Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-04-28
THE BRAKEMAN's STORY.


But we know better. Imagine your
the snow dashing into your face,
your hands on acold iron brake, and
think if that's easy; or up ON top of
a freight car, running along, the
wind cutting like a knife, dark as
pitch, and watchingfo fear you may
rush suddenly under a bridge and
be swept off, and perhaps be left to
die in the snow. Is that easy?
Does that look like a soft job. To be
sure, when we are transferred to pas
senger cars it is nice enough, but the
dangers we have to go through (fOr
we generally have to go on freight
cars tirst) entitle us to something
better on a passenger car, and we
amt sorry when we get orders to
take the head of such regular train.
''Thereare very few brakemen but
can tell some never-tO-be-fOrgOt
incident connected with their life on
the rail. To explain let me tell YOU
a story from my own experience. ]
remember one night it was fearfully
cold, right in the middle of winter
and showing hard. ] was breaking
in the middle of freight train. 1t
was running along on slow time that
night, and we were about two or
three miles from the station. | was
standing by the break of a fiat car
trying to get warm by stamping,
wishing that we were in the depot,
so that | could 90 back to the ca
bOose out of the bitter cold, when
suddenly / felt the train humping
and jumping like as a ifa wheel had
broken; and / knew something was
wrong. The whistle blew for brakes
and in Il mighty short time we had
the train stopped.
"Witi the rest Of the men ] went
to see what was the matter, think
ingthat might get a chance at the
stove, for | was nearly frozen. Go
ing about three hundred feet, we
found one of the rails had got loose
and was out of place, but as we had
been going slowly, we had run
over the spot safely. Our conductor
looked up, and seeing me, said:
"'Jim, get back and signal the
passenger train. She will be along
in a short timenow; and take this"
he said handing me a red-light Ian
tern Wen go on. You can come
along with the other train
"With that all hands got aboard,
and soon there was nothing but my
self and the lantern left.
"a cold gust brought me to my
self with a quick turn, and then /
remembered what | had to do.
Holding the lantern up | saw that
the light was Pickering, and shaking
it / found it was almost empty.
Then began to feel the responsible
ity of my position the lamp with
no oil in it, the train due in ten min
uteS with the chances of its being
thrown off the track, and 10 telling
how many poor people killed or
wounded. In a case of that kind, sir,
even a brakeman will do his best to
save human life, although he some
times loses his own in the attempt;
and all he gets for it is having his
name in the paper and being called
q brave fellow.
Quicker than can tell, Imadeup
my mind that the train must be sig
nailed lamp or no lamp. But how to
do it was the question. If / ran
ahead without a light the engineer
might think / wanted to stop the
train for robbery, for such things
have been done, YOU know, and
would not only dash right on faster
than before but (may be- try to scald
me as the locomotive rushed by. |
tell you, felt like praying just then;
but brakemen are not selected for
their religious feeling, so | didn't
Il light shining in a window some
distance off. l laid down my latern
carefully on the track, made a bee
line for the house, and soon brought
a woman TO the door, who looked
more frightened than | was, at my
excited appearance. 1t was useles
to ask for sperm oil (the only sort
we use) 50 ] cried out:
"'FoT Gods sake get me some
straw"
"She seemed to realize the position
and quick brought a bundle. Feel
ing in my pocket ] found three
matches, and grabbing the straw !
made my way back to the track
Laying the straw between the
rails, | struck Il match and showed it
into the bundle. 1t fiickered an in
slant, and then went out. | felt and
found the straw damp.
"Just then a dull, faint rumbling
sound came down on the wind, and
| knew she was coming; the train
would soon be there"
81 struck the second match and
touched off the straw-a blaze, a
little smoke and il was dark again,
and raising my eyes ! saw the head
light away i'm the distance. But
trains don't crawl, and a buzzing
along the rail told me to be lively.
The red light was burning but faint
~; five minutes more and ii would
60 out. For an instant | stood par
alyZed, when q slfrill whistle from
the engine brought me to my senses,
and / saw that inside of two min
utes would be there"
"SeiZing the latern with one hand
| struck the match, and bending
down laid it carefully inside the
straw and then dashed forward,
waving the red light"
"The glare from the headlight
showdown the track, the engineer
saw me, but did not notice the red
llHHJ-Jlle 0uiueIl WdNlHB lldti put
it out-Only screeching it came
straight on. When the train was
almost upon me | jumped one side,
and swinging it oVermy head dash
ed it straight into the cab. The en-
ginneer saw the lamp as it broke on
the floor, and seeing the red glass
and battered lantern whistled the
danger signal and tried to check up"
Looking down the track | al
most screamed from excitement.
The match had found n dry spot,
and the straw was burning up
brightly. The train came to stand
still. She was saVed-that's all /
remember
"The next I knew | was in the
baggage car. They said they found
me lying by the train in a dead
faint, and-eXCuse me, we are going
to stop now"
stamford he sung out. The
train stopped, and the writer went
home, satisfied that brakeman's
life il an exciting one"
The Birthplace Of John A. MurrelI.