Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-23
TRAVEL FIFTY YEARS AGO.
Difficulties and Discomforts That Pre-
vailed at That Time.

Railway travel fifty years ago had
drawbacks peculiarly it's own. A dense
ignorance concerning the powers OF
the then new method of travel pre-
vailed generally. The ancient stage
coach had not been driven out Of buSl-
ness. Just what the conditions in
those days were are described accurate
ly in little volume published by Di-
mysius Lardner, D. c. L., in 1S47, and
entitled Railway Economy" This
volume was not written in jest, as ex-
tracts from it suggest. The pictures
given are vivid and amusing. The
volume begins with the following in
PRODUCTION:
1T is a popularity of railway loco
motion that the speed, when not very
rapid, always appears to the unprac-
ticed passenger much less than it is.
A railway train moving at the rate of
fast stage coach seems to go scarcely
as fast as a person might walk. To
this circumstance (Which is explained
by the extreme smoothness of the mo-
tion) is to be ascribed the great fire.
quency Of accidents arising from pas
sengers attempting to descend from
trains while still in motion. This is
The most common cause of that class
of accidents on railways, which are
owing to want of due caution on the
part of the passenger. | have witness
ed many accidents of this class, and
the reports of the railway board
abound with them"
Railroad tunnels had been built, and
here are some rules regarding them
that will be appreciated:
ION some lines of railway seats are
provided on C.-e roofs of the carriages
These are to be avoided. Those who
occupy them sometimes inadvertently
stand up, and when the train passes
! under bridge they are struck by the
arch Guards and brakemen whose
duty brings them to these positions,
and who are disciplined to exercise
| caution, are nevertheless frequent suf-
| ferers from this.
Newcastle and Carlisle, Sept. 2,
1S46.-Sitting on top, stood up as the
train was approaching an archway,
was struck by it. Killed.
Manchester and Sheffield, March s.
1S47.-Struck by bridge. Killed"
Wagons and trucks made as much
trouble fifty years ago as they do to-
day, as the following shows:
1T may be affirmed generally that
| there is always more or less danger
on a railway when carriages or wagons
are found at a place where, in the reg
ular working of the line, they ought
not to be. In such cases a train lOl-
| lowing them, not expecting to find
them there, is likely to run upon them
and produce a collision. / have per
sonally witnessed more than one eX-
ample Of this, and the reports of the
railway commissioners supply several
| should therefore recommend the
above rule for general observation;
but in leaving the train passengers
should beware of crossing the line Oh
standing on it or of getting out o.
the carriages at the wrong side.
Southwestern, Jan. IA, 1S4S.-Tht
engine of a passenger train having
been partially disabled, the engine
drive. got under it to repair the dam
:age. While thus employed a good.
train overlook and ran into the pas
senger train, causing the instant dealt
of the driver and injury to the fireman
and eleven passengers; also injury t.
one of the guards of the goods train.