Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-17

From the Philadelphia Press.
The other night when the western express
arrived at the Broad street station from New
York. Engineer Vandegrift discovered blood
trickling down the spokes Of the cow-catcher
He knew some deadly work had been done, but
was at loss to tell when and where It had
occurred. He told Harry Feaster, the con-
ductor OF the train, what he had discovered.
and Immediately word was telegraphed
all along the line to make search for anyone
who might have been struck by o train.
Shortly after midnight the dead body of a man
was found near Bridesburg station with the
head crushed In. In the meantime the cOndnc-
tor and the engineer had gone to their homes
conductor Harry Feaster told fellow-conduc-
tor the next day that he had passed a sleepless
night and the engineer reported q similar ex-
perience.
An old engineer said to a Press reporter the
other day. "The public, taking them collectively
think that an engineer is a hard -hearted wretch
and that he thinks no more of running over
human being than he does of killing a COW or q
hog. I've heard people say that we become
hardened to it and don't mind it a bit; but that's
amlstake, and very grave one. remember
Killing man some five years ago, and know
that couldn't sleep for month. except by fits
aud starts. | used to have the most horrible
Nightmares that ever worried Mortal man."
FOR GODS SAKE, JUMP
zone night" continued the old engineer. as
he shifted his quid of tobacco, 81 had horrible
dream. That was an awful night NV wife woke
me up. had my hand on the foot-rall of the
bed. just as if had hold of the throttle, and the
beads OF perspiration were standing out all over
my face. My wife told NE how / had Yelled
For Gods sake, jump. and how 1t had wakened
her; and then she sprang out Of bed shaking
with fear, and when she shook me and saw
where was, l told her my dream. It's mean
thing to accuse US of not mindng killing people"
said the engineer as he took his oil can and
started to oil his engine.
Not long ago, Engineer Edward Knowles
stood examining his engine i'm the Broad street
station: he had just brought the "Owr' train
from jersey City. There was a busy scene all
about him; two southern expresses and two
western trains were standing in the station. 1t
was just O'Clock in the morning, and o very
sharp. biting, chilly dawn; baggage pOrters and
men laden with great bundles of Philadelphia
morning papers fresh from the press were hurry
ing to the trains. The electric light was spit
ting and Kissing and casting weird, fantastical
shapes and shadows about the engineer. who
stood apparently gazing at nothing. A Press
reporter opened conversation with Engineer
Knowles, and, after good deal of talk, he said
as he leaned forward. with one foot resting on |
the hub of a driving Wheel
i've been running for ten years and never |
met with m.shap until here a short time ago |
and then everything seemed to come all at |
once. l killed an old peddler at Princeton |
junction one day He was crossing the track
by the station in his old wagon. / think he |
must have been asleep, for lie paid no attention
TO the whistle when I blew and of course he
was Killed outright. The old fellow was well |
known in Trenton. Then l struck a man |
over IN the meadows and right on top Of that |
killed man at Newark
CRAZY FROM REMoRsE.
phia yard told the reporter he knew of few |
instances where engineers had gone crazy from |
killing people with their engines, 81 knew a !
poor fellow" said the engineer. ''who was on |
the New Jersey Central. He killed a woman |
up by Clinton one night, and that night heard |
MN tell the trainmaster, Billy Smith, at Eliza
beth. all about it, He seemed to grow insane
rlSht there and had queer look in his eye.
week after that he was put in strait Jacket.
ana ne IN an insane asylum to-day nothing
short OF maniac, and that happened nearly ar
teen years ago."
1t is very evident that the whole course of an |
engineer career is not as smooth as the track |
he runs over. They are supposed to exercise |
presence OF mind, never mind what stares them |
IN Tie lace. The engineers on the Pennsy!ya- |
MIA road receive $3.50 day or SIS month. |
For instance. round trip from the Broad-srreet |
s,i to Jersey City and back ls2 miles, is
considered days work. Every third day
they have Off Some engineers get through
their days work In less time than others.
For example, Engineer Harrison leaves Broad
street with the $50 express in the
morning and gets back to Broad street at 22O
n the afternoon. He takes his engine out to
POweltOn avenue to the roundhouse, and then
MS DAYS work Is done and he is free until 7:3O |
the next morning. Every steam horse has it's
stall in the big round stable, and it's 'hostlers."
as the men are called who take care Of and |
clean the engines Engineer Harrison gets off |
his engine much the same as a jockey gets off |
his sulkey when the race is over. The hOstlers |
take charge of the engine, which has become |
dirty and tired-looking from dashing over 1879 |
miles OF rOadbed.
GOSSIP OF THE ROAD. |
When you see an engineer who ia runnino a |
passenger line you can make up your mind that |
he has worked long time on an engine before |
ne reaches that important post. First, there is |
four or five years to be served as q fireman and |
then several years on freight train.
Phe engineers on the Pennsylvania road are |
carefully selected by the road-foreman of en- |
be allowed to run an engine an hour. Not only |
Is their life, while on duty carefully scrutinzed.
but their movements, while off duty are GEN
orally known by the officers. "a man must have |
the qualifications Of a clear head and q steady |
hand, said an official to the reporter
II the newspaper express is detained a single |
minute on the road the conductor has to make |
out detention report, stating where the deten-
ton occurred and the cause Of It, As soon as |
the train arrives at Broad street the report il |
telegraphed to Train Master Adams. at Jersey |
City. so that Immediately after the trains arrival
here he knows exactly the whole history of its
run. The train leaves Jersey City at $40 a. m.
and the great disadvantage in making a fast
run with it is that the engineer hasn't daylight
TO do 1t In. except in midsummer, and then 1t is
often very fOggy. Fog Is an engineers worst /
enemy. They dare not run so fast as in clear
weather, and have to slow up frequently to see
II the signals are all right. Rain makes the |
tracks more slippery than snow, and necessl-
tates slowing up sooner on approaching a |
station, which means lost time. Snow always |
gives an engineer the blues, and next to fog is |
dreaded worse than anything else. MANY enri-
neers are particularly cheerful when they have a |
bright moon, and claim they can make better |
running time than without it, while MANY feel |
happy and contented with the company of |
clear sky full of stars
Some engineers handle train more grace |
filily than others. Some stop train gradually |!
by applying the air and then allowing it to ex- |
haust, repeating the manipulation two or three |
times, which stops the train by degrees, and |
prevents the jerking of the cars and shaking the |
passengers up. while other engineers. who have |
not the knack, stop the train frequently with |
one application of the air brake.
Charles Dickens told a friend m alfrhtfno