Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-01-26
0vcrwork Up0n Railways.

1t deserves to be known by the public
that some of the largest and most inn
portant railways are in the habit of
overworking their employees to such an
extent that even engineers, fremen and
switchmen fail asleep at their posts
from sheer exhaustion. 1t is stated on
good authority that ma ority of all
the coll sions that take place are due to
this cause. A correspondent OF the New
York Times has been investigating the
matter, and came across such cases as
the following: A aon-keeper said that
he had often Jagged train and found
the engineer fast asleep, the conductor
snoring in his cab. and only the fire
man awake 10 obey his signal. Were
the fireman also TO 9oze oil, thing not
unlikely TO happen, inasmuch as his
hours of service ara the same, no one
could foreseeethe consequences. 1t is
not unusual for train men to work
twenty-five hours continue sly, and in
case of detention or accident, or other
disarrangement of the rotation of serv-
ice, the time frequently extends to thir-
ty hours without rest. A certain sta
| tion-master has to be ut his post when
the midnight train goes by. and then
again at four o'clock. When the mid
night train is two hours late the station
keepers night is thereby shortened
1t is stated that five or six hours at
stretch is all that an engineer can stand
without being overtaxed. Six or ght
hours should be days work for con-
ductor. The en- Iineer of q coal train
stated that his trip was twenty-five
hours. "Its an awful hard task to
keep awake the last eleven or twelve
hours OF the time" 1.-The other nght.n
said he. ION the return trip. 1 dozed
oil, and dreamed that everybody was
asleep on the train, and that we ran into
Scranton depot i'll that manner.
awoke with start, and there was the
confounded fireman that had left on
watch. fast asleep. Scranton was Just
ahead and in few minutes more my
dream would have been reality"
The writer has been assured by old and
trusy eng neers that near the close of n
long trip, especially if it has for any
cause been unusually trying, it is utterly
impossible to keep awake. A man will
fall asleep VIII le standing on the foot
board and with his hand on the throttle.
A few years ago in the outskirts of the
city one freight train ran through the
middle of another at n crossing, the en-
gineer of the invading train being
asleep at his post He was awakened
by pieces of freight cars coming into the
cab.
All the testimony goes to show that
the overwork of railway employees is
universal, especially on the more i'm.
portant lines. Aside from the in ustice
to the men, there the important con-
sideration of the safety of the public.
To fly along in an elegant paror coach
over a smooth track Is certainly pleas
ant. But if the occupants OF the cab,
or the man at the next switch are
asleep, all this magniticence goes for
nothing but ruin. ne of the leading
railways out of this city has had q
number of serious smash-ups lately.
fortunately without loss OF life, under
con litions which point plainly TO over
worked employees or else to the selec-
ton of incompetent men. The mat Ell
is one for the Legislature to deal with.
Meanwhile every traveller will do well
to watch out for himself, AMI wherever
he finds such condition rs this, shun
the road from that time forth. -Chica.
90 Herakd,