The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-02
Maude BaI|Ington Booth Would
End Useless Suffering.
WRITES RAILROAD PRESIDENTS.
Fifty Receive Letters In Which She Makes
the Suggestion Which She Declares Is
Not an Idle One.

New York. March 2-Especially har'
rowing Is the thought OF the brave engi'
neer held beneath the iron wreckage OF
his locomotive. scalded by steam and
yet awfully alive TO every torture OF
slow-coming death.
Would Il not be an unspeakable com
fort to bystanders. as we'll as the suffer
or II those dying In agony could be
rendered unconscious by few breaths OF
q merciful anaesthetic7
The terrible suffering OF the victims OF
recent railroad wrecks has so moved
Mrs. Bailington Booth that she has writ
ten a letter to the presidents of 90 rail-
road companies, In which she suggests
that conductors OF trains be supplied with
chloroform or other anaesthet!c 10 be
used to allay the pain OF those who are
inextricably pinned beneath the wreck
age, or are fatally injured and praying
for slow-coming death to end their sur
fering.
Mrs. Booth herself In a great traveller.
has on several occasions seen the victims
Of wrecks pinioned under the wreckage
and slowly burned to death. She be-
came convinced that II would be an act
of mercy TO administer an anaesthetic
that these persons might die without the
terrible torture Of burning. Here is her
letter:
Dear Sir-In view OF the serious ac-
cidents which have been agitating the
public and the painful details which
have aroused so much humane SYM
pathy, trust the suggestion con-
tanned In this letter will receive some
consideration. and II found practical,
may be adopted by your road.
am very extensive traveller
spending many days and nights OF
every month upon the road and. there
fore, any question which affects the
life or comfort OF passengers or OF the
brave men ahead comes very closely
home to me.
have noticed in reading some OF
the recent railroad wrecks. as also
many in the past, that survivors have
had to witness the agony of fatally
injured victims who, pnioned inextri-
cably beneath the wreckage, have
pleaded for the relief OF death while
uncomfortable flames have scorched
or consumed them. Especially har-
rowing Is the thought OF the brave en-
gineer, held beneath the iron wreckage
OF his locomotive. scalded by steam
and vet awfully alive to every torture
OF coming death. II dumb
animal was seen in similar circum-
stances we would instantly end Its
Misery with swift bloW or mercl1ul
shot. This is not permissible when
the sufferer is a human being. whose
highly organized nervous system Is
capable of still greater suffering.
AS have glanced at the little glass
case holding the saw and hatchet for
use In emergency have asked myself
why the railroad companies have so
far overlooked another precautlon
which might save lift and lessen suf-
fering.
why not equip every train, or better
still. the conductor of each train, with
small case containing chloroform,
ether stimulants. bandages. lotions for
bruises and antiseptic solutions for the
washing OF wounds? These could be
packed In a very small case and would
represent no very costly outlay Acct
dents often occur far from towns, and
many precarious moments, if not
hours. when lives could be saved are
of necessity lost for the want of these
necessary materials.
Would II not be an unspeakable
comfort to bystanders, as well as the
sufferers. II those dying In agony
could be rendered unconscious by n
few breaths of a merciful anaesthetic,
10 say nothing of the prompt aid
which could be rendered 20 those who
might yet be saved7
This Is not the idle suggestion OF a
moment. but comes from one who has
watched suffering and TO whom the
rhythm OF the wheels Is the most ia
mfliar OF sounds. Believe me very
cordially yours, MAUD Il. BOOTH.
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