Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-01-30

Railroad Travelling,
Very few have any idea to what they
owe their safety while travelling by rail,
or of the real cause Of collisions of trains on
q railroad. Il is not the object ofthis arti-
Gle to either "puff' or censure any one, but
to give the public, or that portion ofthem
who feel an interest in the matter, brief
outline of how railroad trains are managed
on most roads throughout the county, and
to what they are indebted for safety while
travelling from one place to another in q
railroad car. The information is brief, and
is contained, in the main, in three words
the electric telegraph. The minutiG Of
managing the telegraph in its application
to trains is, however, the point to under
stand and it is this We propose to give.
There arc, as all arc aware, two kinds Of
trains on all roads, passenger and freight.
Each are supposed to run by time card,
made out by the officers Of the road, which
is generally the guide for the engineers
and conductors; but steam, like most other
things terrestrial, is not always intallible,
and very frequently it happens that train
gets behind time, or is compelled to lay by
from an accident to some of the coaches or
the engine.
Again, on accumulation of freight at
some particular point along the route, or an
excursion party, makes it necessary to put
on an extra freight or rpassenger train; and
as there is no provision in the time card
for them, they run wild, or in the parlance
of railroad men, they arc "wild cat trains"
1t is at such times as these that the tcle-
graph wires, which stretch along the road,
are brought into special use, though the
progress Of every train from one station to
another is always marked, and record Of
it kept. At every station there is tcle-
graph Office, which is kept open day and
night, two sets Of operators being required
for that purpose, the whole being under
the immediate control and supervision Of
the head Office, which is generally located
at one Of the tcrmini of the road. Con-
nccted with all roads. and at either end Of
them, is an official called q train dispatcher,
who is, by no means, and unimportaut
functionary lie it is who orders the start
ing of all the trains, aud he it is who is
sometimes responsible for the frightful COL
lisions. resulting in the loss Of life, which
once in while startlc the community, and,
to some give an idea that it is at no time
safe to travel by rail. Not unfrcqucntly
it is to this parsonage aloIfe that travellers
owe their safety. His judgment must al.
ways be correct, his memory clear, and his
knowledge ofhis business perfect. Tohim
the telegraph il an indispensable auxiliary,
and upon it he relies with unwavering idel-
ity. But to the part electricity plays in
managing trains; and to illustrate, VIC will
take the head Office Of the Lake Shore
Line, located on Water street, in this city.
There arc, between this city and Erie six
teen stations, and consequently, sixteen
telegraph Offices all under the head Office
at this point. Two trains start, one from
Erie for Cleveland and one from Cleveland
for Erie, at the same time, both upon tho
same track. Immediately they leave their
respective starting points, the head Office is
at once notified, aud the information trans
ferred, together, with the time, to time
register, which is always At hand. The
progress Of each train, the time of arrival
and departure from stations, is sent by tho
sub.oficcs to headquarters, and this is also
transferred to the register. As the trains
approach each other, if not running on reg.
ulsr or time-card time, they call for an or.
der as to where they shall pass. Tho train
dispatcher Of the division upon which they
arc running, in the case in point located
here, after looking at the rate they arc pro-
cceding, calculated from tho reports sent in
from the different stations, sends an order
to each engineer and conductor, telling
them at what station their trains meet.
This order is the authority upon which
each conductor goes, aud. in case Of acci-
dent, relieves, him from all responsibility.
The management Of trains is, however,
not 50 simple a. the above would seem to
make il. Most always several freight
trains are sandwichcd in between tho two,
and it is necessary to keep them out of
their and each others way. Consequent
", when the conductor reaches n station
where the train stops, he goes to the teie-
graph Office to SEQ ifthere are any orders. If
not, he starts his train on regular time, and
runs to the next stopping place, where he
again seeks for orders. If there is one he
immediately obcys it, whether it tell him to
10y over until another train passes him, or
to 60 on. The order to the conductor is
always duplicated to- the engineer, 80 that
both may work in harmony and each un-
dcrstand just what to do. In order, how
ever, that there may be no possible mis-
take, tho conductor and engineer repeat
Il u Al. H n 4 ~. ~
question, lis il right!" If, upon exam.
iation, it 10 found to have been received
correct, the letters o. X. are clicked over
tho limo, and upon their receipt the conduc-
standing Of it We give below copy Of an
order and the answer, the words in italics
being our own to Gil out the blank and
make suppoeable case:
The following special order was received
hv fclo,yrsnh ~ nns osrlork and ~, vn;n