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Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

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Legislature du Quebec
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1 2 3

Wmmmm^

REPOR'r

II V

rii K I) I km: (^ TORS

< I I' 11 1:

GRKAT WKSTKHN KAIIAVAV

'I'O 'INK SllAin:il()i-!)KRS.

I i'ON

THK IIKPOKT MADK UV 'rHi: COMMISSION

vi'i'(»iN run I'd I'.Ni^ti iin: win ci'.itrviN \i riiii;\Ts

ll'n.N Tin; (. \V, l;

April, 1850

■

RKPORT.

The Director?* of tlir (neat Western Railway, in
making some remarks on a Report bv ( 'ommissioner!*
appointed to enquire into the late lamentable accident
at Baptiste Creek, and into the causes of other acci-
dents on the said Railway attended with personal in-
jury or loss of life, feel that in doin.Lr so. they are only
acting with propei* respect for themselves, and for the
interests committed to then* chariie.

hiMiiediately after the unhappy occurrence which
called theCommission into existence, much discussion
naturally took place in the puhlic prints under the
nn])ulse ol' excited feelingH. jiiid jncvere animadver-
sions, almost regardless of facts or evidence, were
directed Jigainst the (Jreat Western Railway, its man-
agement and all connected therewith.

The ('ommission was ap])ointed lor a public pur-
pose, and the Directors weie willing and anxious that
its r»bjects. if carried out in a s))irit of e<|uity, tending
to developc the whole tirith, should luiveeverv assist-
ance they coidd ,i:i\(». However, they nevei' received
a))y official intimation of the (Jonnnission being ap-
pointed, when or where it would be opened, or what
were the particular matters to l)c enquired into, but

■

tflcy were advised by good legal authority that the
Commission was not legally a|)))oiuted, and that the
parties named in it had therotoro no powor to summon
witnesses or tf> cxamino ujirni o;itli. These aiv
gravr irregularities. Still tlic Dirctitors never in-
tended or attempted to evade examination or to
take any advanta-iv of these eireumstanees. Indeed,
except thr Managing Director. Mi-. Mrydges, not
one ol" tliem was excn called upon to give evidence,
and tlie tirst knowledge ol'llie Commissioners' pi\'-
sence in l'p|)er (Canada was obtained by Mr. J?rydges
accidentally meeting one of them in the Court House,
at Sandwich. Mr. IJrydges then stated the desire of
the eum])any and of himself to assisttheir enquiry in
every way the\ could. He was told the Company
should have an op])ortunity of seeing all the evidence
that might be taken, and tliat they might be re])re-
sented throughont (he sitting of the ( ■onunission, luit
that a cross-examination oi" witnesses would not be
allowed. Mr. Urydges waited upon the commission-
ers when i'e<pie^ted. and it is bi'liexcd. allbrded to them
all the iid()rmation which they sought from him. and
he is glad to acknowledge licic luiving received from
them evei'y personal courtesy and flttention.

The Directoi's c<nisidei'ed at first, and still hold the
same opinion, that this important enquiry should havi*
been conducted bv more open and l()rmal proceed-
ings ; the taking of evidence in a ))riYate room, with-
out notice to the parties concerned, they consider, was
unfair and objectional>le. es[)ecially when witnesses
WH're being examined under oath. They feel this
more strongly when it Jiow turns (nil that tlie Com-
missio iiers extended theii- inquiry into (piestions not

#*■»

included in their inskructions, thus assuming a duty
and authority to which they had no right. The details
connected with tlieso deviations Iron) the «'ncjuiry they
were sent to make, comprise more than one-half of the
voluminous production that has heen printed. Ha<l
the Directors and their officers been invited to hear or
even to read this mass oC evidence, taken partly Irom
individuals known to be prejudiced, and many of them
having little actual Railway experience, the Commis-
sioners might perha))s have been saved from doing in-
justice as well as from errors in stating matt(M-s of fact.
It is understood tliat the Commissioners visited
various parts of the country along the line of the (ireat
Western Railway, without, however, giving an\ inti-
mation to the (Company so as to aH'onl them au op-
portunity of watching the proceedings. They sul)se-
<piently came to Hamilton, when tht^ [)ire('t(U's exi)e('l-
ed some comnnuiication from them. Nothing <>f the
kiufl. howexer. took place. I)iit the eii(|nii'y was con-
tinued in a piivateroom at the City I]ot(;l ; and what
means were adopted to procure useful witiu'sses the Di-
rectors are notaware. Kven the President of the Com-
pany was never invited to tlieii- pres{>nce. though indi-
viduals, known io be hostile, were examined. The
Directors caimot but express \\]o\v siirpi'ise at this
proceeding, es[)ecially when they see givat stress laid
upon the o/>////<>//.s of |)jn'ties in the Tnited States.

