The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-01
A eRAKsMAN's EXPERIENCE.
What Happcr,d to HIN In the absence OF
the automatic Car Coupler.

There is great deal Of small wi. aired
BIZ paragraphists In connection with rail-
road car couplings. The inventor Of a
car coupler occupies about the same pc.i-
ton ia the ranks Of crsnks that is as
,irucd 10 the laxative barber and the
gum chewer. SO accustomed have the
funny men of the press become TO treat
ing the subject from a humorous stand
point that it is doubtful whether ) PER
cent. of them could write seriously about
a new car coupler If they tried. And yet
il IL 4 serious thing caough 70 some
people
There is at least one man acting as con
ductor on q Pittsburg street car who can
tell thrilling story of the pesils that be-
fall brakemen In the absence Of automatic
car couplcrs How, in the dark, foggy
nights. the brakeman has to lean side
ways against tho end Of freight car. his
feet outside tho rails. and his arm ex-
tended in such position that false
movement of two inches will drop him, a
mangled mass of inanimate flesh, between
the rails, when the rest of the train backs
up, suddenly and irresistibly. and crashes
with force Of hundreds of tons against
the iron plate that is almost touching his
hand. How, on these same dark nights,
il IS necessary for the brakeman TO face
the way the train IS moving. 50 that, in
case his car runs forward few feet. he
NAV go with il, and save himself from
beiug swung around and crushed under
tho wheels, a contingency that is almost
certain, should he forget himself and face
the other way. How the conductor is
likely TO turn around and give you
thunder" if you miss a coupling the
first time, and how you are expected to
take some risk in your work SO as to do
it swiftly and effectively.
Then this man, who has been n brake
man. but who chad to quit railroading
when he got hurt" can tell you how it
happened on that unlucky night, near
Derry, that he got all smashed up. lie
was on the iron ladder at the end of o car,
with his lantern in his hand. when he saw
the other part Of the train backing down
upon him. 1t was coming at a good speed,
sud he had no time to jump of and make
the coupling from the ground underneath,
which is the best way" as he naively
remarked, though "the best way" is sur
rounded by mere danger than threatens
tine average soldier q a battle. He
reached down from above, (Which Is an
other good war." holding the pin ready to
drop into its place when the two cars
should come together. They came to-
gether, he dropped the pm with true aim,
it fell into its proper receptacle, but not
quito straight. 1t was jerkod out, strik
ing him in the stomach with such force
as to make his brain reel with pain. He
fell in between the cars. and for half an
hour lay wedged in, with one arm broken
in two places. three ribs fractured aud his
head cut and bleeding.
st the end of the half hour the rest Of
the train crew missed him He could not
be released until the conductor had noti-
fed the engineer. Then the forward part
of the tram was drawn away, and the
brakeman. vita Just enough life to ask
FOR a drink, was taken out. A. he says
himself, he is pretty nearly al light
now, but his wife won't lie. him railroad
any longer Il might be thought that
this man would be in favor 81 automatic
car couplers. But no. He says that,
while they are all very well for passenger
coaches, they will never do for freight.
They do not give enough play and i
would be impossible TO make ~ such
long trains. 1t would hot be so prohta-
bio Tor the railroad companies and Us for
the danger to the men, why there q
sort OF excitement about raiirOading
when YOU don't know When son nay he
on tho last trip. that men kinder like,
after al. pittsburg Brlleiin.