The state capital., 1891-08-29

1t is the freight brakeman, however,
who appreciates to the fullest the ben
efits which follow the gradual intro
duction of the air brake. The brake
men on California railroads, however,
have far less to contend with than
those in the east, where wind and rain
and snow combine to make outdoor
life miserable for so large portion OF
the year.
If there is anything that will try
mans nerve it is to hear the sharp
whistle for brakes on some pitch-dark
rainy or snowy night Out from the
warm caboose the brakeman hurrles,
lantern in hand, and climbs to the
deck of the nearest car. The wind is
blowing a gale, the running board is
covered with ice It is impossible to |
| walk, SO down on all fours he goes ana
crawls along as best he may gust
| of wind extinguishes the light IN his
lantern, so he feels along cautiously
until he reaches the end of the car.
then catches the brake wheel and sets
it up" as tightly as he can.
Perhaps the dog and ratchet are so
clogged with ice that they do not hold.
and lust as he thinks the brake is Sc
cure it slips and around goes the wheel
with a suddenness and force that, If he
be not on his guard, will probably cost
him his life by throwing him down be-
tween the cars.
Along the top of the next car he
crawls to repeat the operation. The
wind almost takes his breath away. 1t
is on down grade and the cars bound
| l. almost
to Jump clear of the track and then
come back with a laundering crash.
A curve is struck, and the unwieldly
cars lurch and sway and threaten to go
over the bank. The ice and the cold
iron of the brake wheel have be-
numbed the poor brakey's hands so
that he can hardly use them, and all
the while the repeated calls for brakes
from the engineer urge him to do his
utmost to slaclzen the speed OF the
tain.
Perhaps, as he tugs at some wheel
and swings his body clear OF the car IN
his effort to tighten up the brakes, the
l chain gives way, and woe to him IT he
5 have not presence of mind and strength
, of muscles sufficient to retain his
| grasp, 1OI oUIiCl "1oC HIS poNAS
G shot down between the cars to be
e ground to pulp beneath the merciless
I wheels.
l. The danger is tenfold greater, too, If
r he be using a club as lever IN tight
e ening the brakes. Should the chain
n give way as not infrequently happens,
It and the brakeman have the wheel torn
from the grasp of his single hand,
n death or mutilation is almost certain to
u result
e 1t is always the part of a brakeman
h who understands his business toeXam-
D inc the rods and chains on each car that
n will be put in his charge before the
d train leaves the yard. On some roads
y the freight-car brakes are kept in good
lie order by men specially detailed for the
o. purpose, but on many, especially those
which handle many cars from Other
TO lines it is the duty of no one to lool
S, out for these details, and the careful
I'd brakeman will always examine the cars
rs beforehand.
1e He will save himself much trouble
&c and possibly even preserve his own life
er as we'll as those of the rest of the crew
al by finding out which cars have thei
brakes in the best order and which ar
as not to be depended upon.
n With the modern freight trail
ne equipped with air brakes, as IS nov
n. often the case, the life of the brakeman
- is far easier and the major portion o
the hard and dangerous work is elm
re mated. The engineer can control tn
nd speed of his train without the constan
st care of the brakeman, and all that In
e. dividua1 has to do is to hold himself i
ut readiness to respond to a call shoul
so the air brakes give out.
X One can frequently see heavy train
running at high speed over the roads
nv this state without a soul in sight on tn
in decks of the cars, while under the oil
,lv system it was never safe without tn
tie brakeman at their posts every momen
th With the introduction of automat
couplers on freight cars one of the mos
ed risky portions of the brakeman's dutle
as will be done away with. The number {
de men killed or manned in this countr
ill through the antiquated style of cou1
to ling still extensively in vogue reacht
ed into the thousands annually, but, ha1
an pilv, there is promise that this fea
full sacrifice will be ended before lon
The Anyone who has had experience
ere making up trains with the cominc
ust style of drawhead knows that it is
ain matter of wonder, not that so mar
,ad men are killed or injured, but that
ere few suffer.
lxe- To have to step in between the ca
Law on a dark night, the ground slippe
with ice or mud, with an engineer, pc
| ,1o oora1aCC not GOOD
nce calculating distances and who sen
q his locomotive back with crash,
re- about as sure a method of invltil
INV death or painful injury as can be ima
the ined
Yet it is the brakeman's duty to
$ a this without faltering, and it is d
ino grace il he fail to make the coupli
, of the first time. He simply must n
en- fail, and to do this he must take chant
ned that would make an inexperienc
he mans hair turn gray.
ialf Not only must ne noid the conPdi
y of link to the last fractional part of s.
ond necessary to guide it into the dra
.a;, head of the rapidly approaching ira
-ose but he must have the coupling pin
fort readiness to drop into place like fla
ans he iuueo ha'o H''
was OF Oh MS "i us onN
the move odcA WIN Vno ~
ised nave al oppoi0 0"hi'y W '' - --
his tween thelh'
If the coupling DC made where th
.nd is a network of frogs and switches
nod greatest care must be taken in the h
.ono- ried movement to keep pace with
ther cars that the feet be not caught in q
fe,y of these man-killing devices, otherw
p,,+ death is sure to come in its most ho