With relerence to the accidents repoi-ted upon b\
the Commissioneis :

That at Ijobo. on2iid.)une. I So4. occasioned b\ a cow
beijig on the track, has again to come betbic a .lurv. and
any remarks thereon aic therelbre scarcely appropriate"
in the meanwhile; but it is not out of |)la(!e to ask

whether the Commissioners in searching tor the muf^ei^
nf arddenfs, ever tried to ascertain whether it has not
been a practice wilfnlly \o drive (tattle on to the track
and leave them there to Ik* run over. A sale to the
Company is •j^enerallv more profitahh' tiian sending
ihem to market. In the case of the Loho accident, the
use of t'reipfht cars tor passenj-ers is reprobated ; l)ut
in what respects are Irei^dit <;ars more daM<ierou> than
other cars or common sta.«ies? Pas.!en,2ei's usually j)lease
themselves as to wiiat kind of xchicle or vessel
they trav(d in. and (;mi,i;rants tVe(juently prefer to
travel in frei<ilit cars. The (Jonnnissioners. while
they seem to admire American usa,ues. admit this
to be one of them. The Great VV^'stern ('ompany
only used frei<ilit eai-s foi- emiiirants. because they
bad not a sullicient supjdv of ollieis : these cars
were fitted u])\vith seats and well veutilatetl. The com-
missionei-s say the (company sbonld not have prolessed
to carry traffic when they bad not ;nnple supplies of
cars and I'ollin.ii stock. The company had not been
al)le to procui-e all the lollinu stock tlie\ want-
ed. T\\v commissioners do not mention an\ i-om-
pa.nies either on this ContiniMit or in Kiu'opc. which
refust.' entirelv to do business because tl'.cN c.in-
not (!o all. nor any connnunity where such a I'esn'ic-
tion woidd be tolerated. The two Kailways on the
American side of the Suspension Ib'iduc at Niagara
Kails have not taken duly forward a lame portion of
the freight which this company lias cai-ried to the
Rridjic l(>r the last two months, cbietlv because the\
had not a suthcient supply of rollin,u stock. I>ut ini-
Inckily for the (Ireat Western, an established habit «)f
complainina. whether I'iuht or wron;^. brings most of

the txiiimi of this rnatter on their shoulderfl. The
(TivMt Wostcni liiiu' was ojunieil in :ui miHninhed
statr. Ilu' DirtM'toi's bein^ iimMl to it l)v a stronji
puhlic wish, and ll'w |)eof)le in Western Canada are
tree tVoni whatevei- linill l»»*loiijis to that measure. The
Direetorfi had uiven orders lor niorerollinii; stock than
was at the time thon.iiht necessarx , even hv Mr. Clark,
their ehiel" enuineei". hiil tlie tratVie. inereascil fastei'
than WHS antieipatrd. oi- tiian the cornpanvs means of
earrvin.'i vowhl keep pace with ; tiiis remark applies
to other matters ol' aeeonnnodalion as well as to roU-
in<i slock. And it may he added that the Directors
of the (Ji'cat Westi'rn Railway had no mean^ ol' aecn-
ratelx ascci'tainin,!; Iteloic the line was open<'d, the
amount ol" rollini; stock they woidd re(pnre. Theii-
Railway was an experiment, it \vas the lir^t in tlie
conntry and there was only eonject\n'<' on which to
I'onnd ail estimate of traltie.

Ke.u critics will he I'onnd amon^ those who inive
•ione throiitih the toil :nid difhcnlty ol" making and
o))eratin,i: a i-ailwiiy ol' 2H> miles with inadeijnate
means. The time. too. has aire- !y passed away when
the peo))le ol" this conntry. oi' oi any other, esteem it
a privile,u(' to invest their moiwy in new i-ail\vays, and
annovinji' and useless regnlatiojis will not he needed
to check what little dis])osition remains among' ea])-
italists to enter into engagements of that kind.

