The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-02
DELAYS ALONG THE WAY.

tcoPYRioHr. 1851
Zone hour late" Three hours late"
indefinitely late" is often written
upon the bulletin boards ut the union
stations where trains are due. This
sometimes means more than the an
nouncement. Sometimes IT means q
collision-a head-end or tail-end COLI
sion. Sometimes it means fearful
"reck-a whole train off the track,
the dead and wounded lying around.
Sometimes it means q bridge gone.
More frequently it means they have
waited on connections.
have Travelled over this country for
almost score Of years, thousands and
thousands of miles annually. l have
never been in a serious wreck. have
had them just ahead and just behind
me often. A few days ago ! was en-
route to New Orleans. Our train was
due in New Orleans ut Z: 80 next morn
ing after leaving Atlanta at 400 D. IN.
However, we left Atlanta three hours
late and were sidetracked at Bay st.
Louis next morning, and remained
there throughout the day, leaving there
|
New Orleans at one o'clock midnight.
1t rained most of the day. Our train was
crowded with people; perhaps two or
three hundred on board. Men with their
wives and children; passengers white
and colored, jew and Gentle. OF course,
the rain kept us in the cars most of the
! day. There was wreck ahead of us, at
the Penri river draw bridge. had an
| engagement TO lecture in New Orleans
! twhere 1900 people had gathered, was
told the next norning) in Artillery hall
that night. There were two other lee
turers on board the train, and the arch
bishop of the Catholic church, of New
Orleans. who also had an engagement at
New Orleans.
| have narrated this incident simply
to say that amidst the crowded cars and
discounted passengers | didn't hear
kick or a growl. A more patient good
natured people never mingled with.
/ have learned long ago myself not to
kick. l need the strength l sec others
use in kicking for better things. Then
what is the use Of kicking? The rail-
road on which the disaster occurred is
one of the best-Inanuged roads in Amer
lea. No more efficient men opera c any
road. and the executive head of that
read is a marvel of executive ability
! There was no defect in rail or spike or
tie or bridge. Men caused the wreck
There was draw bridge open and a
freight train rushed into a watery grave,
the engine and 20 cars or more all out
of sight in the deep water below.
President Chaunccy Depcw, OF the
/ New York Central railroad, some time
ago. writing for one of our reviews, said
that his railroad had four tracks; one
for west-bound passenger trains, one
for cast-bound passenger trains, one for
west-bound freight trains and one for
east-bound freight trains. They had,
he said, almost perfect machinery, II
perfect block system, and so on. But"
said he, 1--WE run our trains with men.
| Men are imperfect. If we only had
angels to run our trains we, would then
have no accidents"
Mans imperfection is written upon
everything that man runs or touches.
A failure to obey orders, failure to
U 81
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