Wichita eagle., 1888-10-06
A BRAkEMAN'S EXPERIENCE.
What Happened to Him in the Absence Of
the Automatic Car Coupler.


There is great deal of small wit aired
by paragraphists in connection with rail
road car couplings. The inventor of a
car coupler occupies about the same posi-
ton IN the ranks of cranks that is as
signed to the talkative barber and the
gum chewer. So accustomed have the
funny men of the press become to treat
Jag 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
it Is serious thing enough to some
people.
There is at least one man acting as con-
ductor On a Pittsburg street car who can
tell thrilling story of the perils that be-
fall brakemen in tie absence of automatic
car couplers. How, in the dark, foggy
nights, the brakeman has to lean side
ways against the end of freight car, his
feet outside the rails, and his arm ex-
teIded in such a position that a 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,
1t is necessary for the brakeman to face
the way the train is moving, so that, in
case his car runs forward a few feet, he
may 60 with it, and save himself from
being swung around and crushed under
the wheels, q 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 brake
man, but who had 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" He
was on the iron ladder at the end of a car,
with his lantern In his hand, when he saw
the other part of the train backing down
upon him. 1t Was coming at q good speed,
and he had no time to jump off and make
the coupling from the ground underneath,
which is the best way" as he naively
remarked, though 1.-The best way is sur
rounded by more danger than threatens
the average soldier In battle. He
reached down from above, which is an
other good way" holding the pin ready to
drop into its place when the two cars
should come together. They came to-
gether, he dropped the pin with true aim,
it fell into its proper receptacle, but not
quite straight. 1t was jerked 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 and his
head cut and bleeding.
At the end of the half hour the rest Of
the train crew missed him. He could not
be released until the conductor hsd noti-
fed the engineer. Then the forward part
Of the train was drawn away, and the
brakeman, with just enough life to ask
for drink, was taken out. As he says
himself. he is pretty nearly al right
now" but his wife won't le. him railroad
any longer. It might be thought that
this man would be in favor of automatic
car couplers. But no. he says that.
while they are ell very well for passenger
coaches, they viii never do for freight
They do not give enough play, and 1.
would be impossible TO make up such
long trains. It would not bs so pro6ta-
bic FOR the railroad companies, and IS for
the danger TO the men. why-'-there's
sort Of excitement about railroading,
when you don't know when you may be
on the last trip. that men kinder like,
after rsu."-Pfttsbufg Bulletin.