The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-04-12
RELIABLE ENGINEERS.
how Locomotives Are Kent in q
Good Condition.
oHIy Work Of The Masters orihe lIaehlnss
-Requirements for PasssnEer aud
"a. Freight sersf s-Work That Re-
quires a steady Heal.

eM nelfaH among Lue thousands that
daily c0ze ia-1 B7ston over the various
railroads give a thought 10 the men who sit
in the cab % She locomotive. aud, with clear
eye, STEADY laEs, and stronz Berge, coutroi
the pogfoFfll ae-i tkat drahFs them 80
safely dav after day. SAYS the Boston Here 4.
The conductor goes his rounds. collects his
fares. and receives = smile OF = pleasant
word from the passengers. the brakemeu
cOmp0sedIy wax into the car. annOunce tho
names Of the stations, assist the ladies' and
children ~ enter or leave the train and re-
ceive now and then q nod Of recognition; ;
but the men IA thecsb are scarcely noticed
though some Of the older ones do receive,
once III q great while. some token that a few
Of the thousands that pass By are not utterly
uumindfll q their existence While the
brakemen have duties @ perform that tend
% the comfort % ihe passengers, and while
the conductor has the general supervision Of
the train. and Is rZp-Cted 20 look out for the
well-being o. al his charge. yet 20 the men
In the cab Of the l0c0motiye are due the
life and safety VI aI On board the
train 4 tremendous rssponsiblity rests
upon them. uuI g. great y the mental
STRAIN UPON the engineers that run
the fast express trains tEey are seldom
cession. aad on some roads four DAYS is re-
garded q good week work. But this men
tai strain Is uut the Only thing that wears
on au engineer. ANY person who mas ever
had the privilege % f.tuE0n a locomotive
discovers that the cushioned sent Of frst-
class passenger ear IS q much more couos
Portable place flr the whole vast machins
trembles and shakes as though in
stinct with lie This constant vibration
Of the engine is sure o. work mischief,
sooner or later, with the strongest cOnstitu-
tion, and after few years the en- gineer dis
cuvers that he is suffering from kidney
disease, and many are the Instances
where engineers have found IL absolutely
necessary 20 give up their employment
The work % eugiueers varies Ou different
roads. In some cases the mcu arr gwen
their engines all read,- for tire road. while in
other cases the engineers are required 20
feed and crocTn their own horses. In the
latter case The engineer goes 10 the round
house Two or three hours before n Is time
for his train 20 start, and, with ms fireman,
he closely insHecfs the machine he sounds
tho whoeis on 'hc engine and tender, and
examines closely the entire running gear.
He looks after the sand box. and sees 70 Il
that the full allowance Of 81 ght or ten pailfuls
are on hand, the dozen or more oil cups are
filed; fun supply Of coal is obtained: the
water IN the boiler and tank IS sounded and
II necessary, n re- Is taken; the air-brales
are tested both before and after the engine
IS attached % be train, n q is passenger
engine, and, iu fact, every part Of the com
phcated machinery Is thoroughly looked
over. All TINS work, while Of the utmost
importance, IS but preliminary 10 the real
work Of the engineer. When the lucOmO-
tive is al last attached 90 the train, and the
signal is given 70 start. the engineer eve,
brain and nerve ar called into actual work
With one hand on the throttle he keeps one
eye straight ahead, watching the track for
broken rails, fallen freight, piled up ties,
rocks or b0wlder that may have rolled down
from the ueighbOrinc banks, wsshouts or any
other obstruc,ious, he must notice every
switch and stationary signal and Look out
for any temporary ones. he must keep
watch Of the wafer and steam gaures. 10
see that the boiler does not get dry, and
see that be has an abundance Of steam FOR
the work required Of his engine With q
clear day and a straight trark one would
think the engineer had enough responsible
ity 10 try him 70 the utmost, but wh the
thick fog settles down 50 that he can -carce
see the length Of his engine and the train
swings round a curve where the slilhtest
obstruction won q send il crashing down a
steep cnI5aTknent or perrhenre pile u up
against some rocky clif, 10 would be range
indeed Il the blood did not course more
quickly through the veins II the clear cred
aud steady y-nerved man at the throttle
Contrary tD the common belief 10 Is said
by those who ought n know that Il re
quires much more skill 10 run freight than
u does a passenger train. or course, there
IS not 50 much respousi i5ihty resting upon
the engineer Of n freight train as there
would be had he the lives Of hundreds Of
passengers in h's keeping. but stin there
are the lives 0f ms fellow employees. aud he
has far less aPn 'suce- for protecting his
train from jis;s.rr One u the things that
calls into play Tie most skill and the best
judgment Cf the engineers Of a freight
train Is the guarding against breaking the
tram IN two. for i1 case Of such an accident
there Is always the danger that the de-
tached portion may run back into some
train behind. 'r d may crash into the for
ward part vhcn it stops. Another thing
requiring good judgment IS keeping ont of
the way OF passenger trains. which, Of
course. usually have th7 ghL Of way so
well j. the fact recognized that a fright
engineer must be- a man Of skill and judg-
ment, il {, . common saving among ruilroad
men that a good freight engineer can run Q
passenger tram. bit u Is not always that a
good pIsscugsr englnecrcan run a freight
fraiu