The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-02-18
SAVED BY A BREAKDOWN.
What Made a Train Dispatcher's
Hair Turn While.

What Made Train Dispatcher's
Hair Turn White.
have q brother who is now in the
grocery business in Richmond. Va,
but he was for eleven years dis
patcher on Southern road. He is q
sober. quick-wilted and industrious
man, but, although he is only S. years
old, his hair is almost as white as
snow, and there are times when the
cold sweat stands on his forehead and
he trembles Ike leaf.
When he was dispatcher. one warm
afternoon in August he was tanning
himself and trying without meeting
with much success. to coanteract the
effects of the hot winds. which some-
times blew in that part of the coun-
try, in addition to the intense heat
from the sun, which shown on an avn
ing overhanging his window. He had
been closely confined to the Office for
many months. and the constant strain
had probably wearied both body and
mind. At any rate he had sent an Or
der for an express train to meet q
special. on which were q number of
officers of the road, at certain sta
toni then, by one Of those unaccounta-
BILE slips made by the most well-trained
and careful minds, ordered the special
to station by the meeting point. He
took his finger from the key and his
eyes from the train sheet, and again
began to fan himself vigorously and
allowed his mind to wander ct will.
A few minutes afterward. more from
force of habit than from any other
reason. his eyes were cast over tire
train sheet. Like flash of lightning.
almost at the instant he saw his mis-
take. He seized the key and was
about to correct it, when he realized
to his horror that it was too late.
Both trains had been reported as hav-
ing passed their stations several min
utes before and were now fast making
toward each other at not less than
forty miles an hour. When the GER
tain result of his fearful blunder dawn
ed upon him he tried to get up. but
his knees were numb and refused to
fulfill their functions. As he ex-
pressed it. he saw the two trains as
they were rapidly approaching each
other; saw them but mile apart with
their precious loads of human freight.
He knew every inch of the road, and
knew that where they must meet Their 9
was high wall of rock on one side
and deep ravine on the other; knew
that horrible death awaited in anoth-
er instant almost two-thirds of the pas.
sengers of both trains, for it was on a
curve where the engineers could not
see each other until it would be too
late. Then mist came before his
eyes, and. as he almost tainted, he saw
in his minds eye the crash of the two
engines, the telescoped cars roll over
the embank ment and piled in a great
heap. Loud above the Kissing stea m
he heard the cries of the dying. he
tainted away.
When he recovered consciousness he
heard his call on the line. With al
most supernatural effort he arose and
answered. The operator at the station
to which he sent the order to the spe-
cial then told him that the engine oil
the special had broken down as it was
pulling out and he wanted further or
ders. Hold itr he flashed back, and a
mountain rolled off his mind. In an
other moment, when he had time ia
collect his thoughts. he attempted to 60
to "a window, and found that his limbs
were numb and the cold sweat was
standing upon his hands aud forehead.
There was also strange singing SEN
sation at the roots of his hair. as
though someone was pricking him on
the head with some needles. That
night when he left the Office and with
a great effort walked home his wife
jokingly asked him what he had put on
his hair. Upon looking into the glass
lie was Mortified to see that it had in
those few moments become almost as
white as snow.
He resigned his position next day
without giving cause for so doing.
Often since then he has told me that
m oney could not hire him to again &C
cept position as train dispatcher. -
Philadelphia Ne,os.