The connnissioners in reporting nponthe Lobo acci-
dent take occasion to reconnnend one invariable rnle
for punishment, vi'/.. dismissal from the company's
service, and legislative inability to be again employed,
without regard to the nature of the offence. The
Directors must express their entire dissent from this

opinion It is moupli to .sav tlisit micIi a, Mysteni
would Ih' unjust and iui|)ra('ti('al)U*. neither is it likely
tliat men would he t'onnd loni! to lake employment
under :i liiw s<» tlej^radini:, and which il is helieved
has no existein'e elsewher<'.

The etMumissioners allude to ;i practice nl' runninji
at and over cattle when on iIh- truck. ;nid ctaidemu
il. This j)ractice is nnt sanctione(l on t!ie (Ireiit Wes-
tern, hut is rather conn unn \\\ the I iiited Slates. when<*e

eir lavoii

te id

eas of imniaucmenl s«*cm lo he taken.

The newspapers ol' March '2'W(\ report a passenger train
ou the Michigan Southern hnie. Iijixinii. nn Saturda\.
the 17th oi" thnt month. •• encoimtered a drove of
cattle iind killed lourteen.'

The i'onnnissioners further ri'connnend the Lcji-
islature to lay down rides and i-e,i:idalions Ibi
the liuitlance ol" Railway Odieials: this must neces-
sarily lix respousihility with the (Jovennnent to a
urettt extent, and translei- lo the couidry liahility
for damau'c in accidtMits. since it nnist he manifestly
unjust to ])lace respousil)ility on j)arties who do not
control the workimr. IJut. such ;i sxstem iioes fur-

ihei- : it takes I'rom trustee

i])point

I'd hv owner

of ])roperty as its jiuardians. the riiiht of manaui'iuent.
The principle, if worth anything, sliouhi :i])ply to
(Jonnnon Stajios. Steam Boats, and Sea-iioir.Li Vessels.
It is notorious, and mav he found in statistical returns,
that the loss of life on river navijiJition, in the United
States, far exceeds that on railways, yet no excitement
is produced; a lew sympathetic remarks in mwvspapers
alone, tell the story of lifty people heini>' burnt, scalded,
or drowned. The regulations lor the stall' of a railway

^^^

cjin novcr ho iiuulc entirely [>erfoct, (^luiiiges^ aiul
altiM'iitioiis, U'in^ roiistiintly sliowii to he neeessarv.

The ('oniiiiissioiiers, ii: iilUidiiifj; to the suH'ideut iit
Thorold, oh the (Jth (»r.)ul\, IS')4, «'ome to conch*-
sioiis s'miiiilini\ iit vnrianee with th«' <'vi(lei. e ^iveii
hrlhre the coroner's jiu'v, iiiid Mumi stati' theii' ophiions
to h<' oiih •• iinpressioMs." not derived IVoiii i\\vU or
witnesses. Tliev say the iii-ht was flnir uioonlij'ht.
The evidence .Liiveii helore the coroner proves the
moon to h:ive heen ohscnred hy clouds when the acci-
dent happened The ( 'oniniissioners inter that
tlie train was lioiii- at excessive sju'cih which is al-
most impossihh'. the en<iine havin,«: to take water with-
in a few hundred yards «>r th pla"<' oi" ndslortune.
Thev conceive the driver made a rush to run the horses
(Umn. The jury :u'(piitted the ollicers in charge of
the train of all hli'me.

In the case of a hoy hurt at Thorohl, on the 7th
of Deceniher, I SOI, tlu Connnissioners take occa-
sion to remark on the ^-eneral inhumanity oi' Engine
Drivers. T'he story is simi)le, and does not justiiy
so dehasing a ( harge against men respoctahle in
theii' station of life. This hoy was improperly
walking v)n tiie track, on his way to sonu; workmen
who were near; the engine jippi'oached round a slight
curve, and the Commissioners say that if the driver
did ii..t see the l)oy he ought to have done so, for-
<«:etting thai the enginemiui has several duties to
attend to which inevitahly prevent his time heing
entirely occupied with looking straight a-liead. Had
the connnissioners said the hoy ought to have seen
the engine soon enough to avoid danger most people

would agree with them. Indeed, so long as people
will put their lives heedlessly i-.i p^'ril. so long must
yuch accidents continue uccasiontilly to occur, a trutli
which the connnissioners themsi'lves appeal' to reco}^-
nise by subse'|ucntly reconinicndin<i that all trespas-
sers upon railways sliall he liable to line or imprison-
ment.

