, 1872-11-02
SWitchnlcns

to Pork toct. 26) Correspondence Of the Boston Jour
the narrow escape from one on the New Yorl
Central, owing to the nisplacement Of I
men employed in this important department O:
public service. AS general rule corporations
get the exact talent they pay for. a frst-clasl
man in an important place is not usually secured
at third-rate price. Accidents will occur from
misplaced switches, without regard to the wages
paid, the Bteadiness, sobriety, and intelligence
OF the employees, simply for the reason thai
responsibility is put upon them. In the fury
Of incoming trains, the rapidity and often un.
certainty OF their movements, the responsibility
felt aud the fear that they will make q mistake
often unnervea long-experienceds switchmen and
throws them into confusion, 30 that they have
not the eightest idea what they do; and acci-
dents which are attributed to negligence and in
attention to duty are the result solely Of fear.
One Of our most successful aud long-tied
railroad superintendents,, in reference to the
day that no human foresight, no long
experience, and no care could relieve q
train from the danger resulting from q mis-
placed switch. - I had in my employ switch
man who for twenty yerra served the Company.
He WAS as steady ns the day was long.
He WAS religious, conscientious, and a total ab-
Btainer. I was standing near him one day when
he turned the switch for freight train. He
did not know that Was near. He turned the
switch back, and it WAS all right for an express
whistle sounded, announcing the approach Of
the train, he vent deliberately to tho switch,
turned it back, so that the lightning express
would dash right into the freight train. I yelled
with all my might, Reverse your switch He
not Second to spare. The train dew past with
the velocity OF light, and vas out Of sight and
hearing in moment. The man could
give no account Of his conduct.
When the whistle sounded, an impulse
impression that it WAS wrong. It WAS not negl-
gence, it waa not inattention to duty, for he was
painfully in earnest. But he Was confused and
paralyzed by fear, and did not know what he WAS
doing. Such accidents are likely to occur on the
best managed roads in the world
Government regulates everything about the
English railroads. The road-bed is laid under
Government inspection, and royal oversight is
taken Of every rail. No road can cross another,
OF cross highway, on the same level; bridges
or tunnels must be resorted to. It is felony to
crosa the tracks from one side Of the station to
another. Switchmen are made the subjects Of
peculiar care. They are choicely selected
lot Ct men: men, o,innl house is -, erected eeted
With glass windows, carpeted and warmed. The
handles Of the switches come up into this room,
and are ornamented like the handles Of beer
fountain. They are all numbered, and are called
painted caution, 4' Mind your Points," The
room is Light, made warm from q fire and made
CHEEKY by q carpet and flowers. Here theswitch-
man takes his position, sheltered from the storm
and wind, in nroom comfortable and cheery; If
he makes mistake something more than repri-
nnand and Dismissal awlit him. His offence is q
crime, and tho State will punish him by fine and
With all this outlay, accidents
occur switches will be misplaced-and statistics
show that there are moro such accidents III Eng
la nd than in America,