American patents

1852 Journal of the Franklin Institute  
dlme~ican Patents which issued in June, 185"2. 83 in almost unlimited numbers, from more than thirty railways, without the most trifling casualty, or even interruption to the ordinary extensive business of that line. The author thought undue importance had been attached to the question of irregularity in the times of the trains, as an essential element of safety, for with perfect signals and a well disciplined staff, no amount of irregularity, should .lead to danger;, but,. on the.contrary, it
more » ... hould, to a certain extent, by its very uncertamty~ reduce increased vigilance, and therefore greater safbty. Accidents very rarely happened from foreseen circumstances, but generally fi'om a simultaneous conjunction of several ca sos, and each of these was prowded for as it arose. Ihe statlstms of railways, and the periodical publication of the Government returns, drew public attention very pointedly to the aggregate of accidents; but it was believed that if due regard was had to comparative results, if the accidents to steamers, or in mines, to omnibus passengers, or even to pedestrians, were as carefillly recorded, that then, whether as regarded the ease and celerity of transit, or the facility of conveying numbers, the railway system, even in its present state, would be found to be incomparably safer than any other system in the previous or present history of locomotion.--Proc. Insl. Cir. E'n~., Jtl)ril 27, 1852.
doi:10.1016/s0016-0032(52)90753-9 fatcat:id5zdev3bze6bfndsnht4wk4oe