The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-19
THE LAST WATCH.
How the Track-Walker Saved the
Train.

We sat IN the smoking-rOom of a
sleeping car attached TO a passenger
train on a Western railway. There
were half a dozen of us-two who
looked like railway officers, three COM
mercial travellers, and myself. As we
sat chatting over our cigars, the smoke
from which filled the little compart-
ment so densely that each man could
see his neighbor but indistinctlv, one
of the railway men said to the other:
Herbert, how was it you came to
be transferred from the track TO the
operating department, about two years
ago? I've heard there was story con-
nected with it; is that sop
Eyes, there was little story" re-
piled the one addrcssed-a young man,
but with a thoughtful, serious face;
cor rather. added, "there was an
adventure, in which 1 was compelled
by circumstances to play part"
Tell us about it. won't you," asked
the other railway man; I'm sure the
boys here would like to hear a true
story, for change"
There was general chorus of "tell
u.s." 'let us have it, " ''go ahead" and
so the young man, who his compan-
ion said was superintendent of that
division of the road, took a long.
steady pull at his cigar. turned
the burning end of it toward his eyes
and looked intently at it for a moment
rs if calculating how long the glowing
fire would retain life without further
encouragement, and began:
1T is not much of a story, gentlemen.
merely a little incident from the life of
a railway man, but every word of it is
true, as | happen to know, because l
was there. 1t was two years ago. when
/ WAS a track-walker on section Is,
this division. OF course you all know
what track-walker's duties are. He
must once q day, and oftener in stormy
weather, walk the whole length of his
section of ten miles, twenty miles of
hard travelling on the ties and rough
ballast of n rOad-bed, looking out for
broken rails, loose nuts or brok IN EOlts
in the fish-plates. damages to the road
bed, fallen rocks. trees blown down, or
any other source of danger to trains.
At the time of which l speak there was
n freshet in the streams, the snow hay
ing melted on the mountain sides, and
we were kept on the jump night and
day watching for culverts and bridges
that may have been undermined or
swept away, weakened entertainments
.or other injury to the permanent way.
Water is one of the worst enc
mics railway has. you know.
for it undermines and weakens and
washes away silently and secretly. 1t
is the foe most dreaded by train men,
and if you have ever noticed that trains
are often behind time in the spring,
when freshets abound, you now know
the cause. Engineers are extraor-
dinarily cautious in such times. and
rightly so, for it is impossible to watch
a road-bed carefully enough to ward
of all dangers when this secret foe is
Mt work on the earth-worls of rail
way.
well, on the night of which 1 speak
l was going up to the eastern end of
my section. 1t was just cold enough
tc freeze still water, and high wind
was blowing before which black clouds
were scudding along, keeping the moon
hid more than half the time. Every
where there seemed to be the sound of
water-trickling. running. creeping.
falling-any thing but pleasant sounds.
You may be sure, to the track-waiker,
the section boss, and the locomotive en-
gineer. Pretty soon came TO the trestle
work leading up to the bridge over Green
river The river was out of its banks
and covering half the valley. Its current
was running strong and full of ice, and
as l noticed the great rise that had
taken place since | was last there / be-
came filled with fear for the safety of
the bridge proper. where the waters
were running with great rapidity.
sweeping huge blocks of ice before
them. Picking my way over the trem-
bling structure, the sullen roar visibly
increased as approached the channel
of the usually quiet stream. now a rag
ing flood. Sure enough. my worst fears
were realized; one whole bent OF the
bridge had been swept away. and the
end of the structure on which l soon
found myself standing. lantern in hand.
was trembling like tree in storm.
At first felt oppressed by sense of my
utter helplessness in the presence of
such display of natures powers; but
in a few moments the thought suddenly
came to me that had q duty of great
responsibility to perform. and to per-
form quickly. The west-bound express
train was due in twenty minutes, and
one of the chief objects Of my visit to
the bridge at this time was to note its
condition and if necessary signal No. z.
Depending upon signal in case of
danger. the engineer would in its abb
ssenee be sure to drive ahead at the
usual rate of speed in crossing bridges.
There was, therefore. all the greater
necessity for action on my part