The use oi' bells on engines, nnich insisted upon by
the commissioners is a (juestion on which opinions
may reasonahly difter. To nndtiply signals of warn-
ing is certainly a risky v?xperiment. At stations, and
in towns through which trains run. the chief means
of safety nnist always consist in those in or about the
trahis taking cc)nnnon sense v,are of themselves.
Without this, tlie company's I'ules. however good and
however well administered, will not l)e etlectutd. On
Lines where the trains run through towns, often for a
considerable distance, nliHUj sfrerts sinudtaneousl.\
occupied by horses, carriages, and toot passengt^rs.
bells may be^of some use, whilst the train is moving
slowly, and they were no douJjt adopted in the United
States, as less likely than the scream of tlie whistle, to
frighten animals within a few iwtof them, but asnoneof
these peculiarities exist upon the line of the Great
Western Raihvay, the whistle alone is thought to
afford the greatest safety.

The accident at Baptiste Creek is attributed by the
commissioners to wilful negligence, and disobedience
of the company's orders. l)y the conductor of the
gravel train. This result coincides with the verdict
of the coroner's jury, and also of the grand jury, at
Chatham Assizes. Indeed, the result of all inquir\'
into that sad event, proves that the accident arose

solely, as the cominissioners say, from the conductor
" ordering out the gravel train, iiot only in vwlathn of
'u/r.s and reijfiJafioit.s. hut in defiance of every dictate
f coinnion jirudence and sound judgment."

Tlie eounnissioners eondenni the aiTangenient for
hallasting tlie line by contract. This work is almost
uniformlv done by contract in the United States, and
in Endand, countries where those who manage
sucli matters, are as anxious to adopt safe and ])rac-
tical means of doing their business as parties in Canada
can be. The (Ireat Western contract for ballasting
was made with the advice and concurrence of Mr.
(jlark. the compciny's engineer, of whom the com-
missioners speak in terms oi" professional com-
mendation. The construction ol' the hue was in the
liand.*? of vai'ious contractors belbre the present Man-
aging Director came to (Jjinadji, each contractor hav-
ing also a part ol" the ba,llasting to do, but they were
afterwards bouglit olf. as regards the ballasting, spe-
cialK to avoid danger and confusion, and a literal
price was given to Mr. G. F. Harris to insure good
work and safety, and t(> ailbrd him compensation for
loss of tinic owing to detentions in carrying on the
work, and he assumed the whole. That one of his
men disobeyed orders, and in that way caused the
lamentable accident at Baptiste (!reek, is more
regretted by tlie Dii'ectors probably, than by many
who were loudest in their censures. The connnission-
ers mav not be aware that it has been the almost
nivariai)le practice in England, where trains are
many times more numerous than on tlie Great Wes-
tern Railway, t^) have the repair of the line executed
by contract, involving the taking up of rails, chairt*

■

and sleepers, and the daily runninp: of ballast trains
which are always more or less required even when the
ballasting of a Railway has been completed.

The detention of a ])arty of emigrants at Baptiste
Creek, on the 2nd July, 1854 is freely rei)ortedup(m by
the commissioners whose o])servations are concluded by
ascribing the deaths which took i)lace to " a. combina-
tion of circumstances over which the servants of the
company could exercise no control." Those who
know anything of the way and (condition in which
emigrants from the continent of Europe usually tra-
vel, will not be surprised that in coming to hot cli-
mates and occasionally to places, for a time peculiarly
unhealthy, that much misery and many deaths take
place. The preliminary circumstances, however, which
commonly prepare such catastro])hes arc found
in their sufferings on l)oard crowded ships, and in their
habits of living. Raw vegetaljles, whiskey, and l)ad rye
bread being their constant food, the .latter) )ei ng brought
with them from their native country.) This diet, aided
by the well known efiect of lake water upon systems
debilitated by long conlinement in a. crowded vessel,
was, no doubt, tlie main cause of the ])ad state of
health of the emigrants referred to. A description ol'
emigrant adventures at New York was given in the
7H&ymc newspaper there a few mouths ago, which al-
most defies belief in the stories of imposture practised
upon them. However, so far as euiigrantscame on tlie
Great Western Line last siunmerthey received lilteral
acconnnodatimi, and when it is known tbiit so sickly
was the season, that it was diflicult to get men to work
the line at all, the attention received by the emigrants
did credit to the exertions and humanity of the com-

