St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-02-18
THE LAST WATCH


THE LAST WATCH
How the Traok-Walker Saved the
Train.
We sat in tho smoking-room Of .
sleeping car attached to a passenger
train on q Western railway. There
were half . 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-
mont 50 denscly that each man could
see his neighbor but indistinctly. 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
agol I've heard there was . story con-
nected with it: is that sO?"
'.Yes, there was little story" re-
piled the one addrcssed-a young man.
but with a thoughtful, serious face;
.'or rather" he added. ''there was an
adventure. in which I 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 . true
story. for q change"
There Was . general chorus Of ''tell
U.S." ''let ~ have Il" ''go ahead" and
90 the young man. who his compan-
Ion said was superintendent Of that
division Of the road, took . long.
,stsady pull 1t his cigar. turned
the burning end of it toward his eyes
and looked intently at it for moment
as il calculating how long the glowing
fire would retain life without further
encouragement, and began:
ut is not much Of . story, gentlemen.
merely little incident from the life of
. railway man. but every word Of it is
true. as I happen to know. because ]
was there. It was two years ago. when
I was . track-walker on section IS.
this division. OF course you al 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 . road-bed. looking out for
broken rails. loose nuts or broken bolts
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
q freshet in the streams, the snow hav-
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 embankments
or other injury to the permanent way.
Water is one of the worst enc
mics . railway has, you know.
for Il undermines and weakens and
washes away silently and secretly. 1t
il the foe most dreaded by train men.
and IL you have ever noticed that trains
arc often behind time in the spring.
when freshets abound. you now know
the cause. Engineers are extraor-
dinarily cautious in such times, and
rightly 40. for it is impossible to watch
: road-bed carefully enough to ward
o6 al dangers when this secret foe is
n work on the earth-works Of . rail-
way.
..Wcll, ON the night OF which I speak
Twas going up to the eastern end Of
INV section. It was just cold enough
10 freeze still water. and . high wind
v.s blowing before which black clouds
vers scudding along. keeping the moon
hid moro than half the time. Every.
vhsre there seemed to be the sound oi
, v.ter-trickling. running. creeping.
i.lling-any thing but pleasant sounds.
I'm NAV BE- sure, to the track-walker.
Ii section boss. and the locomotive en-
v;neer. Pretty soon L came to the trestls
vork leading up to the bridge over Greea
s;v.r. The river WAS out of it, banks
hnd covering half the valley. 1ts current
~ running strong and full Of ice. and
a noticed the great rise that had
..len ulace since was last there be.
..me flled with fear for the safety ol
the bridge proper. where the waters
vere running with great rapidity
sweeping huge blocks Of ice bsfor'
them. Picking my way over the trem
hI;ne structure. the sullen roar visiblyy
;rcressed - I approached the channel
- ~ usually quiet stream. now . rag
snr 1ood. Sure enough. my worst fear
-srs realized; one whole bent Of tn
hrt,es had been swept away, and tn
s,,d a the structure on which l soo1
sonnd myself standing. lantsrn in hand
- trembling like tree In . storm
A. 6rst I felt oppressed By . sense Of N!
,,s4er hslpless1sss in the presence Q
- . display of nassrs's powers; be
!. . NV moments the tho1sht soddsnl.
s...e TO me that I had . duty oe gree
rsapopsibility - perform aaa y Pss