Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
T6E TRAIN RUNNER.
A Few Inside Facts Concerning Rail.
reading.


A "sTAR" gEPonrFR INTERVIEWS A TRAIN RUN
NER-THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EASTERN
AND WESTERN RoADs-A FATAL ACCIDENT AND
THRILLING INCIDENT.
The week Of October 1928, 1890. will long be
remembered in railroad circles for the great
number of railroad accidents that occurred
during that period and the deep impression
made upon newspaper readers. Three we're re-
ported Thursday morning Of that week, all re-
sulting in loss Of life or injury to travellers.
| Saturday wound up the fateful weeks record
| with three more Of these disasters. The fall
| months have been unusually prolific of wrecks,
| collisions and derailments, and the public
looks forward with fear to the coming Of winter
when, IL the proportion is maintained,
disasters will become alarmingly freque mt
Six such accidents as that week produced
must be the result of some general cause ;
either slackening of discipline or a deterio-
| ration N roadbeds or rolling stock. They pre-
| sent dark picture for contemplation, the two
| bright spots in which were the heroic display
OF courage by Engineer John Burns. who, on
the Lake Shore railroad. dashed his train
through pile of broken cars and by his BRAY
cry saved his train and the lives of over q hum
bred passengers, and Lee Wells, the engineer
OF the train on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road upon which Gov. Hill was returning to
New York through Virginia from his stump
ing tour OF the western states.
TRAIN RUNNERS DUTIES.
Knowing that WIS from the inside would
be of interest to the reading public STAR re-
porter during the past week called upon
well-known train runner to secure his views
upon the cause Of the numerous wrecks A
train runner" is one who has the sole charge
OF running trains by telegraph and who is re-
sponsible for the safety and prompt movement
OF every train from the time it enters his di-
vision until IL reaches its terminus. His duties
for the most part are of a routine character
unless wreck occurs or train is behind time
entering his division. Then his hard work be-
gins. Freight trains running in the same direc-
ton as the one delayed, on double track road,
instead Of taking the usual siding are sent on
their way to a siding farther on, and on a single
track road trains running in both directions
are given new sidngs for passing. The train
runner has to depend entirely upon the relia-
bility of the telegraph operators under him
at the different stations. and whenever one of
these subordinates betrays his trust it is only
by the greatest good fortune that lives arc not
lost and the road a loser of thousands of dol
lars
EAST AND WEST.
"Let me call your attention to fact that
you perhaps have not noticed" said the train
runner to the reporter in reply to his interro-
cation, land that is that majority of the
wrecks occurring west of the New York and
Pennsylvania state lines are caused by the mis-
understanding of orders, while those happen
ing on the roads in the east are generally
caused by defective rolling stock. The i'm
mense amount of travel in the east necessitat-
ing doubls-tracked systems reduces very mate
rally the chances of an accident through the
carelessness OF an employe. while the western
roads. being single tracked, have to de-
pend almost exclusively for the safety of
their trains to the efficiency and faithful
ness OF their train runners. train
and operators. Between defective rolling
stock on one side and employees on the other
the former is the most reliable, hence the
larger score is on the western roads as to the
multiplicity of wrecks. My twenty years ex-
perIence i'll train running has furnished me
numerous opportunities to study the science Of
railroadng and has made me n warm advocate
OF high salaries. When this fact also dawns
upon the minds OF railroad directors with suffi-
cient force as 10 cause a 40 per cent advance in
wages of railroad employees, especially the
operators, then the chances of accidents will
be reduced fully oEe-third. 1t is the same in
railroading as in all other pursuits; when brains
arc put against muscle the former has the
prestige every time.
The CARELESS OPERATOR.
LET me illustrate this argument to you by
citing two cases coming directly under my OBJ
servation wherein brains and a fair salary
showed of to splendid advantage against
ignorance and misery pittance.
There was located at a lonely station on q
railroad in Pennsylvania young man whose
salary was S35 month, twelve hours day. /
sent him an order for q south-bound train to
take a siding about three miles below his sta
ton for nOrth-bound train and notified the
north-bound train to that effect. This opera
tor instead OF taking the order in the "order
book" as he should have done, wrote it on a
separate piece Of paper, and in transcrbing it
In the book substituted siding five miles far
Their south OF the one l had sent him. Both
engineers after receiving their orders hastened
to make irst-class time, and as the road was
single track they came together mile below
where they should have passed with mighty
crash. An engineer two firemen, and a brake
man were killed and about twenty cars re-
duced to spiinte.s as a result of this underpaid
operators carelessness
''Now note the difference. This illustration
is located upon road running into the nations
capital. Time, 1879, when the road was single
track. The operator in this case was paid
very fair salary, understood his business, and
was bright and intelligent.
HE KNEW HIS BUSINESS.
"The train leaving Washington at $50
p. N. was given orders to remain at the
end of the double track until the south-bound
limited had passed. Twenty miles up the road
the limited was advised of this fact For some
Sauoo iAiuAtcu idlicu 10 MAKE tue time expected
and orders were sent to the Office at the double
track terminus for the north-bound train to run
to station siding three miles farther up the
road To the operator at this station orders
were sent to hold limited until the north bound
train had taken the siding at his station.
''The engineer Of the limited, utterly oblivi-
Gus OF the change in orders, was working his
engine to its fullest capacity and literally few
over the road
'As soon as the order was received the oper-
ator lowered the red signal and as an extra pre-
caution went out on the track with red flag
Limited swung in sight o mile up the rosd and
the whistle Of the north-bound train came
floating on the breeze to the operators ears.
He began swinging his flag, slowly at first and
then, as no attention was paid to it, very vio-
lently. Limited came on with rush. the red
flag still failing to draw the engineers atten-
ton. The operator knew that train had to be
stopped at his station or an accident appalling
IN its consequences would be the result TAX
ing In the situation at glance he stepped off
the track and to the side and as the engine flew
by dashed the flag through the cab window.
Amid the shattered glass he discernad ouicL Iv