pany's staff. When emigrants arrived at Hamilton from
Quebec, they had a few hours rest and were generally
sent on to Windsor by the night express trains, thus giv-
ing'them despatch (m the journey, and saving tl^em froui
the vif)lence of the mid-day heat. The company also
assumed a very large expense for medical assi^stance,
and for a hospital at Windsor, besides large expenses
at Hamilton and other places. The residt o^ all
this is that, the company lost money by that part ()t'
their business. If it be judged necessary that emi-
grants who cannot, or will not pay for themselves,
sliould have extra travelling comforts, the charge
for such accommodation should fall on the Go-
vernment, and not be extorted from private companies
by legal compulsion, forcing the latter to convey traffic

which involves loss.

The conmiissi(mers next remark upon tlie Line being
opened before it was properly fenced. It may be replied
that after the mils were laid, there was a pul)li(' pres-
sure which actuall V threatened violerice if the company
refused to run trains, and so serious was this on tlie
Western Division, that crowds of people forced them-
selves upcm the construction trains, consisHng of open
platform cars, in spite of all dangers and warnings, and
greatly impeded the regular work of those trains. Fene.
ing ill the U. States is notoriously neglected, and there
are hundreds of miles of railway at this time without
fencing at sill. Mr. (Jla rk's letter referred to by the com-
niissi()ners,was not intended to make the want of lences
an obstacle to opening the Line between the Suspension
Bridge and Hamilton. Mi-.(Jlark,in a published Report,
said that section oi'the Line would not he n'ady for open-
ing before 1st January, J 854, and when he objected to

■t

the line being opened betbre that time, his letter ex-
pressly states that he did so in consequence "of the in-
completeness of the grading and superstructure,"
making no mention whatever of feneing. Mr. Clark
was a consenting party to opening the line l)etween
Hamilton and Windsor, 185 miles out of the whole
229j and it was simply a (juestion between Mr. Clark
and the Board of Direction, whether the eastern section
of44 miles should be opened about the middle of Novem-
ber or on the 1st January following, which was the ihwj
proposed by him for the general opening. The Directoi's
thought that, by opening the Eastern portion a few
weeks before the other part, there would be an oppor-
tunity for some of the working staff to gain experience ;
l)Ut before doing so they took the opinion of an expe-
rienced engineer, who after an inspection of the line
reported in writing that it might be run with safety,
an opinion which the result has fully justified. The
Directors are surprised that the connnissioners make it
appear in their report that the wdiole line was opened
contrary to the advice of Mr. Clark. As belbre stated.
Mr. Clark's objections were only to the Eastern Divi-
sion and this fact was well known to the conimiv^-

sioners.

Whether the general opening was a wise measure a>
j)romoting the v^shareholders' interest, I hough it cer-
tainly acennnnodated tlie pnl)lie. is not a (piestion in
dispute here. It is rather, whetber the 1ia\'in<'
done so led immediately t(> any of the aeeidents
which liave since happericd ; a ([uestion wbicb the
conunisioneis tbemselves decide l»y stjiting tli I
the "(Ireat Western lias escaped, as I'ai' as we could
learn, any serious accident from these particulai'

causes." Thus their disser^ ation tunis out to be based
not upon what did occur, but upon wliat might have

occurred'

It will nut seem out of place here to obnerve, that
the Michiji,Lin Central Line, an old and tavorite ruad,
made and managed by a gentleman ol' the most ac-
knowledged ability and experience, whose very name
has given character to it, i.ad a few months ago still
some lil'ty miles unballasted, and a good deal of the line

nut IVdly fenced.

