Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-11-16
RUNNING TRAINS BY TELEGRAPH.

RUNNING TRAINS BY TELEGRAPH.
Probably the first railroad in the United
States to adopt the telegraph as an auxiliary
in moving its trains was the Erie, or, as it
was then known, the New York and Erie
Mr.. Charles Minot was the general superin
tendent, and be believed that the swift,
silent messenger could be so guided that he
could safely be iutrusted with the duty of
making meeting points for delayed trains,
and thus keep things moving" where long
and tedious delays would otherwise occur.
The wires were strung, and the company
| controlled them. Orders to the trainmen
were given priority that no time might be
lost, and the new system proved to have
value beyond computation to its expert
mental but happy managers 1t was from
this origin that it grew and when it began
| to expand, it spread rapidly until every road
| in the country recognizes its necessity and
| importance.
But the system did not get a start with
out much opposition, and it came from the
men who were to be largely protected by
| it. The old engineers objected roundly to
LAYING aside the "rules" on the back of their
timetables. "They were safe," they said,
land it was better to wait twenty minutes
| with an allowance of an additional five min
utes for possible variation in watches" and
then proceed cautiously" telling their way
around curves, and running at lively gait
| over q straight piece OF track, until they
worked their way to destination. If they
| were detained in the night it was no un-
| usual occurrence to keep quiet at some
| way station, aud wait for daylight TO mark
| the road ahead of them. Passengers might
| srowl and make the best Of it, but the man
on the front end of the train had wife
| and children, or sweetheart, and other
things in his minds eye, and he would take
| no chances. His body was his own, and no
tom. fool act of his would. .be permitted lest
| he might be mangled corpse or cripple
| for life.
This is all gone now. Some triling acci
dent may occur to delay a train, washout
| in this peculiar country may suddenly turn
the tide of events, but when the train is
again in motion it goes along steadily; trains
are met and passed without delay; freight
| trains are not embarrassed seriously by the
| fact that some passenger train coming to.
ward them is an hour or day behind its
time. They Jog along merrily; and tho
whole business of the road goes ahead
smoothly; at least it appears SO to the be-
lated passenger who recognizes the fact that
the DELAY was unavoidable, and did not
continue a moment later than it was ne
cessary. Once in motion, he feels chat the
trouble has ended because he moves ahead,
but he forgets that probably dozen or more
trains may all be running "of time,' and
that master hand and tireless brain are
closely directing their movements.
Here is where the work of the traln-dls
patcher comes into play. To the outside
world he is unknown. His name is not on
the timetables, neither can you find it on
the beautifully printed folders that the road
furnishes to its patrons. He does not, as a
rule. sign his name to the orders which he
issues to the trainmen, but his activity isnot
retarded thereby. When all goes smoothly
he may be doing, reading paper, or tas-
ing life easy in some other way, but when
matters 60 wrong he is wide awake, with a
chart before him which tells the wherea-
bouts of each train, and if he was struck by
| lightning while Mt his post another could
tell at glance where the trains are; for
these workers are always foundin pairs, and
they follow each other as closely as night
follows day. They are supreme on the wires
at such times, with no time to waste in ex
plantations Hence they sometimes appear
curt and non communicative: but it IS be-
cause the business demands it, and not be-
cause they are taciturn and sullen.
A broken wire sometimes occurs, but 1t IS
always quickly repaired and this great
nervous adjunct of the business is seldom
interrupted except by some extraordinary
convulsion of nature. Telegraph stations
are located at all necessary points, and as
soon as a train leaves such place, over the
wire the flying announcement speeds along
quickly in advance of it, and the dispatcher
notes upon the chart before him all the de-
sired information. He knows how many
cars it contains; he knows what side: tracks
are clear, or partially obstructed, and when
his services come into play, his energies are
bent to move all delayed trains speedily,
economically, and safely. He must make
no errors. Hence his whole mind is on his
work, and questions to him from passen.
gers or other unofficial parties at such times
are apt to receive curt replies.-Denrer
Tribune.