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

order before starting
(Signed) Henry JONES.
Received by James Smith, Operator"
Upon one end of the order is the follow
ing:
"Conductors must not leave station
when directed to run by Special Order,
without having the same in writing in
their possession, which must always be
read by the Engineer before starting"
Upon the back Of it is endorsed:
"The within order has been repeated
back to me, and is correct.
(Signcd) HENRY JONES.
Train Dispatcher"
On the receipt Of the order the conduc-
tor sends back tho following:
AsHrABULA, Nov. q, 1868.
"To Henry Jones, Train Dispatcher,
Cleveland:
! understand am to repeating the
above ordcr). Is it right!
(SigncU JOHN SMITH,
Conductor,
HENRY SIMMs, Engineer"
As soon as the letters q. X. are re-
ceivcd by the conductor, he hands the en-.
gincer of the train the duplicate of his Or
der, and gives the signal to 60 ahead.
The train bound west has also to be cared
for, and its conductor aud engineer are
sent a similar order, excepting only that
it reads for them to keep the maiu track.
At Girard in the case in point, the eastern
bound train again waits for orders, aud
dares not 60 out without them. The
freight trains are kept out of the way of
the passenger trains in all cases, when the
latter arc running on time, by means Of
orders similar to be the above.
AS soon as an order is sent and the an.
swer is returned. they are copied in book
called the special order book, 80 that in
case Ofan accident, reference can be had
to it, and the blame placed where it prop
erly belongs. Years nftor, should it ever
become necessary few minutes search in
this order book will show positively where
any designated train was at any particular
day or hour. Sometimes. and especially
in winter, a train is delayed, from various
causes, 10 long that the timc.card is no
longer, on that trip. ofany use. Then it
is that the beauty Of the workings of the
telegraph is most apparent. The train at
once becomes one Of the wildcat order,
and cannot move an inch without the per-
init Of the train dispatcher. The trains
running on time then take the precedence,
and the wildcat must snatch its chance
to-in base ball parlancc-stcal a station
on the first opportunity that the track is
clear. There it must lie by until the master
studies the location Of other trains. and cal.
culates just when it shall again start, and
how far it shall run before it must give
way. Though, perhaps, hundreds fmiles
removed from its destination, still the mas
ter eye is upon it. directing its movements
with skill obtained only from thorough
knowledge ofthe business.
The whole road is mapped out in tho dis.
ratchcr's mind, with its stations, the dis.
tance between them, the position Of trains,
and their respective rates of speed. Way
down the road at designared point he
sees two trains approaching each other,
with station between them. He hastily
writes an order, the instrument clicks a
moment, 'nd, ere there is possibility Of a
collision, the order stopping one Of the
trains At the station, is at its destination.
The conductor receives it, takes the side
track, and moment later the other train
goes laundering past and rushes rapidly on
to its designation. A slow numbering, and
heavy laden freight train is creeping lowly
down tho track. II will reach = certain
station ten minutes before an mp train, not
time enough to run the distance between
it and the next. If it goes on q collision
will be the consequence. The wires are
brought into rcquisition again, and the
down train, designated, as all freight trains
arc, by number, remains till the up train
has passed, when the switch is opened and
It once more crceps onward. So it goes.
Tho operator sitting in his Office hears
call accompanied by tho signal Of the Office
from which it originates, and he knows
that he is wanted: Opening bis key, he
responds chat he is ready, and moment
afterward he is in possession of information
that if not delivered, or if not obcyed by
him to whom it is directed, serious results
follow, and the public are soon after as
founded by the intelligence of another
railroad disaster.
A wrong otslcr has, perhaps, been sent.
The results arc dozens Of iifeless bodies
strewn about the wreck of few cars, and
dozens more wounded and MANNED for life.
He who watches the train and orders their
going, holds the lives of hundreds in his
hands, and he can save them or not. as he
depends upon his faithful ally, tie telo.
graph, and brings it into rcquisition:
Scarcclyon Of the passengers in q erowd.
Cd railroad coach realizes, as he sits 10 fan
cisd security, reading his paper or discuss-
ing some interesting topic with his neigh.
Dor, that at that very moment, perhaps,
the unintercsting wire which he can acc
from the car window, stretching in endless
solitude from city to city, is carrying the