Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-07-28
GROOMING THE IRON sreeos.
The tsoutine Work That o. nons On I
Railroad rteundhsuse.


The isoutine Work That o. Done On
Railroad Iseundhouse.
a locomotive roundhousc. with h
grim. steel armored giants resting from
their labor. Is an object Of irresistible sf
traction to Sunday strollcrs along III.
river front near the Union station. II .
visitor happens to be accompanied by On
inquisitive small boy. he will find thai
there are many things about a round,
mouse which are not comprcliented In q
youths definition In school the other
.lay, "a place where they keep engines"
Instead OF being dreary rs a car.
riagc house. It Is as lively ms n
race horse stable. II Il 3 O'Clock In the
evening, and that the New York express
mas just departed ON It's way to Boston.
Soon the biP express locomotive No. 1870
willsslowly tack down the yard. and
switch of down u side alley. M IL were,
toward the great rotindho,ise. Rambling
slowly down the grade, It will stop ut a
gigantic coal heap. where half dozen
dusky figures are ready with shovels,
and ut once they begin TO send the coal
In showers into the tender. Meanwhile
the fireman and engineer have climbed
down from the cab. their days work
done. and have started homewar,l. In
their place has climbed short, burly
man, whose professional name is ..hos.
tier" and the big machine IL In his
charge from this time till the next MORN
ing. After the weight Of the tender has
been increased to several tons by the
efforts Of the shovelcrs. the '.hostler"
slowly runs his charge to the turntable,
md the siccd is prepared Ia go TO bed for
v night
waiting on the table" Is not the most
\ ting occupations TO be judged by the
oac.raining and "leg achy" process Of
turnins' thirty ton locomotive half
round. amy .wai:ers," instead of
having Diapers aprons and clean
napkins. are cqhipps$sh oily oyeralls.
greasy caps and big bon .In,Ieed ,hev
are the same set who wcrc v;c;o,,S,!
shovcling nj the coal pile a n AZ, ago.
and have followed the enginSAp the
house To continue their stten,ion.Sb
bear the name Of "wipers" and then
patton from which the term is dcrlA
will soon be seen. When the engine n
pulled in" To its stall, two bulkheads il
the front of the boiler are unscrewe,l
and two men. sticking long probes int,
the hole. begin Ia ram up and down will
might and main. This is to get III,
sparks out Of her." and the torturin,
process lasts fully fifteen minutes. tn,
bright showers falling from the lox int
.l.st. -
not idle. Armed with big bunch %
waste soaked with black oil to <sevcn
rust. they rub and scrub vigorously, an,
soon the effect Of their work l,hgins to b
seen. for the big loconotIe looks n
shining and sleek rs racer fresh from
the stable.
The "hostler meanwhile In
banked the fire. and. after pourin,
nine buckets Of fine sand into the san,
box on the boiler, the traveller is left I,
slumbcr on a warm bed--warm. for il
the pit underneath runs network q
steam pipes. giving u temperate heat, tn
effect Of which is shown by the drippin,
II the melting ice. IL the weather
cold. No. 100 rests peacefully: smoth
cred sn0rc now and then is the only indi
cation that spark Of life remains in til
machine. Early in the morning th
locomotive is awakened by the ''hostlcr,
who vigorously pokes the fire, and sooI
the steam is sizzling ut lively rate
About an hour before the train time th
"hostlcr" pulls the engine out, and ate
making up the train, the engineer an,
fireman rcLppcar and No. 100 starts on
for its days run Of ere miles.
Like every big harm, roundhousc In
its anncxcs in the front yard. Near III,
entrance to the establishment there is
woodshcd. sand house. and an OF
cubby. The latter is part of the old round
house and the inside arrangements re-
semblc well regulated kitchen. Nea
n sink in one corner are seen three bras
handled pumps. which connect with thre
big tanks underneath the floor, which
have capacity Of several barrels Of oi
each. In one Of these tanks il the lar,
oil for drying in the shops. in anothc
the valve oil for the engines, and in an
other still Is the "engine oil" proper
Besides these substances is the kerosen
or headlight oil In tank by itself. In
little back room is the big pile of waste
and the whole establishment is In charg,
Of a responsible servant of the road, wh'
parcels ont the material 10 the foreman
OF the roundhouse Us he requires. Tn
sand house Is also modest brick stric;
urc in which pile Of sand is heape,
about large stove, to be- perfectly drie,
before being sifted. and right opposite /
the gigantic woodshed whose pile Il re
plcnishcd every day with car load
There are. Of course two gangs Of hand
who have charge night and day rcspec
lively. and. taken all together. q jollicr
healthier. and more hard working set o
men il would he hard TO find the Who'll
read over. Springfield Republican.