Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-31
HERO OF TIE RAIL.
DANGEROUS DUTIES PERFORMED Nv
THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER

qualifications Essential to succ...,y,
=" ""eh There is Danger Ahead
Huiek Decision-The Cloud Wbich u
over Engineer and Fireman.
locomotive engineer is the ponu.
iar nero OF the rail" and the non,,lar
estimate IN this respect is substantiaIlv
just Others have to brave dancers al
perform duties under trying circum.
stances, but the engine runner has 70
rue IN the most dangerous part of the
traln' take charge of a steam boiler that
may explode and blow him To atoms
ana OF machinery that may break and
hlh MN ana try to keep up vigilance
Wllic,' only being more than human
Iouiu successfully maintain. He must
DC "a tolerably skilIful macbinist
ne cannot be too good-and have
nerves That will remain steady under the
hioSt Trying circumstances If running
iaSt express through midnight dark,
ness oyer line where a similar train has
oeen tipped off precipice land a brother
runner killed. by train wreckers the
night before, he must dash forward with
the same confidence that he would feel
IN broad daylight on an open prairie,
but he does not "heroically CRASH The
tnrottle In the face of danger. when the
throttle has been already shut, nor does
ne whistle down brakes" in order IN
add a stirring element to the reporters
tale, when By the magic of the air brake
ne can, with a turn of his hand. apnlv
every brake in the train with the grin
OF wise in less time than it would take
nm to reach the whistle pull
When there is danger ahead there is
generally just one thing to do, and that
Is to stop as soon as possible. in
slant suffices for shutting off the steam
and applying the brake. With modern
trains this is all that is necessary or can
be done. Reversing the engine is neces-
sary on many engines, and formerly was
on all; this would, in fact, be done in
stnctlvely by old runners, in any case,
but this also is done in a second. After
taking these measures there is nothing
TOR the englneman to do but look out for
ms own safety. In some circumstances,
as IN the case of partially burned
bridge which may possibly support the
tram even in a weakened condition, it
may be best to put on all steam. The
runner Is then in a dilemma, and right
decision Is matter Of momentary inspi-
ration. Many lives have been saved bv
I quick witted runners in such cases, but
there is no ground for censure of the en-
gineer, who, in the excitement of the
moment, decides to slacken instead of
quicken his speed. The rare cases of
this kind are what show the value of ex-
perience, and of men of the right tenn
! permanent and degree Of intelligence to
acquire experience lessons readily.
PROBABILITIES OF ACCIDENT.
But the terrible cloud constantly hang
ing over the engineer and fireman of a
fast train is the chance of encountering
an obstacle which cannot possibly be
/ avoided, and which leaves them no alter
native but to jump for their lives, if in
deed it does not take away even that.
| To the fact that this cloud is no larger
than it is, and that these men have sturdy
and courageous natures must be attri.
/ buted the lightness with which it rests
upon them. On one road or another,
1 from a washout, or inefficient manage
ment, or a collision ,sed by an opera
tors fOrgetlulnesS, OF sule one of a score
of other causes, there are constantly Oc-
I curing cases of men heruically meeting
death under the most heartrending cir
cumstances. Every month records a
number Of such. though happily they are
not frequent on any one road.
/ On the best of roads a freight train
1 wrecked by broken wheel under Dor
/ rowcd car may be thrown in the path of
| a passenger train on another track Just
as the latter approaches, This has hap
pened more than once lately. No amount
of fidelity Or forethought Except in the
maker of the wheels can prevent this
kind of disaster. There is constant
danger on most roads of running off the
track at misplaced switches, many
switches being located at points where
the runner can see them only few sec
onds before he is upon them; but the
chance is so snal-perhaps one in ter
or a hundred thousand-that the
/ average runner forgets it, and il
is only by severe self discipline
that he can hold himself VI
to compliance with the rule which re
/ quircs him 10 be ON the watch for every
| switch target as long before reaching il
/ as he possibly can. lie find the switches
/ all right and the road perfectly clear Sc
/ regularly, day after day and month after
month, that he may easily fall into The
snare of thinking that they will always
/ be SO. But, like other trainmen, tho
engineman finds enough more agreeable
! thoughts TO ill his mind, and reflects
upon the hazards of his vocation perhaps
too little. B. B. Adams, Jr.. in Serb
ner's Magazine.
Whales of the scottish Isles.
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