, 1888-12-09
HERO OF THE RAIL.
DANGEROUS DUTIES PERFORMED BY
THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER.


Qualifications Essential to sucoess-what
to Do When There Is Danger Ahead.
Quick Decision-The Cloud Which Hangs
Over Engineer and Fireman.
The locomotive engineer is the popu-
lar 'hero of the rail" and the popular
estimate in this respect is substantially
just. Others have to brave dangers and
perform duties under trying circum-
stances, but the engine runner has to
ride In the most dangerous part of the
train, take charge of a steam boiler that
may explode and blow him to atoms,
and of machinery that may break and
kill him and try to keep up a vigilance
which only q being more than human
could successfully maintain. He must
be a tolerably skillful machinist
-ho cannot be too good-and have
nerves that will remain steady under the
most trying circumstances. II running
a fast express through midnight dark
ness over n line where a similar train has
been tipped off a precipice land q brother
runner killed. by train wreckers the
night before, he must dash forward with
h same confidence that he would feel
In broad daylight on an open prairie.
Blu he does not ~''heroically grasp the
throttle" in the face of danger, when the
throttle has been already shut, nor does
he whistle down brakes In ordar to
add q stirring element to the reporters
tale, when by the magic of the afr brake
no can, with "A turn of his hand, apply
cverS brake in the train with the grip
of n wise in less time than it would AXE
him TO reach the whistle pull.
When there Is danger ahead there Is
generally just M thing TO do, and that
Is to stop as soon as possible. An in
slant suflices for shutting off tho steam
and applying the brake. With modern
trains this is all that is necessary or can
be done. Reversing the engine Is neces-
sary on many engines, and formerly was
on all; this would, in fact, be done in
stinctively by old runners, in any case,
but this also is done in a second. After
taking these measures there Is nothing
for the engineman to do but look out for
his own safety. In some circumstances,
as in the case of a partially burned
bridge which may possibly support the
train even in a weakened condition, 1t
may be best to put on all steam. The
runner is then in a dilemma, and a right
decision is a matter of momentary inspi-
ration. Many lives Lave been saved by
quick witted n in such cases, but
there is no ground for censure of the en-
gineer, who, in the excitement of the
moment, decides to slacken instead of
quicken his speed. The rare cases of
this kind are what show the value of ex-
perience, and of men of the right tenn
permanent and degree of intelligence to
acquire experience lessons readily.
PROBABILITIES OF ACCIDENT.
But the terrible cloud constantly hang
ing yer the engineer and fireman of a
fast train is the chance of encountering
an obstacle which cannot possibly be
avoided, and which leaves them no alter
native but to jump for their lives, if in
deed it does not take away even that.
To the fact that this cloud is no larger
than it is, and that these men have sturdy
and courageous natures must be attri-
buted the lightness with which it rests
upon them. On one road or another,
from n washout, or inefficient manage
ment, or a collision caused by an opera
tors forgetfulness, or some one of q score
of other causes, there are constantly oc-
curing cases of men heroically meeting
death under the most heartrending cir
cumstances. Every month records a
number of such, though happily they are
not frequent On any one road.
On the uIst of roads a freight train
wrecked by a broken wheel under q Dor
rowed car may be thrown in the path of
n passenger train on another track just
as the latter approaches. This has hap
pened more than once lately. No amount
of fidelity or forethought Except in the
maker of the wheels) can prevent this
kind of disaster. There is constant
danger on most roads of running off the
track at misplaced switches, many
switches being located at points where
the runner can see them only a few sec
onds before he is upon them; but the
chance is s small-perhaps one in ten
or a hundred thousand-that the
average unner forgets it, and it
is only by severe self discipline
that he can hold himself up
to compliance with the rule which re-
quires him to be on the watch for every
switch target as long before reaching It
as he possibly al He find the switches
all right and the road perfectly clear so
regularly, day after day and month after
month, that he may easily fall into the
snare of thinking that they will always
be SO. But, like other trainmen, the
engineman finds enough more agreeable
thoughts to fill his mind, and reflects
upon the hazards of his vocation perhaps
too little.-B. B.. Adams, Jr.. in Serb
ner's Magazine.