Mishaps In/Front of the Iron Horse: A Social History of Train Accidents in Madras Presidency (1881-1891)

Abstract

The basic trait of human beings is to move around, and they always hesitate to remain at a specified place for long time. They prefer to roam around and explored the unknown environment in their vicinity and beyond. They strolled over the land and later devised certain techniques and innovations that could help them to move faster to long distances. The wheelswhich eased the potters‟ work later became the most important tool that could ensure speed to their mobility. The development of various transportation modalities, all though the ages, could be seen in this context. Like the invention of wheel, the use of steam power had also transformed the human quest for rapid and effective methods for moving vehicles. Though steam driven devices had existed even in 1 st century AD, the first commercially used device came into vogue only in 1698 whenan English engineer Thomas Savery invented „engine‟. As it was a big boon to the miners in their work, it was called as „miners‟ friend‟. It was a pump, worked by using steam power, to create a vacuum to draw water from flooded mines and it was of great help to the miners.