The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-09-10
How Freight Trains are Handled.

A wildcat train used to be the dread
OF railroad men. Now every freight
train on a great many roads is 4 wildcat.
Yet It runs with more safety to itself and
to other trains than when it used to be
time-tabled. 1t starts out when it can,
and thereafter runs or lies still on sidings
under orders received at the stations.
This state of affairs has been brought
about by the increasing use Of anu de-
pendence on the railroad telegraph
lines. But to secure safety, the tete.
graph must be eked out with the FLAG.
The engineer can be communicated
with only by flag or lantern. Tele-
graphic communication stops at the Sta
tiOns.
Three years ago every fagman on
the Erie Railroad was summoned to the
Superintendent's Office, and there made
to show whether or not he understood
the rules of the road as to tagging
trains. If it was found that he did nm.
derstand them, he was allowed to 20
back to work after signing 3 statement
that he understood them. II il said bv
road officials that this proceeding so i'm
pressed the fagmen with the Importance
OF their duties that there has never since
been an accident caused by q fagman's
carelessness, such as was said to have
caused the accident at Rye, on the New
Haven Railroad. There are four whistle
signals. One whistle, continued for
about i've seconds, indicates that brakes
must be turned on to stop the train.
Two whistles is the signal to let off the
brakes. Three whistles is the signal
that the, train is about to be
backed, and also for the tlagman to
60 back. Whether the train is backed
or not, and under any and all circum-
stances, the flagman must leave the ca
bose of q freight train or the rear car
OF passenger train and hasten back
three-quarters of mile or o mile in
readiness to stop any trains that may be
approaching. He must stay there until
he has stopped an approaching train or
until he hears the signal to come back.
This signal is four whistles.
When the engineer has given the sig.
nal for the flagman to come in it by no
means follows that the train must wait
for him. The hagman gets back If he
can. II he can not he must follow on
the next train be can get. His flag is a
pass on any train. Sometimes, when q
tog lies on the Jersey meadows, an
Erie train comes in with only the engi-
neer and conductor in charge of it. ev.
cry other employee having been left be-
hind with . dag.
The signal for the Aagman to 90 back
must be given by the engineer every
time the train stops, unless it be at one
Of its regular stations and on time. II
1t is not on time, flsgman must be
whistled back. More than this, when
ever . train stops, except at . station on
time, the Aagman must 90 back, wheth.
or he hears the signal to do 30 or not,
and he must stay there until he gets the
signal to return to the train. II hs does
not get signal to return, he must stay
back on the track until he stops train.
The theory is that il = Asgman does his
full duty, there Is hardly : possibility Of
the crashing Of one train into another.
There are 100 daily passenger trains
scheduled on the time tables ii the Erie
sfice. These must necessarily run &C.
cording TO time schedule. OF the nu-
merous freight trains only two are now
and it is said that this il 4