The commissioners next state that they have ascer-
tained that the system of management adopted on the
Great Western Railway is unknown to those familiar
with the administration of Railroads in America. The
t)nly instances with which the commissioners sup-
port this asserti<m, are in the absence of bells on
the engines, and sign boards at the crossings. Yet in
all other matters specially mentioned in the Report, it
is stated that the course adopted by the Great Western
is in accordance with the usual practice in the United
States. If the commissioners had sought infor-
mation from the President and Directors as to the
system of Great Western management, perhaps they
would not have published all they have done, but they
preferred going to Col. 0. B. Dibble, proprietor and
keeper of a large hotel in Detroit, for speculative opin-
ions upon Railway management, and they seem to have
been charmed with the information he gave them. Was
this because it confirmed their own well digested views
previously formed from expevience, or because they had
no previous views at all, and therefore went to Biddle
House with minds open to '' impressions." The Direc-
tors do not understand why Col. Dibble's opinion,

should be adopted by the commissioners as their own
t'X|j()siti()n of liiiiUvay management, neither do
they understand wliy the 4iiesti<)n ol' mana«»emeiit
is incorporated into art»])ort whicli is authorized only
as au enquiry into certain accidents, and the causes
oi' tliem, on the Great Western Railway.

Tlie i()llowinjj; letter from the Postmaster at Detroit,
will serve to shew that all who were canvassed did
not su])port Col. Dihhles views: —

Dktroit Post Officf,,
March 2H, ISf);').

(V J. Brydoks. Ksq.,

Dear Sir, — hi imswer to your enquiries I have to state that 1
was solieited to sign a kHter furnished the Commissioner appointed
to investigate the eause.s of the accidents wliich had occurred on
the (ireat Wostern Raih'oad. That letter reflected somewhat severe-
ly upon your management, and when presented to me by Col. Dibble
for signature 1 declined to sign it.

L did, however, write a letter in answer to the (queries of the
Commissioner, ^Ir. Coflin, relative to the United States Mail service,
but not exactly of the character of the statement signed by (>ol.

Dibble.

I am, Dear Sir,

Very Respectfully,

Your most ob't Servant,

J. F. BRODHExVD, P. M

The public must judge from the above whether
the enquiry was conducted with iairness to all con-
cerned.

The Directors cannot omit to take notice also of the
manner in which theconnnissioners obtained possession
of a. letter from one of the Conductors of the Railway to
tlie Managinj>- Director, printed at page 134, in the evi-
dence attached to the report. This letter is one which
the Directors would themselves at once have placed be-
fore the commissioners, had it been called for. But upon
seeing the letter in print, with a note appended by one

of the coramis8ionei"9, as follows : — " kanded^to me by
" Colonel Dibble, as received from the writer with au-
*' thority to copy," the Directoi-s at once applied to
Mathews, the conductor, for explanation, who denied
having ever spoken to Colonel Dibble on the subject.
Colonel Dibble was next applied to, who wrote the
following letter to Mr. Brydges, the Managing
Director, —

Kiddle House, Detroit,

March 17th, 1855
Dear Sir,

Mr. Mathews informs uie that he has been placed in a false
position relative to a certain letter addressed by him to you, some
time since, at your request, touching the action of some of the
employees on the Great Western Railway, a copy of which letter
was obtained by William F. CoflSn, Esij., Commissioner.

On this subject, I beg leave to state, Mr. Coffin, while here, had
several conversations with me on the subject of the management of
the Great Western Railway and its details, as far as it had come to
my knowledge. This f casually mentioned to Mr. Ifeitford, then a
conductor on the Road. He remarked that Mr. Mathews had
written to you on the subject, and that he (Mr. H;) had a copy of
the letter. I told him 1 should like to sec it. Without any hesi-
tation he read it tome. Soon after 1 met Mr. Coffin and told him
the substance of the letter. He desired to see it. I asked Mr. Hert-
ford for it — gave it to Mr. ('offin, who took it to his room.
Whether he took a copy of it or not I do not know. It was
niturned to Mr, Hertford. In all this Mr. 3Iathews had no agency
whatever, nor, to my knowledge, connived in the least to the expo-
sure of the con*spondence.

I beg this occasion to say, the (Jreat Western Railway has
always received the aid of this house to the utmost, and any and all
objections to it and its management always found apologists with us.

