VI

PREFACE.

to a demand for a Railroad commission, and the subjecthas not been left, as the “Nation” intimates that it might,to a coroner’s jury, nor even to a legislative committee, butan enactment of Congress has already passed to bring thesubject before the Committee on Railroads.

Doubtless the results will be, increased safety of travel,and the holding of railroad cor|)orations to a strict accountby the authority of law, for all accidents which may becaused by the want of skillful engineering or proper man-agement. The Westenhouse brake may have caused theprojectile force of the whole train to have fallen upon thecentre of the defective bridge, but is there not some way ofstopping trains from plunging entirely down into thesefearful chasms?

Increased appliances for stopping trains, proper precau-tions in putting out tires, the frequent inspection of bridges,some method of keeping a strict account of the numbers onthe train will be required.

The object of this book, however, has not been to discussthese points. As will be seen by the narrative, the religiouslessons of the occasion are made most prominent.

The author's sympathies were early called forth; accessto the survivors enlisted all his sensibilities; correspondencealso showed how much need of consolation there was; andthe book w y as prepared under the shadow of the greathorror; but if the reader shall find the same comfort from aview of the lovely characters and the Christian hopeswhich4 span this dark cloud with'a bow of promise, theauthor will consider t^iat his mission has been accomplished.