Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-08
An FDpiuper'S Life.

1t is quite a popular idea that because
man pursues dangerous occupation he
must grow so used to the presence OF death
as not only TO lose his fear of it, but even
tually TO trifle with it. Locomotive cngl-
neers, therefore, are popularity supposed TO
be, without exception, Il set OF reckless
fellows fool-hardy, death-defying persons,
who have decided upon date Tor smash
ing trains, and are enjoying HE mean
while Those few who are acquainted
with the men in question are aware how
Eallacious this inference is. Their avoca-
ton is attended with unusual danger, and
they gradually lose their fear of it; but ii
is safe to say that nine oIt of ten among
them are married men, with families to
care for and to love; and this responsible
itv even if they thought nothing OF the
passengers in their charge, would suffice
to make them watchful, diligent and care
full. CarelessneSs on their part is almost
inevitably attended with disgrace and
loss of employment, and in cases of accl-
dents they rarely escape injury; so that
rs they are not mere mechanical hgures,
it is reasonable to suppose that they are
aware OF the risks they run in the dlsre-
oard of caution and care. VIM. Guile,
! the engineer of the Shore line train which
| met with the Richmond switch disaster IN
| Rhode Island. last spring, showed his at
fection for his family in the salute which
| he whistled rs his engine dashed past his
home every day. One dark night passed,
and the loving wife listened IN vain fol
the husbands greeting. He was dead
The next morning they removed his stl11-
ened hand from the lever OF his engine,
and carried him from his post, where lie
had remained even after death overlook
him. Thus he refuted the general impu-
tatiOn of carelessncss upon the profession
for he was neither reckless nor untrust
worthy. In the majority of serious rail
way disasters the engineers have beer
either fatally injured or killed outright
therefore few instances where they have
escaped would not be inappropflate
David Van Buskirk, who IS now th'
master mechanic of the New York, Bos
ton and Montreal Railway, tells of an in
) tcresting incident that occurred While n!
v,s an enpineer on Western railroad
/ He had collided with passenger tran
, throuoh mismanagement on the part o
the engineer of the passenger tram AM
one or two coaches were smashed ant
5 his own engine was injured to Il great ex
tent. He feared the displeasure of hi
p sunerintendent. and was brooding over hi
misfortune as he ncared the end of hi
trip. when singular opportunity to re
trieve his reputation presented itself. IN
:. round- house in Winona, Mimi, whit
or he was bound. took fire IN the root, an
| when Van Buskirk arrived with his er
oine he found that the efforts which ha
!. been exerted toward quenching the flame
}. had been of but little avail, and the Ill
bade fair to burn down the building an
DESTROY number of new engines whlc
l. were nearly ready for service. Without
G second thought Van Buskirk ran his el
!. gine into the burning house, and, pullln
q down the escape valve with all b
strength, let the steam, at 100 poun'
nressure, escape in rushing. screamin
| volume. whose force carried it up to Il
q burning roof. The effect was instantan
= o1s and wonderful, for in less than ny
o minutes the fire was extingulshed v;
y Rnskirk was carried out of his cab in .
I almost suffocated condition, but he had Il
g satisfaction of gaining not only approx
but immediate promotion. ;.
J. On railways that intersect populous dl
IT tricts it is not an unfrequent occurren'
IL for an engineer to run down and Kill de;'
,p hind. OF drunken persons who are wal
% ;n.r ON the track. lie sounds his whist
and expects them 20 leave the track; re
t. sons so frequently step aside at tne IL
le moment that until that moment arrives
I'd engineer gives himself no uneaslness.
IS pretty scene that must have been on