Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago railroad accidents
were, in proportion to the number OF
Train frequent than they are
Wrecks today. The signaling sys-
tenn in use was much less
efficient A discussion of the meth
DDS of train dispatching and control
occurs in The Star of September 4,
1876:
''The criminal carelessness which
permitted one wreck to be the cause
of another. at the expense Of human
life, on the Philadelphia, Wilmington
and Baltimore Railroad a few days
ago, In failing to send out the signal
of danger to approaching trains.
seems to have been repeated on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near
Harpers Ferry yesterday morning. In
this case, however. two additional
trains were wrecked instead OF one.
as in the other. 1t is barely possible
that the following freight train was
so close upon the first when the first
accident occurred that 1t could not be
checked, but there seems to be no ex
cuse for allowing a meeting passenger
train to run into the wreck without
any warning whatever, as the tele
graph account of the affair says that
1t came on at full speed a few min
utes after the accident occurred.
few minutes is q long time when
scores of human lives are in peril, and
that they were not improved shows a
negligence or decentralization that IL
little less than criminal. The matter
ought to be carefully investigated and
punishment awarded, If such thing
be possible. At any rate, the respon
sibility for the loss Of life which re
suited should be definitely fixed.
Congress having provided for the
completion of the Washington Monu
ment as Govern
Monument ment undertaking.
Tronsfarred it became neces
4IaAoA0AAou' sary for the title
to the unfinished shaft to be turned
over by the organization which had
maintained the work from the be
ginning to the United States. An &C
count of this transfer is printed in
The Star of September Z, 1875, as
follows:
"Mr. w. w. Corcoran. as first vice
president. and DIR. j. b. Blake. as sec
rotary of the Washington National
Monument Society, yesterday exc
cuted before Mr.. Anthony Hyde,
notary public, an instrument trans
ferring all the property, easements
and privileges of the society to the
United States. The paper recites the
terms of the act of August 2. 1876.
and the action OF the society of Au-
gust 8. accepting the appropriation OF
5000, 900, and closes with a formal
transfer.
THE committee reported the ad-
dress to the people of the country.
which was adopted. This address re-
cites that Congress having voted an
appropriation of 5000, 900 to aid In the
completion of the Monument, the peo-
pie of the country should renew their
efforts to aid in the work, and that
the society will not disband or relax
its efforts until the Monument Is
completed. From the fact that In
three days las copies Of the modified
plan Of the Monument have been
sold at one stand. it would seem that
the people are becoming alive to this
matter. II should not be supposed
that the Government will complete
the shaft and that, therefore, there is
no necessity Of paying the contingent
subscriptions. On the contrary. there
is every reason in the world for those
who have made such subscriptions to
prepare to pay them, for by the Gov
eminent appropriation the contin-
gency OF the subscription is not very
distant"