Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
NERVE Is REQUIRED,
Lots of it, at the Hands of Engineers
Who Run the Limited.
WIRES Or BLOCKS MAY FAIL THEM,
So They Watch for and See Hair-Raising
Shadows Ahead.
MEN IN THE CAB SELDOM At RESI-

EQRl0c6ES d. ICSb1 bAttAlS III Vic udEEOH
cabs of their engines, lying in the depot
waiting for the signal to start, often look to
be a sleepy set of fellows, said the man,
the other night, who runs the limited to
Alliance. "Do you know" he continued,
addressing reporter, "that engineers are al
ways wide awake when they seem to be in
different to events happening around them.
There are few things that escape their
vigilant eyes. Many people have an idea
that engineers go it blind, and trust entire
ly to the block system and the aeuteness of
good telegraph operators; but if they did
this there would be wrecks and lives lost
every day.
"a good engineer is always on the look
out. We see plenty of things ahead of us
that harrow our nerves and make the hair
stand up straight; but, as long as the pas
sengers behind us don't know it, and we all
escape, 1ninjured, we heave a sigh Of Ie1ief
and say nothing. tell you it is no easy
matter to hold throttle, shoot around sharp
curves and watch for distractions. An en-
gineer looks down for a moment at the con-
Meeting rods of the locomotive, moving
backward and forward with lightning-like
rapidity.
A FASCINATING REFLECTION.
He doesn't know at what minute a pin
may break and one of the rods knock bis
brains out as he leans out of the cab.
"Some freight men are very reckless, and
they take desperate chances. They know q
fast passenger train is chasing them, and
due in a few minutes, yet they remain on
the main track to the last moment, and
often the rushing train Just grazes the
freight cars as they move to a side track.
Often these freight men try to make another
station few miles ahead before they get of
the track, and the result is usually a col
lision. Well, it always makes me nervous
when 1 know freight trains are running
a short distance before my train. An inch
is as good as mile when man misses; but
1 would rather have bullet pass mile
from nv head than within an inch of it.
Just so in passing other trains. We have
to make schedule time; the road is full of
curves, and we are just as likely to bang
into some of these trains as pass them. Little
do people know how rasping it is on the
nerves to be continually making narrow
escapes, and yet one invariably feels that
some day he is bound to get it in the neck
1t is the uncertainty of the business that is
so trying.
DOWN GRADE SHE GOES.
"Now here is the limited, one of the fast
est trains on the road. Between Pittsburg
and Alliance there are a number Of heavy
grades. usually, at the top of one of these
grades, open the throttle wide and let the
engine go. After have had good start,
probably running more than a mile a min
ute, shut off the steam and leave the rest
to gravity, and trust in luck. The result is
that the train attains a fearful velocity, and
the impetus is sufficient to carry it half way
up the next grade. This plan helps the
fireman, and we make time.
Keeping up steam is one of the difficult
things to contend with. Sometimes the fues
draw all right and the fireman has no
trouble in raising the necessary supply.
Such an event always occurs when one is on
time and there is no need to hurry along;
but, almost invariably, it is an engineers
tough luck to lack the steam when he is
anxious to make a fast run. 1 am late am
hour tonight, but can make up the time
if nothing happens"
And just then the shrill voice of Joe
Johnston was heard crying, "All aboard"
and the train pulled out.
Sure enough, when the engineer was seen
the next night, the steam apparatus hadn't
worked right, and at Alliance the train was
still an hour behind.