Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-05

s'g0F7ElI5EI>>ll77s
N-nre I,nilwnr Horrors.

The railway accident that took place
pear Conaellsviile. Pa, Wednesday night,
bringing death in most hideous form
to more than sixty passengers, and the
accident Saturday evening near Grand
Rapids, Mich, which caused the death of
twenty-five passengers, give frightful
confirmation of the Interstate commerce
commissions conclusions regarding the
shocking mortality from American rail-
way casualties. The commission has de-
clared the annual record of killed and
manned to be disgrace to the Ameri-
can people, and no one can read of
these latest disasters without feeling that
the Characterization is justified. Even
il it We're true that under present meth
DDS of railroading such catasrophes could
not be foPeseen or prevented, what should
be said of the system or hack of system
which fails to provide for such preven-
ton? Is the science of railway manage
ment still so primitive that collisions can
not be guarded against? 1t is the bust
ness of railways to transport passengers
safely and it is the prime requisite of
that business that they supply every con-
ceivable precautiou necessary to prevent
killing people. Accidents cannot be eX-
planned away. Ii is the fact that they
occur and not the reason for their oc-
curing that constitutes proof of inetii-
cheney. If they are not due to gross
negligence that fact only emphasizes the
innate and essential fautiness of the sys-
TEN. The railroads must stop this
slaughter of their passengers and it is
the duty of Congress, of the State Legis-
latures and of the courts to compel them
10 stop it.-Chicago News
go
Within four days fully one hurdsSd
persons were killed in the United States
il railroad accidents and as many Wee
seriously injured. Two of these acci-
dents-that on the Baltimore and Ohio,
near Pittsburg. and that on the Pere
Marquette near Grand Rapids-have
cost ninety lives, and the list may yet
be increased.
Both of these accidents might have
been avoided il safety of passengers and
trainmen had not been sacrificed 10 de-
sire to make time While the Balti-
more and Ohio wreck was due mmedi-
atcly to tmhers which had fallen from
freight preceding the passenger train,
the real cause was an effort 70 make mp
for lost time. And although the imme-
date cause OF the Pere Marquette col
lsion is given as the blowing out Of the
red signal light at McCord, the real
cause seems TO have been an attempt to
save time.-Chicago Post.
:-;-
When life depends upon SO uncertain
a thing MS the burning Of a light in the
face, of a blizzard. it is evident that e.
forms must he instituted in the operation
Of railroads. The ease Of the Pere Mar
quette road is but one of score this
year--one of many horrors which would
have been averted had the block system
been installed, u system under which but
| one-seventh of the railroad mileage in the
country is now being operated, In every
body OF men some incompetents are
found Even the most efficient men oc-
ce-ionally make blunders or are guilty OF
errors of judgment. In the case of rail-
road men, errors may mean many deaths
Congress should pass law compelling
railroads to install the block system and
take other precautions. Possibly it would
be wise to have a track patrol in addi-
ton to the block system At any rate,
the trayel'ue public must be better pro
tected.-Chicago Journal