1 iim, Sir, very respectfully, &e.,

ORVTLLK R. DTBRLK.

('. J. Brydgks, FiS<|.

Here the Directors again leave tlie public to judge
with what fairness this inquiry has been conducted.

The Directoi's also leave the public to contrast
the last pju'agraph of the above letter with the

statements made by Co I. Dibble, i^o ])roramently
noticed by the Conimissionors in their report, at page»
41 and 4ii. ami which they relor to :is haviuu siiujiented
many nfth*' views they put forth.

Those statements ar(^ illltMl with a i^^reat deal of
what Colonel Dibble lias heani, but of himself knows
nothing-, ('olonel Dibble sjietiks in Lieneralities. He
&ays "the trains keep no time at nil" The Commis-
sionei-s print ;i return shewin*;' that <mt of 'M'2
trains, :i'u\ connected ;it the Sus[)ension Bridge
Did thev emjuire wliether as nnniy connections had
been made by the American lines in the sanu' time '.
Are they aware that sinc(^ the 1st .lannary, the Great
Western trains have ronnected tit Detroit lU times
oftener than those of the Michigan ('entral Railway'
('ol. Dibble alludes to the fre(jnency of ticcidents of
the seventeen which the Commissioners shew as ha\-
iug happem^d on the (ri-eat Western in 1854, there ar<*
only ybv/r which they consider a< accidents, the ro3st
havino- arisen from caust^s beyond eontrol, and unhap-
pily many the const^pience of dnmkenness. On the
Michigan Central 1 /me there ha[>pened wo/ fatal acci-
dents in 1S54, involvinu- much loss of life, indepen-
dently of the cases of men run over, A'c.

Col. Dibble says the traiiic is nil goini>- via the South
Shore Lines. The managers of those lines will hardh
conlirm this. A reiercMice to the last (rreat Western
Eeport will shew that the through Passengers from
Niagara Falls to Windsor, gave u receipt of £'7f),000
for the lialf year, against £(')T,00(» received from local
passengers, and the last weeks returns shew that the
traffic has increased o\er that of last year as follows :

. \

No. Amount.

Loral PsLssifnircis 2442 .£290

Thr(>ii-lir)(».'. lM-> 172d

HVciirlit .-ind Sniulnos 2058

( '..1. 1 )il)l)lc iMlks .-lUoiit the su])erionty ufAiiierican
and (Jauadiaii emi)loy(3t;s, perhaps under an impression
that the ( rrcat Western stati" ai-e mostly imported men,
hut the. (loniinissioners wen* turnishe(| with a state-
ment, printed at ])au-e 18-"), sliewinj^', that of the
(ireat Western statl* two-thinls were horn on this Con-
tinent, or wei-e in the country before tli(^ Railway
opened foi- periods v.-iryinu- from .". to 25 yeare?, and
that of theremaininu- third, less than :UI W(;re brought
out from Europe.

Col. Dibble's inKorm.Mtii.n that half the locomotives
have been buint up ])y Kuii'lish and Scotch operatives,
is both incoi'tect and absurd. The engine drivers on
tlu' Great Western, are men who have been employed
in driving Knuines for from.", to IN years, and the
onlv two engines " burnt" since thi^ opening- of the
Line, were burnt l>y American drivers.

Col. Dibbhj assunu's the Railway to be Avorked by
telegraph an<l not by time talth'. Such is not the
fact, as was I'ulh exnbiined to the commissionei"s,
thouii'h it. do(^s happen that English Government in-
sjiectors for <'n(iuiring into the causes of accidents in
that country, are now recommending' the more free use
of the tolegra[)h even u]>ou double lines of Railway.

The; commissioners who give such liberal develop-
ment to Col. I)ibl)leV statements, jwiss in silence an
answer L^iveu to them by the Postmaster at Detroit,
who, in a letter p)'inted at page I'Wi, says:—

■

<' For these flolfiy? r.f thr mails it is but justiro to say the Great
Western is not always responsil)l«) ; the <"ustern trains arc often he-
liind time, an.l thus compel the delay which ensues. Kvcn with
the freoucnt detentions to which mail matter is subject, we hnd it
a very j^reat improvement over the nnites by which mails were for-
merly received.

