The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-21
DISPATCHER.
Duties Of the Nan Who Keeps
the Track Clear.
RESPONSIBLE POSITION.
Some OF the Dangers issis His Duty 80
frevens-The pixensasEisr Of
TrAnc snarls.
sos:oa Herald.

co41oa he<At1
Sixty miles an hour. A mile . minute.
These are expressions that suggest 10
every body sudden roar of an iron
monster. q Wild shrek of q piercing
whistle, the dsxing fash of the engines
headlight, the hot rush Of air. and the
slowly ceasing thunder of vibrating rails.
What else does il suggestf To the un-
reasoningiy timid it brings visions of the
horrible crash and shock OF colliding trains,
the deafening reverberafion of the last mad
Wild echoes that hover above the wrecked
coaches on the lonely road. To those who
have confidence in the eye that looks out
beyond the glaring headlight, and in the
hand that fondies the shining lever, IL
brings the comfortable reflection of con-
scious safety, ana as the tired eyes close
dreamingly. the last thought Is one of per-
feet trust In the providence OF intelligent
watchfulness that sits in the glowing cab.
Once in while. however. the long train
carries somebody whose duties in life are
those which the solitary engineer is per-
forming II he thinks about the matter at
all his thoughts do not center on the figure
in the cab ahead. They revert 70 . long
room in big depot where the only sound
that disturbs the weird stiffness Of the place
Is that Of sharply clicking telegraph instru-
ments. A white-sleeved young man sits at
bis little brass arrangement OF KEYS. or PAGES
the floor overlooking the labors Of his as
sistants At the boards. This Is the train dis
patcher, and on him devolves the response
biiity for every engine and everv car that
travels along the road. II is he who must
provide against possible disaster or DELAY,
and with his fingers he speaks To every
glistenine rail and every grimy smokestack
on the long lines of railroad. The engineer
rests his hand on the throttle with an easy
mind. His thoughts may wander away to
the crib OF his sleeping babe or the couch
that awaits his weary limbs when his labors
are over. and the reflection OF the light that
streams from the lamp above him may be
to bis jaded eye the glow OF the hearth
stone. But for the train dispatcher there Is
no surcease of mental effort. He cannot
browse for an instant, and he may not per-
init bis fancy to roam from the business in
hand even for the space Of time occupied
by the stroke Of the clock on the wall.
Ten miles an hour or sixty miles an hour
lit matters very little 10 the dust-and.oil-
stained figure on the cab. He knows where
he is expected Ct . certain moment; he
knows. too, that the young man who d.
reefs his movements has cleared the way
for him and made every thing safe for an
easy run. The romantic passenger doesn't
think OF these things. He feels that he has
entrusted his life 10 the engineer, and when
he has reached his destination he alights
with feeling of admiration and gratitude
for the man who sits among the blazing
Goals and fondles the bar OF iron that regu.
lates his strange stecd.
Tell me something about the train dis
patcher's work"
There il nothing to be told.s the train
dispatcher said, modestly. Nothing more
than an outline OF the details of the work, -
he added. You see. there have been so
many queer stories told about the expert.
ences that we fellows meet, that every
body is disappointed in the truthful ac-
count of our actual duties. We are not
heroes. you know. or anything like that,
and We do our part of the company's work
thoroughly, know, and unostentstiousIy,
hope A train dispatcher must be quite
q perfectx workman or he is totally
valueless. II isn't business where
. man may make q mistake ard then
cuse OF didn't know doesn't go at ell,
considered for an instant One mistake Is
fatal. Therefore train dispatcher is kept
so busy thinking all the time that he
never gets chance 10 be romantic or SEN
timentai. There Is q oortain exhilaration
Of conscious glory, suppose. in the posi-
ton of the man who holds his hand on the
lever and peers steadily into the darkness,
whittier his engine is piunging, but it Is
nsssx II - "a
quietly at a little desk in stuffy room
and listen to the dreary monotone Of the
clicking telegraph. "
Despite this discouraging prelude the
Herald man found much TO interest him i'm
what he learned OF train dispatchers and
their work. The Office where these useful
servants OF the railroad company sit is
never empty, aud the sound OF the teie-
graph instrument is never still there. At
any hour Of the day or night somebody
may be found in the room with pencil in
his hand and paper before him. The train
dispatcher records each train and It's posi-
ton as fast as the information comes in over
the wire. The tram Sheet is the record.
II Is great sheet Of paper with blanks
for the names Of the engineers and
conductors, and the number OF the engines
and cars on the road ct any given time.
This train sheet Is made up Of the reports
that each station operator sends in At
any time of the day that train passes the
operator, the number of the engine and
the number Of the cars are telegrapked inn
mediately TO the train dispatcher with the
names of the conductor and engineer. by
this means the train dispatcher manages 70
keep every train located and To know its
precise situation and the persons respon-
STOLE for IL.
TO give you an idea of the work. said
tie train dispatcher, LET me submit some
illustrations. The rule OF the road is that
freight trains must keep ten minutes away
from passenger trains IL they get nearer
than tea minutes ahead OF passenger trains
they must lay Of On to the side track.
Sometimes tbs calculation Of the freight
conductor Is wrong. because the train be-
hind him IL late. he would have 70 keep
his train shantsd, nevertheless. If IL were
no; for the train dispatcher, who disen-
sangies what might be serious znarls. With
the knowledge of the situation Of each
train he can provide for the relief of the
freight The train iispAtcher's functions
are anomalous. Whereas nearly every
other emp.oye follows orders literally In al
things, the train dispatcher Ii called upon
every hour % the day to exercise his indi-
vsduai Judgment And there 10 hardly "a
empsoye on the road about whom the pub
lie has 30 vague and Inadequate an impress
Sion While the details Of ais work are ln-
l.. a ~. 49,