The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-31
ON THE NIGHT SHIFT.
A Peculiar Story as Told by Train
Dispatcher.

Several years ago 100 OAAPAOJ 60 -
train dispatcher on g southwestern
American railroad As usual there
were three of US in the Office. had
what is called the second trick my
hours of duty being from pm. to L
pm. The third man, Charlie Burns
VINO came on at midnight and worked
till pm, was a particular friend Of
mine. He was q young man OF high
character, a fine dispatcher, and very
popular: and when, during the burning
days of July, it became known among
the men that he was cohined to his
room by severe attack OF malignant
fever, many were the expressions OF
regret and the hope for his speedy re-
covery.
During the trying days of Charles
illness | spent all the time could spare
by his side. but on account of his alb
sence from the Office it was necessary
for the remaining two of Us - double
up that is, work twelve hours each
my WaCch being from IN. to am.
came on duty one evening feeling
very bad. The weather was so warm
could not sleep well in the daytime; be-
sides, | had spent q considerable part
of the day with Charlie, whose illness
had nov reached a critical stage, and
seemed to show little prospect of i'm
provement.
Hence, as you may imagine, | was
not all pleased to find that was likely
to have busy night OF it. A wreck on
the road during the day had thrown all
the regular trains off time, and besides
the usual number of special freights
there was special passenger train to
leave Linwood, the eastern terminus OF
our division. at IL p. m, with large
party of excursionists returnin from q
picnic. For several hours l had my
hands full. There was q special Il ain
of live stock bound east which had to be
kept moving, but was being delayed by
hot journals; nevertheless, [ hoped to
get them into I4inWOod before the ex
cursion train started west.
As usually happens in such cases, the
excursion train did not get ready to
ieaVe on time, and it was IL 40 D. N.
when they reported for orders at Lin
wood. | liked up their orders, got the
report of their departure from Linwood
at l1.45, and entered IL on the traiE
sheet. Then. having for the first time
that night a few minutes breathing
time, rose from the table ant went
over and seated myself by the window
where it was cooler than under the
heated gas jets over the table. | was
alone in the office, and as | sat there
enjoying the cool breeze which came in
through the open window neighbor-
ing church clock rang out the hour OF
II. From force of habit l glanced al
the door, almost expecting to hear
| Charles light footstep on the stair
and see the door open to admit him as
OF old.
Poor fellow, ~ thought, sit will be
a long time before he enters that door
again if he ever does" Just at the
| last stroke of II, and while my eyes
were still fixed on the door, it opened
and Charlie Burns entered. Ny aston
| ishment may be imagined better than l
can describe it. Ny first thought was
that in the dellrium of fear he had es-
| capped from his nurses and made his
way to the Office, but when left him a
few hours before l could not have be-
lieved that he had strength to get out
of bed. l sat and watched him in
speechless surprise, which was increased
| by his strange manner.
| Instead or his usual hearty greeting
| he took no notice of me at all, but
walked directly to the table and sat
down. Placing his hand upon the key
n began calling 60" which was the
signal for Elm Grove the first station
came the response. Put out signal
for special passenger west and copy. .
"Ro,'' "Ro," "Ds," rang out the
sounder with Charles nimble fingers
upon the key. "Ro" was the call fol-
RoseGa ale, the second station from Lin
wood, eight miles west of Elm Grove
81, [, Ro, >" came back the answer.
is special east coming? D."
Then, as l sat by the window as ont
paralyzed, the awful truth flashed acros!
my mind. l had overlooked the stool
train, laundering eastward twenty
miles an hour. and made no provision
for its meeting the excursion train. Ny
blood seemed turned TO ice as hearC
the reply:
"They are at the switch. Ro."
Another minuteI and it would have
been too late.
Still apparently obliVious of my
lpreseDce, Charlie reached for the order
book with his left hand, while his RICH
continued to manipulate the key, anC
heard the sounder click:
"Out signal and copy DIS.
Order No. 734.
To c. and e. Eng. 81 Ro.
G. and E. Eng. 19 o.
Special east eng. "a will take sidin,
and meet special west eng. 10 at Rose
dale. 12J. W.
Quick as a flash came back tn,
response from each station and in les
time than it takes me to write it til,
order had been repeated and signed By
the conductor and engineer of eacl
train, while Charlie copied it into tn
order book and returned his 80. K. 4"
| Then, as l realized that I was saved
and great disaster averted, the reVul
sion of feeling was too much for M
overstrsined nerves, and 1 lost con
seriousness.
An hour later l was awakened by &
| familiar voice, and looked up to fiuC
Frank Dryer, one of our conductors
who had volunteered to watch thai
night with Charlie, standing over me
l"Wakeu up, old man." said he, 81 havr
bad news for you. Charlie died Just a.