Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-01
LOOKER-ON in IOWA !
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Eldora Oct. l.-One would natural
lv suppose that railroad engineers
have read the accounts of the recent
disaster at Norris on the G., r. l. u
p. railroad. 1t is also fair assump-
ton that these engineers value their
own lives. Another fair statement IS,
that all railroad companies seriously
object to any and all accidents, both
from a humanitarian and financial
standpoint. Finally 1t is admitted mat
the accident on the Rock Island rail-
road was caused by the Inflated train
that left the track and sent twelve
men into eternity, going at too great
speed around a curve In the road. But
has any engineer since that accident
ran his engine and train any slower.
when corning to curve in the rail-
road track. Has any superintendent
Of any railroad issued any orders to
run trains slower on curves? During
this week the writer has been on a
passenger train, a few minutes late,
and actually time was made up" on
a stretch OF road where the letter 81
very light rail- This was not imag-
lIldilO1l OIl the part VI lHe wv tlCI, III
even the brakeman noticed the speed
we We're travelling, and said to the
newsboy, calling the engineer by
name, hes pounding her some It's
true we arrived at MarShalltoWn ION
time" It's true we stayed on the
track. But just the same. similar
performance on the c., r. l. & P. re-
suited in the death of twelve persons.
And 1t is becoming very much of
question whether this kind of work Is
to continue. Whether the travelling
public win submit to be dragged
around these curves at fifty to sixty
miles an hour and not do something
about it There must be a remedy
somewhere in law, or if passengers
are powetrless in the matter, the names
of such reckless engineers can be OBJ
tanned. The names of the super
intendents are also an easy
matter to get, and by publishing them
in the papers as well as the name of
the railroad. the public can travel on
other railroads when there is chance
SO to do. We also have railroad conf
in Iowa. is it possible they
have power to compel railroad con-
pany to run their passenger trains
slower than the present schedule when
going around curves? And supposing
they have such power, will they use
it?
We are entering upon the season Of
hotel horn ors. 1t is almost certain that
the columns of this newspaper will
contain an account of hotel fire. this
between now and January 1. by which
some of the guests lost their lives. In
the same account 1t will be mentioned
that the. lack of fire escapes was the
cause. We will be again
told that where the owners of such
hotel property have failed to comply
with the state laws, they are finan-
cially liable for loss of property, as
we'll as liable for loss of life. The
local paper VIII say there was also a
city ordinance compelling owners 81
hotels, opera houses, churches and all
public buildings to provide fire escapes,
exits, etc, but that said ordinance has
rever been enforced. After the fire has
occurred the state dailies will take TIP
the subject and insist that something
he done.
But everybody's business is nobody's
business. The writer and hundreds OF
others will be ierked around curves on
Iowa railroads the same as heretofore,
We shall sleep this winter in hotel fir,
traps without fire escapes. just the
same. Some of us will not be here
next spring. but the railroads find It
to pay $4,000 per head for dead
passengers, than to alter the curves Of
their track. Many hotel owners ars
Judgment proof, so what difference
does it make to them if a few $4,000
guests are burned to death.
q - Me41-~