The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-04-28
Eyes and Ea ~.
TEST gxAMIyATIoN OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY.

TEST EXAMINATION OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY.
From the Baltimore Americana
The examination Of the employees OF the
Northern Central Railway Company in the
accuracy OF sight and hearing was opened
Monday afternoon al O'Clock and continued
until $3.50. The examination is purely ex-
detrimental, with view hereafter TO im-
proving the efficiency OF the force and
safety OF travel. 1t will extend to en-
eipeers, firemen, brakemen, trainmeD, and
fiagmen, and will be very searching and
rigid. Though this is the first examination
Of the kind ever bad in Baltimore by the
Northern Central railway, similar tests have
been made by the Pennsylvania railroad,
notably at jersey City and Harrisburg.
Twenty-Five employees were called yester-
slay, and the same number VIII appear
before the examiners daily until the entire
force, numbering some 800 or 1000, shall
have been examined, and at the present rate
1t viii require about six weeks to complete
the work.
The operation is very interesting, and the
appliances are curiosity and study. A
frame work stands along one side OF the
room with arithmetical figures on 1t repre-
senting feet aud inches. At the far end OF
~
nrjnted some very large and some very
small letters, dwindling in size and prom.
nence as the eve passes from top 10 bottom,
like the lines In printers specimen book.
On the blackboard, 10 the right OF the
card, are chalked down, from top to bot
tom, the numbers 200. 100, 20. 40, 30, 20,
and IS. In the opposite corner of the room
is a circular blackboard with an aper-
ture in the centre, from which lines
run out to a set Of figures, and resemble the
spokes Of wheel. A framework situated
about thirty.five feet from these is screwef
to the door, from which the examined party
gaxes al the characters through large spec
tacle frame like those seen on the comic
stage. In another corner Is an instrument
which looks like huge stere0scOpc, with
q reading. board TO shift through space OF
twenty inches. Near this is large table.
upon which is placed pile Of wors,ed, or
crewel, In sEeins OF every color and every
Imaginable shade OF the eIementaries.
Some OF the officials OF the road known TO
have unimpaired senses were first examined
rs a standard for the employees, who sat in
che ante.room waiting for their names TO
be called. The Doctor stationed the ex-
amined party Mt one end OF the long Frame
work, aud taking queer looking machine,
which made noise like French clock, and
had to be placed In a case to deadcn the
sound, he passed from the employs TO the
other end, asking him repeatedly IL he
could hear it. The Doctor would occasion.
ally and unsusptctediy draw some air out
ask the employe II he could hear the sound
truth and hearing. Then passing further
away, the Doctor would blow into 1t, and
tho sound would be resumed. Examined
parties heard the sound at distances vary
Ing between two and ten or twelve feet, and
were marked accordingly.
After this came the sight test. The
spectacle-trames were placed on the EN-.
pso,e, aud each eye was tried separately, a
disc moving from one side to the other, Oh.
souriog the view from either eye at plea
sure. He was commanded TO read aloud
tho large letters first, and pass ON to the
smaller ones, as long as he was able to dis.
tiuguish them. He read ga Il c." and so
fsrth, until he was unable TO distinguish
P's and Els from b.. He was then told
- sop, aud was marked twenty for each
eye. Then be was placed before the In.
serument resembling stereosc0pe, aud
read both fine aud coarse print, with
enc eye ut time, from twenty 10 four
encbs< n distance. Following this was the
color test. The examiner would lay out .
skeln Of Welsted, aud ask the color. That
tefng given, the empIoy6 was told to watch
4. and then 70 select pieces OF the same
shsde, but not 80 deep In color as the sptci-
Nneii. He was thus tested In ell the cle-
meutm col0rs apd deriyative shades. and
olsmfased 70 give plaza % The next exsmi.
Thn emn,ox - sha.,ad great ass....