584 Original Articles. [Oct., 



committee gave its attention, in the first instance, to the important 

 question of giving to passengers the power of communicating with the 

 guard. Without overlooking the possibility of such an arrangement 

 being occasionally of service, the committee have been unable to 

 persuade themselves that it would not lead to greater disasters than it 

 could, on any view of the matter, prevent. Unless the guards and 

 engine-drivers had orders to stop the train whenever a passenger made 

 a signal, the privilege would be useless to the latter. It, however, 

 requires little acquaintance with railway travelling to be convinced 

 that its dangers would be greatly increased if the train were to 

 be stopped wherever and whenever a passenger, under the influence of 

 fear or levity, chose to make a signal." And the sub-committee of 

 1865 quote this passage entire, and say, with regard to it : — " Upon the 

 more important question as to whether, in the interest of the public 

 safety, the means of communicating with the guards should be placed 

 at the disposal of the passengers, the following extract from the 

 Report of 1853 expresses so accurately the objections to such an 

 arrangement that this sub-committee cannot do better than give it a 

 place in this report." 



The advantages that circulation would afford have not here been 

 under-estimated, but, on the contrary, much space has been devoted to 

 showing how essential it is, and to pointing out the mode by which 

 alone it can be practically and satisfactorily obtained. And this 

 question has been purposely kept distinct from the question of com- 

 munication, because it is obvious that much confusion has hitherto 

 been felt from combining the two problems under the one term of 

 communication. It will be seen, on the slightest reflection, when they 

 are treated separately, that a means of communication is even more 

 required when there is no opportunity for circulation, than when the 

 power of circulation exists. Without either communication or circu- 

 lation, the passenger is completely isolated, and doubly helpless. 

 Free circulation gives, of itself, an admirable means of communication. 

 Ready communication makes up to some extent for the want of circu- 

 lation. 



Passenger communication must not be employed, of course, with a 

 view to enable any passenger to stop a train at any moment. This 

 might, as the sub-committee observe, lead to greater disasters than it 

 could prevent. Its legitimate object would be rather to place it in the 

 power of passengers simply to attract the attention of the servants of 

 the company when anything was seriously wrong. And it is desirable, 

 in this view, that the passengers should signal, not to one or more 

 guards only, but to the engine-driver also, because, in fact, the 

 engine-driver is principally responsible for the progress of the train 

 while it is travelling, and it is of the utmost importance in all cases of 

 emergency that his attention in particular should be immediately 

 awakened. On an alarm being given, it would be for the servants of 

 the company to act according to the best of their judgment. If a 

 carriage were on fire, or off the rails, they would naturally stop the 

 train at all hazards, and the engine-driver would be expected, with the 

 help of the guards, to bring it to a stand neither more nor less suddenly 



