The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-09-11
THE I0RkNlllE WRECK.

CHAIRMAN I. W. NarriS, OF tine state
railroad commission. who has iuvrSti-
gated the recent disaster near York.
vile on the South Carolina and Georgia.
Extension railroad, has presented his
report to the commission. Mr.. GarriS.
after discussing the wreck ami it's
causes and the responsibility for the
wreck recommends that the rommiS-
sion employ IN expert bridge rnEinrrr
to inspect carefully the trrStlrS and
track Of the South Carolina and Georgia
Extension: that the commission sum-
mon to its office ut the earliest possible
date the officials Of the Southern rail
way directly charged with the portion
Of the road on which the wreck oc-
Cured; and that thorough inquiry into
the general operation "i the Southern
road be made. Chairman GnrriS re-
thorough investigation. and his vrrNm-
mrndationS to the commission are right
and proper.
MIR. GarriS says that his examination
revealed that several Of the timbrrS IN
the trcstlc were dcclyrd hut that fire
had destroyed that portion which went
down with the train and that. there
iorc, II Is impossible to state whether
or not the disaster WAS caused solely
by rotten timhrrS. Tie found broken
tlanEr on one rf the wheels Of the en-
Einc, which he thinks might have had
something to do with the wreck. Tie
says he met a good many OF the r;ti.
HcnS OF York county who had visited
the wreck earlier than he had. "nud
there was no exception to the belief
that the sole cause Of the disaster was
directly tracrabr to the unSound St,uc-
ture Of the BRIDGE"
Mr. GarrlS quotes a section OF the stat
utes which makes il the duty Of the COM
mission to keep themselves informed rs
to the condition Of the railroads the
tracks, bridges, etc. in the State, and
goes on to say that ''if this section con-
templates guarantee on our part
against danger from defective cOuStruc-
ton ii would impose a practical impoS-
Slblllty, even if no other duties than
inspection were assigned us. for the
services Of no less than thirty mspcc-
tors are now employed in this State"
The report is all very we'll and is no
doubt true and correct, and the recon-
mendatonS of Commissioner Garris are
excellent. 1t is great pity. however,
mat the engineer to inspect carefully
the trcstlcs and track Of the South Car
DINA and Georgia Extension" could no,
have been employed few weeks ear.
her. If the law as at present conSti
uted may not be interpreted to make
1t the duty Of the commissioners TO in
Spcct the tracks and trcstles of railroads
IN the State, or to see that it is done,
then the law should be changed and so
constituted. Commissioner Garris saws
there is but one method of fixing re-
sponsiblllty known to me as a lcgali2ed
one, and that is for sufferers to avail
themselves of their right in damage" ;"
II this wreck was caused by gross neg
Ngence and the responsibility can be
definitely fixed, there should be, and
may be, other actions in the courts than
suits for damage. The verdict of the
coroner's jury was that the "trcstlc was
IN dangerous and unsafe condition,
being due to gross carclcssncss on the
part of the officers Of the said railroad
and warrant has been sworn out bv
the coroner for NJ. S. Dillard, supcrvi
sor OF bridges for the division in which
this wreck occurred
We are not attempting 10 prcjudpc
thi& case, but we believe the propcr
cDurse IicS IN action W be taken BY the
YORK county grand jury, AZ ~cIl az in
suits for damage
= would he far better, iagwcycr. IN
haye he inycHtlg&tjDn at4d lt.penigo
before accide0ts of such charantGy A.
the one in YorkYiIle, md tysIE xyye
lives AZ veil AS propey1y ard II he
railroad commission IA. no aytfs9rlty
the, law should be rnatie go tbai tbeyG
could be no Misunderstanding.