"The road was in an luilini.-hcd state when tipeiie<l. It was open-
ed at a date too early by nK.nths lor suecesslul (.peniti and only

because our own citizens clamt»rou>ly demanded. The track is new,
md the road insuffi'icntl;. stocked, and tin- urjieney of the ease
compelled the employment of men. in many instanc.-s i t.M.. many,
jterhaps, ) unused to railroad business.

-The road has done badl\—it mi-ht have .l.me w.osc ; audit
is hardly fair to .saddle its mana-emcni with all that has oeenrivd
t,. merit censuri'. No superintendent, however .•ompetent and ex-
perienced, could have -iven universal .alistin-tioii. nor could it hv
expected that a new rr.ad, hurriedly e.,uipi.ed and tori-ed into ))re-
mature operation, would, under the most eareful and eihcient luan-
ajrement, meet the approval of our citizens or tlH« travellinj: public

The public may again judge of the fairness (»f thin

omission. .

Why have the Coiiiniissioners heen wandenn^c:

through Detroit, Buffalo, Utica, and Albany ( Kthey
poesesaed sufficient knowledge of railways to form in-
telligent views on the (questions they propounded,
they might surely have found out the " causes of acci-
dents^' upon a Railway in Canada, being the duty whicli
was assigned to Ihem, without going to the United

States.

The Directors woidd also ask why such depositions
are admitted as those of a gentleman at Woodstock,
which occupy half a column in Mix\m<i ■<<rnnrf hi ng trhich^
mighlhm-e happened, h\\^ of which the deponent says of
his own knowledge, he knows nothing. Or of another
gentleman, who gives evidence about things he had
heard from other people, who are not examined by the
commissioners— all this upon oath too. The commis-

sioners were, ctany nit,e (liscrcct in refusing to have
e.roHS-cxaminations, uuiiiy jxood stories ^et spoiled by
sucli a process.

The CoiumLssioners' statement tiiat the American
system is entirely ignored in working the Groat West-
ern Kailway, has been shown to ])e l)oth inconsistent
witli what they liav(^ otlierwise remarked, and with
the facts. They say further that the " whok^ machin-
ery of a complicated enterprize is not only superin-
tended or directed, but is actually and i)ractically
worked out, oi' attemj)ted to l)e worked out, by one
man." This, ii< before observed, is not correct, the
business of the (rreat Western Railw ay being con-
ducted by an ample staff, with the Managing Director
at its head, who is responsible to, and controlled l)y,
the action of the Board of Directoi-s, which meets jit
regular and short intervals.

Under the Aiiuirican system, many R!)ards meet
but onc(^ a (juartcr, or at long intervals, thus leaving,
both theoretically and i)riictically, the whole control
of the workiugof the Railway in the hands of "one
man" — the Superintendent.

In regard to the suggestions made by th(> ('ommis-
sioners relative to the necessity for lemslation, the
Directors of the (jreat Western Ilaih\ay havt; to
observe that thev not only will not object to, but
will cordially co-operate in devising, all reasonable
enactments, calculated to secure the fair claims of
the public.

To a proper inspection of lailways bef<^re th«'y ar
used foj- public traffic, no one concerned in the man-
agement of railways can object, as, apart from othc^r con-
siderations, it will remove from the shoulders of railway

maiiugers to thost, of public ofHccrs the responsibility
of circumstariff's vhicli are liable to occur upon newly
opened I'ailwav's.

In ronjird {„ tj,,. various siiir^rostions made by
tho Comniissioncis for legislative iu-tion the Dinr-
toi-s protest against iniposinir ni, the Company
an expenditure ov.'r wliieli they hav no .•(mtrol.
Uaihvay ('.)nipanies, an.l DiurtcMs in j)arti('ular, have
/ksmuch interest JIM the travelling pul^lic i„ nvoiilin-
ae('id(mts and iu giving every jM-aetieable aeoommod."-
tJon. To load the Statute Hook with restrictive regulji-
tions on Hail ways, is only taking m direet rv fJirMl of
preventing tlu^ natural extension of thes.- great but
• lifHeult and often nnremmierativ(; works, on which tin-
progress of (Canada in wealth and lU'osperitv now so
mainly de))ends.

Signed on belijilf of the Hoard of Directors.

KOHKUT W. lIARins,

amdton, i\prd •>, 18-^9.

•*. .