10
clarnher out through a window on the upper side OF
the car 10 the open air. where they remained on me
,Inturnsd side with the passengers from the other
cars until assistance arrived.
There Is now bank president in ONO VINO Is
on husias tcally in favor OF all the railroad com
nnnies combining themselves 10 the exclusive use OF
he safest and most modern appliances, as he attro
utes his own safety and that OF many OF the o'he'
IA, IN ir III % this train