Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-09
A RISKY BUSINESS.
The Danger Surrounding the Rail-
way Mail Service.
LIKE RATS IN A TRAP.
The Host hazardous Cavil Emplsyment-
ssSrs>s Asou% the Liyhtning-Liks Mail
Dissrieutofs Crushed Like . Centipeds-
rsrrfbis Ride Through big Tunnsl.

81 NRUSHED LIKE A CENTIPEDE"
This expression, made by an old rail-
road engineer to STAR reporter some years
back, was the final part Of q description Of q
wreck with fatal results, wherein q railway
postal clerk figured as one Of the victims, was
recalled by the fatal accident on the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad about two weeks ago and the
renewed agitation by tho press and J. Lowrie
Bell, second assistant postmaster general, for
pensions for this class Of government employees
in case death is met white in the discharge of
their duties. If the energetic superintendent
OF the railway mail service is DESTROYS Of OBJ
tanning any additional opinions or crude but
telling facts let him circulate among the rail-
road Officials and employees with this end in
view and guarantee of successful mission
Is hereby given. Frequently an expression
coming from railroad men, both high and low,
has been heard to the effect that although
their business was risky that risk was nothing
IN comparison to the men ia the mail car. Thew
would say, We have a chance to Jump and
save ourselves, but rat in a trap is a fair
comparison to the mail clerks position in case
OF an accident"
TUE RATIO OF FATALITIES.
Figures are being compiled in the Post Office
Department which viii show ratio OF fatali-
ties among railway mail service clerks ap-
proaehing. il not exceeding the average among
troops In active service in time of war.
The railway postal car, AZ trains are ordina-
riiy made up, is next to the engine and bag
gage car, and the postal clerks are exposed to
injury In cnse Of accident even more than the
engineer and fireman, who have q chance to see
when danger is imminent J. Lowrie Bell, the
experienced railroad man of Philadelphia whom
Mr.. Wanamaker made chief Of the railway mail
service at the opening of this administration
and who Is now second assistant postmaster
general, has taken great interest in this sub
yect d pensloning clerks employed in the dam
Berous railway mail service. The subject is
not new one. The justice of providing for the
tamiiies OF the men engaged in this hazardous
work has never been disputed. Recommenda-
hohs have been made TO Congress and bills in
Vodueed year after year. but without result.
COLLISION AND A CRASH.
Some years since on a dull misty morning, q
heavy laden passenger train was coming south
over one 9f the roads entering this city. A
mail oar filled With naan matter OF all descrip-
lions and containing several perspiring clerks
was second from the engine, an old weather.
Dcaten express car intervening between il and
the engine The train WAS making very fast
tame, as trains carrying through mail always
do, and had reached q point on the road where
q norta-b0und ttnin was expected to take the
nding to allow it to pass In expectation OF
this event the engineer aud fireMan were keep
ing sharp lookout for open switches and
minor details, a. the thought that the train
they were to pass not being on the siding had
apparently not entered their minds. When
this thought did strike them circumstances
over which they had no control. in the shape
OF wet rails and fog2,y morning prevented
them from stopping their train aad In n fifty"
they had run by the siding aud crashed into
the engine of the train that was to 20 on the
siding Tor them.
A POSTAL oIrhK's FATE.
On both sides Of the track where the collision
occurred steep banks OF sandy soil lowered in
the air aud foothoid was next to impossible
III attempting to climb their sides The en-
gIneers and tremen Of both trains ha,! deserted
their engines, as thore still a few mea OF
thB Glars who viii jump from an engine when
In danger, several feet back. and the noise nn,.
jar OF the reversal of the engine hard alarmed
the mail clerks anti passengers. All the clerks
with one exception wero successful in getting
clear of the wreckage One poor fellow had
been thrown from his feet by the jnr of the
reversing OF the engine and on the instant lie
spranS from the side door of the car the trains
bad come together. 4 Quick glance 20 the rear
disclosed the fact that tic cars We re leaving the
rails and his only way out appeared to be by
FASTING along the side OF the engines. As he
made dash in that direction one of the en-
gines, as 1t taking "a rebound fre,n the tremen-
dous shock, topped ever on its siie. the steam
cylinder catching him and crushing his body
into tho croand.
One OF the engineers WAS an eve witness of
the horrifylns spectacle, and in describing it
said: Did you ever kill a certipede with a
caile while out walking! Well. the way this
poor fellow WIS killed put me in mind OF Just
such an act The steam cylinder You know
projects out FROM the engine and Il caught him
III the center oftiie body and pushed him down
mo ia =,
sight on both sides. 1t took us three hours
hard work 10 dig the body out on account of
the tremendous weight resting on it. Had the
Young follow been given halI chance he'd
have made his escape from the wreck NIL right.
az q lev Rore steps wonld have cleared him"
Accidents like the last one OIL the Baltimore
and Ohio Of course moro aptly illustrate the
rat Ia a trap idea, ~ the mail clerk IN that
instance was evidently crushed in among the
debris before he knew what was taking place
on the outside Of his car.
THRILLING TUNNEL EXPERIENCE
A thrilling experience, although not ending
fatally, was had by q railway mail clerk who
acted as distributor On local train. He had a
car to himself and at one station M in the
Allegheny mountains had left his car for a
minute or two to run forward TO the engine.
which was taking water. The water tank was
directly west OF tie great tunnel and when the
tender was filled and the train started the
Clerk sprung Tor has car. The entrance to the
car was on this side and u solitary handle was
grasped. whereby the clerk pulled himself up
to the door. To his horror he found the door
had been Jared shut and could not be opened
from the outside, and the second he discovered
this fact tho train shot into tsc tunnel With
a desperation born OF terrible death staring
him in tie face the clerk hammered and kicked
on the door and shrieked aloud for help, but
the noise of the train drowned his cries and.
with both hands 3raspmg the handle, his feet
to the side OF the car. for fear of
buing dashed off by the jagged sides. he was
carried through tho tunnel As the tunnel is A
mile long and the atmosphere therein is almost
sitting this luckless mail clerk experience can
be better imagined than described. When the
train shot out into daylight again the engineer
looked back, as is the custom, to see if his
train was following all right. and discovered
the clerk in his narrowing position. Quickly
stopping his engine tho engineer ran back and
with the assistance Of tho conductor helped
the almost demented man to the ground, where
he utterly collapsed, the strain upon his nerves
being too great. For six months he was under
. physicians care and after he had become a
we'll man again said: II thought that tunnel
was ten miles long and my head, imagined,
was hollow, with the dense smoke rushing in my
mouth and nostrils and coming out at my ears
like steam pipes. Whenever I think OF that
ride my brain reels aud feel myself crouching
as did upon the outside Of the car during that
horrifying experience"
PULLED OUT BY NAIL BAG.