The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-28
Nv JOSEPH W. BUELL..


railway accident, The electric
nerves culver with the alarming lntell-
renee, as the news is flashed throughout
the country
Extras are rushed onto the streets
Of our cities setting forth in starting
headlines the awful scenes and horrors
attending the ghsstlv burning wreck ana
the toll in human lives that have been
hurled into the silence nf eternity
The Imagination OF m" Fubhr Is l"T-
the- stirred and horrited Ivy the sensa-
tional accounts in Succeeding issues OF
.he press which portrays in morbid
detail the circumstances that give dread
and awe to the accident, while man. OF
the larger dailies illustrate pictorially
survey of the ruins and the havoc mat
is wrought amid the torn-up tracks. the
tangle of twisted steel. and the heaps OF
debris that are strewn in the pathway
End which were created by the crushing
grinding iron monster which is either
locked in crushing embrace with the grim
Gladiator it met in deadly conflict or
that lies demolished in the ditch or river.
Out of the gloom of such n catastrophe
arises the coroner's inquest and cam
paign of explanation and discussion that
IL accompanied by torrent OF bitter
criticism and fierce denunclation OF the
whole rnisera BILE affair. which is Joined
IN 6y the PUBIC. press olllIidlS VI ar
roads. and experts representing the Fed
eral and State railroad commissions.
while a systematic investigation is inau-
gurated that results IN holding some in
dividual to blame in order to make a
showing OF some legal offense and to
salve the public sense of outrage.
II the engineer survives he may be the
unfortunate individual that is indicted.
or it may be one or more of the higher
~, in q
to the irony of the situation. as Human
responsibility or Human blunder" are
more often made the sCapeEoat on such
occasions. when oftentimes ii is the re-
lance upon the roadway or wayslde sig
nal that should be denounced. but what
ever legal action is taken il does not
comfort the manned or those who have
paid only too dearly the cost of injury,
anguish. and distress on account of the
cruel sacrifice of life.
Death Harvast Vast.
Railway wrecks are the worst and most
dramatic accidents that happen to the
general public. but these familiar and
tragic stories are repeated only too often
year after year until the harvest of death
in the past decade has attained such an
appalling total that il would astound the
reader as to its proportions.
Such stories are at the time Of their &C |
currence of absorbing and painful inter- J
est. as they bring home 10 many a real !
ization of the dangers of everyday life. |
but people soon forget these awful WISH |
tations and particular accidents. such as
the Michigan horror, the Westfield. West |
port and White Mountain disasters.
where in each scores of lives were crush |
ed out, become quite COMPLETELY forgot !
ten. except in those localities where the
tragedy was enacted and whore It car |
ried deepest misery.
Seasons Ole rapidly recurring railway !
disasters. however. visit the railroads Of
this country periodically. tn" heaviest |
list of casualties being in l@11. 1872 and !
1913. when the country stood aghast at
the tremendous sla tighter.
Another possible railroad wreck may
come any day or a. hour. During such |
extraordinary periods the press of the