The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-06-24
Locomotive Engineers.

Apractical engineer says, through the
Detroit Free Press:
So much has been said of tho daunt-
less courage and self-sacrificing heroism
of locomotive engineers, as displayed
during the few seconds intervening be-
tween the discovery of immediate I'M
pending danger and the actual occur
renee, that it has become the subject of
much annoyance to our profession.
During my experience of over ten years
as engineer of both slow and fast trains,
on various prominent lines, there has
never been, to my knowledge, one acct
dent where the presence OF an engineer
on his engine, after certain acts have
been performed (unless as precaution
of personal safety, was not the height
of foolhardiness, and this in justice to
all concerned in the general result.
On a passenger train, after the air
brakes are applied, the engine reversed,
and the sand-lever open, the presence
of q whole cabful of cool-headed, ex-
perienced engineers would not alter tho
result one single bit. Now as to the
sseagle-eyed hero" who has so many
lives at his mercy in times when mortal
danger stares his train in the face. What
is the man there for, if not to use every
possible exertion to avert impending
calamity? Is it not the intention of his
superiors that he shall take the train
safely to its destination, and in passing
over his run to use every known precau-
ton for safety? We are familiar with
and use daily methods for safety I'M
known to the public and not definitely
provided for in the regulations OF the
company. An engineer who would
abandon his engine at the first sight OF
danger, without having first used the
means at his command to lessen the re-
suit, would (save in very exceptional
cases) be hooted out of the coun-
try. From the very earliest stages
in the apprenticeship of an engineer,
it is daily brought to his notice
that the correct and proper thing to do
in all cases where sudden stop is re-
ouired, is to reverse and open the throt-
tie, using sand to keep the wheels from
| slipping, and in his usual work on local
freight trains he has it continually in
use before him, while doing switching,
etc. Thus long before he becomes a
passenger engineer it is second nature
to him to adopt this method when occa-
sion demands. In addition to this means
all passenger engines are provided with
air-breaks, and their application be-
comes from frequent usage quite as me-
chanical under all circumstances as in
the previous mentioned means provided
1t takes much less time than those un.
initiated can imagine to accomplish al
that is possible for an engineer to do te
stop his train; very few seconds sui
fee, and nearly always he has ample
time to jump and save himself from
quite probable injury. We who arr
daily liable to be subjected to the re
uuirements know the uselessness of run
ming unnecessary risks, and how few ar
the thanks we receive from our employ
ers when (and they are the ones we arr
most concerned in keeping on the RICH
, side of, perchance, one of our number
! by an error of judgment, suffers per
/ sonal injury. If the truth were known
it is not quite freely accepted as fact
,, after the usual means to stop hav
! been made, many q good man has gon
! to his death by reason of being seize'
: with . sort of paralysis. and being rem
= 0ereO helpless 1OE Guc tlu0 UcIuS W eiI
= thought of the terrible calamity to fol
: low. 1t is customary to tell the firema
: to Jump, and as he can in nowfse assis
in these emergencies, he usually escape
! unhurt.
! Occasionally on crooked roads CO.
.. iisions occur so suddenly that both me
ON the engine are killed without the usu,
few seconds warning, and then it is cui
tomary to laud those killed as brav
men who went to their death rather tina
!, desert their posts Of duty. while in rea
= ity the poor fellows had only time
= feel the sudden choking sensation q
= WAYS present when sudden mortal dal
i ger stares at Us.
70 The City of Boston opened its pul
|: lie baths on the LIST of June. The seaso
}, lasts four months, the baths are 10
% number, and last year 646, 200 mal'
g and PAS, 535 females availed themselv'
a. II 70