, 1876-12-09
LIFE SAVING ON LAND.
The PeriIS cr "a RaiIWay CrossIa= syher,
Five Eyundred Trains PnYs Dai,N.

Five Hundred Trains PAYS Daily.
Rsilroad meu throughout tbs country say
:hst the Broad street crossing of the Penn
sylvsnia and Central Railroad OF New Jer-
! sey in Elizabeth Is the most dangerous 10 be
found in the United States. Since the frs,
CT june this year 500 trains have passed this
point daily. The crossing is guarded neither
by gates nor furnished with bridge for ne
destriaus to pass over in safety, yet fewer
fatal accidents have occurred there thaa az
I at sny o'her station along these two grea:
arteries of travel. Ths managers, while ac-
knoHledging that these additional safeguards
are badly needed, say that they can get
I along without them '' as long as Pat Lynch
| hses." Pat has been the signal aud switch
tender at this crossing for eleven years. and
during tha' time mas saved the lives of thirty
persons, and has prevented at the risk of his
| oWn life, innumerable collisions Of trains.
As the railroad people say, &" he is worth his
weight in gold"
Old as be Is, he is always at his post of
danger, near the middle Of the crossing, or
in the little signal box from seven o'clock in
the morning until nine D clock at night. He
knows about all the conductors, engineers,
fremen and brzkemen On the myriud Of
trains that pass and repass daily, and knows
TO a second when they are due. He attends
TO the signals and has them thrown into the
right position FOX safety or danger at the
right time, looks to the switches and takes
his position TO warn pedestrians as the trains
roll by him. 4 single misstep or the loss of
presence of mind for minute during the
early part of the day, when train after train
in quick succession, Is laundering along
loaded with passengers for the metropolis or
westward bound, would send him beneath
the wheels Of Z locomotive His precision
and cooiness in the presence Of danger are ap-
parent when ii Is taken into consideration
that it frequently happens that thirteen trains
arrive at this crossing within fifteen minutes,
or almost at the rate Of train a minute, all
Of which have to be properly signalled and
the crossing to be looked after, and only he
to doit.
al have met with some narrow escapes in
my time" he remarked a short time ago,
land have the consolation of knowing that
have been the means through Providence OF
saving the lives Of many persons, but it is
possible that might yet get caught. Since
the opening Of the Centennial expositiOn !
have had my hands full. Besides the regu-
lar passenger trains which run by schedule
time over both road-, scores of extras have
been added, many Of which are run by see
tions, and these have TO be looked after as
they come and 20 at all times, and great pre-
collisions B1siGcs these there arc the coal
aud freight trains. Then there are twenty
seven local trains on the Central Railroad Of
New jersey, which make los trips per day
70 New York, and as many more on the
Pennsylvania line. From $50 4. N. til 9
clock, of late, nine trains pass the crossing,
and I find them the most troublesome 10 look
after, because it Is at this hour that people
mostly cOngyegste in and around the depot,
and they defy the devil in trying TO cross the
tracks to get into the cars early to get good
seats. Pedestrians are fearfully stubborn at
times, and exercise my patience, Old men
ard Young ladies are the worst have to deal
with. but business men and youngsters will
take desperate chances TO catch trains.
Then, again, some of the farmers are
very reckless, and viii drive On the track in
front of a moving locomotive with as much
noucahalence as if they were on the common
road It was only the other evening that
ola Hr Robson came along as Jolly as
lord, ated ID his wagon yelled to stop
before he reached the track and waved the
dag. but he paid no attention to me. Tan
forward to sirze bis horse, bat | was too far
aw.T. and the next minute the horse wac
killed by locomotive, the wagon was wreck
ed. and p1or Robson got fearful shaking
no, but fortunately escaped with his life
Ouce Iady-Nrs. Holmes, Of EIizabeth--
attempted to walk across the tracks in front
Of an approaching train. ! ran TO ber and
sized her by the waist; she screamed LIT
me GO bur hrld on to her and sucoeeded
ia "a inying her from the track, and was Jus.
grszed By The locomotive Oa another oe-
c.sion saved a farmer life by pushing him
headIong into 3 snowbank with my flagstaff
" hen a train was almost cn both OF Us.
could tell yoa many such stories, bat the
Dsople interested would not Ike 20 sse theI:
Names in she pap=Ts. This work l. 70 fooi.s
play. | keep my mind on 1t coasisiiy, As
have to, for should fail IN any way, or lc-e
cynfilepce IL myself, must quit the job at
once"
Lynch has bot lost twelve days during his
el-vgn years. He i about hfty, anI al
though somewhat oorPuient, Is quick as =
Young man.-N. l. BOrL&
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TIE RIGHT SENTIs;ENT--The following