The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-14
RAILWAY MEN.
The Responsibilities of the Engineer and
the Firemen and the Brakemen of
the Railway Trains.

10 some 1t may seem a weakness. l refer
to one habit practiced by me occasionally.
An important railway runs through our
campus, and there are times when there
comes to me an irresistible desire to pray
God to bless those who run the trains" 1t
rises above the wants of one road and takes
in all. l have travelled many thousands of
miles on the railway. Contrasted with the
stage-coach and Connestoga wagon of fifty
years ago, how grand train on the iron
rails. And it is said that the average of safe
ty is greatly in favor of the latter. The rail-
way as physical force, or collection of
forces, is tremendous The steam is har-
messed to drag trains over high bridges, and
along dangerous heights. What dizzy
height is the train traversing around Cape
Horn on the Central Pacifc-two thousand
feet they sayl A broken connecting rod,
wheel or rail puts all that train with its con-
tents in peril. And trains have gone over
either this or some other dizzy height. Il
was in the most brilliant moonlight we
doubled the cape' just referred to. The
light was enough to give dim and magnify
ing look at what seemed unfathomable
depths.
We sit with careless ease in the sumptu-
Gus parlor-car, or sleep with restful quiet at
night in the Pullman. And yet our train
moves along in places that thrill US when
looked at from the rear platform. One never
quite gets hardened to the Chet-mountain
scenery on the Baltimore & Ohio, or the
Delaware scenery on the Erie, or the Horse
shoe and Connemaugh scenery on the Penn
sylvania Think of trains dashing on such a
down grade forty miles or faster, and you
with them!
1t may seem weak, but have sometimes
asked God-my Father in heaven-to keep
safely those two men on the locomotiye-the
man at the throttle and the man at the fur
mace. They need nerve, and they have it.
What brave men they arel They need the
Fathers care. And doubt not they have
that, too at least we may suppose So Our
safety depends so much on the nerve and
skill of those two men.
| was on a splendid train on the Marietta
d Cincinnati road one day. We were run
ming swiftly. Suddenly the train was checked
as if by hand mightier than human. APP
preaching a siding, we felt the train stopped
not instantly but suddenly-too suddenly
for comfort. A freight was on the siding, its
engine facing u.s. The right side of our en-
CINE was torn off, and also the right side of
the freight engine that was facing us. That
was all. Not one of the hundred passengers
was hurt Our engineer, with quick sight,
saw the switch was partly turned-enough to
make not full, but only partial collision
and, with wonderful nerve and promptness,
applied the brakes, and leaped for his life.
The fireman also leaped for life. 1t was
terrible peril. Now, l suppose these grand
men have many as great perils that we never
hear of. Often these men ride "the iron
horse headed toward death. 1 wonder
they do not reach the black goal at the
first ride, We ride quietly in the we'll
cushioned car, but these men ride ahead of
us, mediators between us and death. Is tia
weakness in me that l sometimes say to my
God, BLESS the brave engineer@' A mis-
placed switch, broken rail, a spike mali
ciously drawn bridge undermined by
water, how little thing is needed to kill our
bold friend with his hand at the throttle, and
US alsol And it is said there are on this con-
tinent 10000 engineers each with fireman,
who stand daily between those who travel and
death.
The last winter has been peculiar for ice on
the paths of footmen and the roads of en-
gines and horses The Western States for
several days were an immense skating park.
1t was hazardous to step unless on skates or
with steel-shod heels. The ice fought tie
locomotives, and in many cases lifted them
from the track. Just now l am thinking
not of the footmen on our streets, or the en-
gineers on our engines, but of the brakemen
on our freights The so-called brakemen on
our passenger trains usually have about as
easy a time as we who ride. They look very
nice and happy in their neat uniforms, and
or the book loaned by the good-natured news
boy.
But these brakemen on the freigAts "can-
not indulge in any foolishness'' at any time
They climb up and down cars in motion,
when a misstep is likely to kill. Their lot
is perilous and hard enough at any time; but
i'll the night when clouds and storms are
hiding the stars, to be climbing over trains
is at the constant peril of life. But when
the falling mist or rain freezes over all the
cars and glazes each round in every ladder
it puts the brakeman in the most terrible
peril. 1t makes one shudder to think of the
poor fellows Each step, each move is on
the slippery path toward death. Every
once in while one steps and falls, either to
become cripple for life, or die horrible
death.
And like the men on the engine, they
have nerves of steel. They meet the dam
gers of their calling with wonderful cour-
age. They are not towards. If they were
they would not be there
When a boy, seated in the old First
Church, in the city of Newark, 1 used to
hear in the autumn one request for pray
ers' that impressed me very much There
were men in Newark who did business at the
South. The ships usually sailed on Satur.
day. The next day-to give an actual case
the pastor would read such request as this:
"Mr William Camp, having sailed for Savan-
nah, asks the prayers of this church for his
safetyl"
have spoken of the perils of men ''who
do business" on our railways. A great road
runs through our campus. At all times OF
day and night and in all sorts of weather,
the trains are to be heard, 1t may be weak
ness-call it SO if you will-but 1 often in
my heart, and even sometimes in the college
chapel, l ask God to take care of these brave
but greatly endangered men who run the en-
gines and twist the brakes on our railway
trains.
How to Counteract Sleeplessness.
Laws of Lifo.
sense of drowsiness is sometimes easily
induced by getting up and standing by the