Middletown transcript., 1911-02-04
RAILROAD NEGLECT
Kiliinu atsElkton MiddletoWn
Next Victim

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Next Victim
Three weeks ago while Mr.. james H
WhaFtop, the mail carrier between ElktoF
and Chesapeake City, was standing on
the narrow station platform at Elktou hs
was struck by the incoming southhonnd
train, and instantly killed, and Mr.,
Charles NJ. Jones who tried to pull him
away. was badly Injured. The coroner
held an inquest and the jury found the
following verdict:
aThat James Fl. Wharton came to bis
death by being struck by sout-hbound
train No. 81, on the Pbiladelphis, Balti-
more and Washington Railroad, at 4.5l
P. M. on January 7th, 1911, while stand
ing on the platform, directly in front Of
the Elkton station Of the said railroad.
We censure the railroad company for its
failure to provide safe space between its
tracks and its Elkton station, as the testi-
mony is conclusive that the Elkton
station is too near dangerous curve for
the amount Of platform space provided. "
The platform where Mr.. Wharton was
killed was feet wide. The Cecil Wing
edit0rially styles the railroad arrange
ments at EIkton ga death trap" and the
Company's long maintenance thereof
"an outrage" The Cecil Democrat is
equally severe in it's censure, and says:
''This condition is simply criminal,
for it must be remembered that the men
who were the victims of the accident in
question, were not standing on the track,
they were standing on the pavement
Immediately in front of the depot door
and not more than six feet from that door.
-'Just why the Railroad Company per-
sists in maintaining these conditions is
aud has been for years the wonder OF
Elktonians and all other persons familiar
With the situation. For not only are
those conditions a menace but they are
il consistent with the Importance OF
ElktOn as station. It may not be gen.
orally known but Elkton ranks, next to
the City OF Chester in freight and pas
senger receipts, and its value to the Com
pany alone demands that it be given due
consideration, Instead of that it is
ignored and treated with an indiffsrence
for which there is no accounting, and the
thousands Of patrons who annually con-
tribute 10 the revenue Of the Company at
this point are not even given ordinary
D protection. On the contrary they are
subjected to great discomfort and actually
forced into danger by the failure of the
company to take reasonable precaution." "
Merely changing the word "Elkton," "
to MiddletoWn aud the language is pre-
ciseIy expressive of equally dangerous
conditions here on the south track of the
railroad. The space on this platform for
distance of about 25 feet in front of the
Sardine Box of q waiting station is only
5 feet 3 inches to the very edge OF the
curbing, or allowing the small space oi
only Is inches. for safety, there is left the
marrow margin feet width to accommo'
date the crowd that is massed there when
traiu passes. Often this narrow space is
iamaed clean to the curb with iostling
passengers, and others awaiting the com.
ing Of the train; and some day some
drunken person giving some one a slight
push, and you well have repetition in
MiddetOwn OF the Elkton slaughter. fol
the train always approaches at high speed
and in the event of an extra going through
without stopping, the peril to the people
crowded on this narrow foot wide ledge
would be extreme. At its widest the
platform is only feet wide, and the
miserable apology for waiting room, il
such q narrow crib that when il is even
half filled no lady wishes to enter it to be
literally squeezed by all sorts of human
cattle, and hence is forced TO stand out
side in the cold. Then, the arriving pas
seDgers must either squeeze themselves
into the Sardine Box with its foul air
or stand ont in the weather, for the
platform ends in muddy stumble over 8
piece OF siding-in fact, it is practically
impossible to escape in the dark-cer
tainly for lady. In short, the whole
condition on the south side Of the track
is an outrageous one, not only inconveni'
ent and wanting in decency and comfort
but positively dangerous. Tha: old barn
OF freight depot ought to be removed
and the people given decent comfortable
waiting station.
What right has the railroad company
thus in cold blood. year after year, to put
its patrons in peril of health or lifei
What right to take any OF these hideous
chances of killing people? And how
much longer will the Middletown public
tamely submit to it all2