The Russellville Democrat., 1877-04-05
THE MAN AT THE THROTTLE.
A Confidential Talk with Loeometive
 Engbneer-No Law Against 1neo0pe.

IdliIOdu CdI uOW uUSOiutcly Nuu CuuiP Pictc- ly your life was in the hands of one man Has it ever occurred to you as you re- clined in a soft-cushioned seat in appa- rent security. with hundreds of others on the train, how every one of you might be sent to an instant death by the slight est blunder or neglect on tLa part of one weak human being? A.,2 did you ever find yourself wonderi1g if the man at the throttle understood his duties and was able to do them promptly and prop erly, approaching the enormousresponsi- bilities resting upon fallible human na- ture, and knowing what awful conse- quences might result from 8 single mis- take on his part?
 Your correspondent confessed that since the recent railroad engineers strikes these dangers have oc- cured to him, and the readers of the Herald would understand the reason could they have heard the other day a brief conversation in the cab of locomo- tive. which an unusually intelligent and trustworthy member of the guild of en- gineers recounted little of the true in wardness of his calling.
 WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS.
 "It is as we'll" said he, smiling thoughtfully, "that the travelling public dent know how the majority of railroads are managed and what risks the passen- gers often run. Why, to save little money they often fail to employ more than one-half the number of engineers absolutely needed for safety. Many q time have I come in from long trip so tired and sleepy AS to be scarcely able to stand, and been ordered immediately out again without an hours rest. have been worked twenty.four hours at a stretch when I have been 50 worn out that no power on earth could keep me awake, and, standing with my hand on the lever, have gone sound asleep. If you had fired off cannon at my ears I could not have helped it. have many time brought my engine into some town at thirty miles an hour while asleep, until the fireman or somebody would wake me up.
 Dangerous? We'll. rather 80; for if there is any post in the world where a man should be excessively wide awake, vigilant, necessarily watching ahead of him with an unfaltering steadiness and with good eyes, too, with his hand all ways on the lever, prepared to check the flying speed with which he is flying along, it is when he is in the cab of loco motiveengine. l don't know any work that requires man to know what he is about and to see what he is about so much as running the engine of an express train. The engineer not only must watch his engine and keep her up to her work, but he must watch the steam gauge, watch the time, watch the signals, watch the track, watch the crossings and watch his surroundings. To sum up in one word, an engineer must be alertness personi6ed. Dangerous? You might as we'll ask if it would be dangerous for man to fall asleep sitting on keg of powder with 8 lighted slowmatch attached to it.
 BULI-DOzING THE ENGINEERS.
 ct is a common thing for an engineer, after having come in from long trip, to be ordered out again immediately, al- though he knowsand the company knows that he is not fit for further work with out rest, and that to fall asleep at his post is to endanger the lives of hun dreds of persons. Yet he dare not refuse or he will lose his place. Suppose, under such circumstances, an accident occurs. Isn't the company relieved from all re- sponsibility in the eyes of the newspaper and the public if they show that the en- gineer failed to see signal? Who is to know that the reason that the engine driver failed to see the signal or the switch was because he fell asleep from everwork, and that he was compelled to run while physically unable to do so in safety?
 A STARTLING STATEMENT.
 "This is the cause of good many railroad accidents, but l can tell you of still more frequent one. It is the em- ployment by certain railroad managers of hali-taught botches as engineers, or men who are nst of sober habits and can not get into the brotherhood of engi- neers (our trade society,", and who will, therefore, work very cheaply."
 "Why is this permi.ted?"
 "I will tell you. In every state in the union, so far as l know, there is a law compelling the engineers who attend to stationary boilers to pass an examina' tion, at which they must show them selves qualified, and receive license be fore they are permitted to work. You would be liable to severe punishment il you employed an unlicensed engineer tc run the boiler of your printing office This law is, of course, an eminently proper one, and in New York city, fol instance, there is a bureau of police de partment whose exclusive duties are tt see it's enforcement. A similar United States statute compels the engineers o marine or steamboat engines to pass { still stric,er examination. But no sucf law is on the statute books of any statt in the union as regards locomotive engi neers, whose duties are even more deli cate and dangerous than their brethrer who run factory or other stationary en zines. Whenever any bill requiring thu railroad companies te employ only com petent men has been likely to pass leg islature, the railroad lobbyists have de feated it. You will find no statute 1T this country to prevent the railroads iron putting in charge of the train you in trust your life to the veriest botch ol drunkard that can be found. If th, newspapers want to do a good work, le them demand and secure the passage O such statute as will oblige the compa nies to employ at least this simple requi site to s9fetv."
 Do not the best mana .ed roads nov find it pays best to employ good, com petent men? Y
 "Some of the companies are beginning