Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-15
The TrestIe Disaster Again.

The Trestle Disaster Again.
While it is not the purpose Of THE
ENQUIRER to try to fix the responsible
ity for the recent disaster at Fishing
creek trestle, we desire to go on record
as holding that the South Carolina
railroad commission is not to be held
entirely blameless in the matter.
In making this assertion, we do not
want to be understood as minimizing
even in the slightest degree the re-
sponsibility Of the. Southern railroad.
If it is a fact that the accident was due
to rotten. timbers, and this we have
every reason to believe, then there Is
no question but that the railroad has
been criminally negligent; but still this
does not excuse the commissioners, as
we shall endeavor to show.
To assert that the Southern rail-
road wilfully contributed to this catas-
trophe would be silly. However, short
sighted some of the railroad people
may be in some things, they are not
fools, nor do they lack more than any
of the rest of us in their regard for
human life. Nobody realizes better
than they the cost of just such a dis
aster, and nobody breads it more, eth
er from the standpoint Of the suffering
and death involved or Of the financial
loss.
But we must remember that the in
terests of the railroad are to be consid-
cred from another standpoint. What
ever sentiment, etc, there may be in
the business Of carrying passengers, 1t
cannot be denied that its basis is prof
it. Probably it would be unfair to
assert that the sole object Of the bus
mess is profits. We think such an as
sertion would be unfair; but at the
same time we are quite positive that
if there were no hope Of profit the
business would not be run.
These points having been made rea-
sonably clear, let us assume that this
old trestle appeared to be rotten and
worn out, and that 1t had been reported
by the employees as dangerous, does 1t
seem remarkable that the higher Off
GERS should have been inclined to take
some risks in postponing the repairs,
possibly in the interest Of some other
work that appeared to be more press
ing? We do not think. so. There is
more or less risk and speculation in all
Nyhan SQfQtV
of human life is involved, and why
should there not be in business like
this? If that be the case here, the
railroad company lost and that is about
all there is of it; but here is where
the responsibility Of the railroad COM
mission comes in.
The general assembly knows full we'll
that railroads understand the terrible
expense of disasters of this kind, and
it knows also that railroads under
stand best how to guard against such
disasters. At the same time, however,
the general assembly appreciates that
element of chance which enters into
the proposition-how a railroad COM
pany may be tempted to take risks for
the sake Of profits and that is probably
why it set the railroad commission as
guard over the railroads. The COM
mission Is not supposed to be interest
ed in profits. and there is no reason
why it should take any chances. On
the contrary, because it may be held
to account by the people for such ac-
cidents as this. it is not unnatural to
assume that it would compel the rail-
road to constant care.
By way of illustration. suppose the
railroad commission had, three weeks
ago, or even six months ago, made
such an examination Of Fishing creek
trestle as the York county grand jury
last week made of Bullocks creek
trestle. it would have, in all probability,
been condemned then and there, and
the commission would have forbidden
the running of any more trains over it
until it was fixed. Of course, it is easy
for the commissioners to say they have
not got time; but that is absurd. Their
office is the softest snap under the
state government and if they haven't
got time for this, it is difficult to
conceive of what they are good for
anyway.
In what we have said, however, we
hope the reader will not gather the
idea that we are trying to make Of
the commissioners a scape- goat for the
railroad. We have no such intention.
That the railroad is entitled to its
full share of responsibility and that it
will be sufficiently punished goes with
out saying; but while the railroad is
paying for It's negligence, it is just as
we'll that it should not serve as a
scape-goat for the railroad commits
sioners. This body is also blamable
to a greater or less extent and if it is
not to be held to a reasonable account
ability, it is just as well that the Of
flee be abolished.
- Boston dispatch Of September 10:
Grieved because the silk American flag
in which she put thousands Of stitches,
something like 10000 of them, was re-
fused as a gift by President Roosevelt,
Miss Marie cOSteau of 1905 Washing