The Washington union., 1857-08-19


ent system left TO hazard, and are called aeoaesI
dreadful 'ralroad aocd, according as lew OF many
of the passengers crushed TO death
The train consists of locomotive and SIX cars Inc
weight Of the engine is SAY thirty tons that OF eac car
with its freight Of human life is about fifteen tons, making
am aggregate weight Of one hundred and thirty TONS Ih
tonnage is propelled would rather say Prceed-at
speed Of thirty miles hour 1t rushes on mile IN two
minutes half mile in one minute, and fifteen YARDS IN
second of time,
gneer perceves open raw-bridge He sees the ahn
ger at halfm distance and unless this mad speed
is stayed brief minute measures the span OF ms own
life and the lives Of his passengers In thirty seconds
half his time gone, and IN thirty SECONDS more .hc
plunge is taken aad the agonzing details crowd the
newspapers under the head of 'deadfW railroad dced9a
great loss Of life y
What are the means provided by the present system
for such an emergency What the precautions, what
are the potent agencies in the hands of the engineer 70
save from this terrible death his freight of living mem
At cost of detail will give the process py whGh
the train is braked, and will measure before the
traveller the feeblenes of the power relied upon TO stay
| this almost explosive velocity,
1t not a small defect OF the present system that II
dcyoves the highest duties upon the most inferior ana
irresponsible in the service of the road Almost
every passenger carries watch, but how few have an
idea of the internal mechanism which checks OH ana
identifies every passing moment of time. Every one mas
observed dirty-lookng fellow on the platform oil the
car who at peculiar whistle OF the engine, turns ms
wheel then springs to the adjoining car and wrlngs
second wheel to its utmost tension but how few are
aware that their lives depend the fidelity and strength
! of this man This dirty looking fellow, badly cothed,
nadcquatey paid holding the lowest rank oil all
the servants on the train is the brakesInan J
If in this life honors were always dispensed IN tne
ratio of usefulness and dignity associated with emil
responsibility, this brakesrnsn would certainly out
rank the highest officials OF the land On his vigilance
| and intelligent obedience to complicated signals The
well-beng of the train at all times depends. But ON
occasions of approaching collision it is in his presence
of mind his prompness of action, his eminent tdety
and courage that any hope of can be found Ii,
Jutb strO
it. with coward heart he quits his trust and springs from
the train for safety all is inevitably lost in one muderous
plunge.
1t is through signals this akesman that the engi-
neer now commands service the etadng powers OF
the system Surely the man on whom SO much depends
has been selected because of his high qualities OF ready
perception and an intrepid courage. Not SO, however,
in practice This man is picked up anywhere, because
he will work cheap In the South negroes are appointed
to this high trust And this cheap agency for SO vital
service is one great defect OF the brake system now ~
use
But to proceed with my analysis of the present brake
power railroads.
The train is provided with two OF these cheap brakes
men Suppose them however, at their posts, and prompt
to obey the signal whistle wish TO show the iofce
they can exert resist and stay the velocity OF
and also how many of these precious seconds OF te VIII
e1aIse before that force such it Is can by any posi-
BILE activity be brought in retardaton of the train This
force is susceptible of accurate measurement and may
be told in pounds and The time lost In It's ap
plicaton may also be measured with reasohaoo pre-
cision.
The brakesman winds up his brake by means OF
windlass The brake-chan winds around spindle
which when the slack is wound upon IT, mas dame'er
of about four inches whilst the bakcsinans wheel has
diameter Of about 6 inches Thus he has leverage that
enables him press his brakes against the truck
with force four times greater than that with whch ne
turns the wheel of his windlass.
Now, what power can man exert to turn a Wneei TO-
Gated as is the brakesman's whecle He is Obliged 70
hold foot in readiness to work the ketch OF ms rat
che and his strength is exerted to turn wheel on the
of bic He nj
full force of thus placed will not exceed lou Ids.
, This $50 pounds, just said becomes tour tunes as
much or 600 pounds, by leverage, when apped 70 re-
tard the truck wheels Thus are enabled to measure
with reasonable precision the ultimate power OF the brake
that each brakesman exert 1t is four times his per-
sonal strength excrted under great disadvantages
will not sure, exceed 600 pounds on ech c ne mas
the time to brake
In considering this question Of power on such crisis
seconds of time of high importance. haif-mie
notice of the impending collision is generally large allow
ance. Curves will intervene and obstruction VIII often
be much than halfmle when the engineer per-
ceiyes his danger The reader now comprehend The
value of second of time Thirty seconds and hai ms
distance is past 40 yards only remain lime thts
given In yards is made papabe to every man sense In
this brief space life has to be saved The law of project
lies is incxoabe it knows no sympathy with human
terror The impending shock can only be avoided by
: physical retardation, both instant and potential
We have that each braSesman may exert retard-
ing pressure of 600 pounds single car They then,
il time allows spring the two next and brake
400 pounds pressure on the train This is the fuil
measure of the brake power that be applied on such
emergency. But can this much power be COM
Inanded in minute time let now see what acts
= have to be performed in that short space.
There two brakesmcn on the train when the engl-
neer sounds his alarm whistle quarter of minute
or fifteen seconds short notice to do what has then
to be done on single The whistle is to be sound
ed and heard the brakesmen to spring to their
wheels; they give them several turns to wind up
the slack of the brake chains they then wiring the wind
lass with their utmost power and finally retain this grasp
calls for prompt and rapid action to execute this detail in
1 the short space of fifteen seconds
1t must be remembered also that all this detail is to
be performed by human agency exerted in the very
presence of impending death Each brakesnan knows
that his life and the safety of the train depends moi
his energy alone but the concurrent action OF
e another brakesman low-prced fellow working for
bare subsistence Some allowance for human railty mns
be made repeat it, fifteen seconds is brief space for this
detail Of duty under such circumstances.
Let us assume however, that both brakesmen posses
presence Of mind and intrepid courage and each brakes
his in fifteen seconds Two the train will ter
be braked sixteen whees with force of twelve hundred
pounds or seventy five pounds pressure each OF thu
sixteen wheels This is the of the retarding powe
at the end Of fifteen seconds In fifteen seconds mo
the brukesmen may go through the detail and BRAKE
two other at pressure OF twelve hundred pounds
and thus it is that with every energy half minute mus
elapse before the train will under pressure OF the nj
brake power of 2 400 pounds
Is this power thus tardy commanded into service
equal to the occasion The answer is found in the fle