Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26

unique features. but, happily. no fatal results.
wherein sleeping on duty is the chief subject.
The operator In question was a base ball
crank OF the deepest dye and played rather n
good game on the green feld. He had been
transferred from q small town to CITY Of con-
siderable dimensions and placed on the night
trick from pm. 70 am. His fame as a ball
player had preceded him and no sooner had he
arrived IN the city than several members Of the
different clubs put in an appearance at the Of
fce. He was persuaded TO join one Of the
clubs and n big match game was arranged. Being
new man the novelty of the position kept him
out OF bed altogether on the day Of the game,
but as he did well and was on the winning side
this fact was forgotten in the excitement Of the
moment.
He relieved the day man at o'clock and
for some time the hours passed pleasantly I'm
discussing with dozen companions the excit-
ing features OF the days game. One by one
these sought their homes and By midnight the
operator was left alone.
The track was clear of passenger trains and
the frerghts north were twenty miles out and
an order had just come in Cor the freights
coming mp from the south. These orders were
to the effect that the first section was to run to
siding about ten miles north Of his station
and the second section be held by him until the
south-bound trains had passed. The station
was at the end Of the double track the road
north being single track one. the operator
working the switch as well as the KEY.
D.
lowered the red signal and turned the switch.
knowing the north-bound trainmen would wake
him up for the orders already received. This
they did ten minutes later. but the short sleep
seems to have dazed him. After giving out the
orders aid turning the switch the operator re-
entered the little watch box and almost i'm
mediately began nodding. After the train had
passed he again lowered the red signal to mold
the second section and then FELL into a sound
sleep.
sHRILL SHREK OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.
HE was awakened by the shrIll shrek OF the
locomotive whistle Of the second section. which
was standing just south OF the Office. The sud
den awakening dumfoundei him. Thinking
II was the first section to whom he had given
orders, but had forgotten TO turn the switch, he
! pulled up the red signal and left them in on
the single track.
The train had but passed around the curve
north OF the Office when the main office inquired
II the second section was in sight He replied
not yet, but had hardly finished ticking Oh the
Geographic characters of that reply when the
operator nj the Office milo north said the sec
ond section WAS in sight Of his tower. but a
good distance down the track. and wanted to
know II he should hold the south-bound trains
hen the wires hummed with orders and the
yard men were sent scurrying up the track TO stop
/ the south-bound freight. This was finally ac-
| complshed, but II was close shave as the train
can imagine the state of mind that operator
was In sitting there listening TO the anxious
inquiries from the main Office and the sigh of
rellef that escaped him when the muddle he
had created was at last Strengthened out with
out damage TO the road or loss of life
strange as II NAV seem not six weeks later
another operator fell asleep at about the same
hour, mixed the trains up on the same schedule
and besides smashing up some thirty cars killed,
conductor who had run on the road for thirty
years.
AT present the secret organization Of the
Halfway Ieiegraphers is making a strong de-
mand for an advance in salaries. On several OF
the western roads they have been successful in
having their demands acceded to. and now the
eastern roads are comforting with them over the
subject. This advance, ii granted will no doabi
raise the standard OF operators. but to my mind
the elght-hour system aHd its consequent drain
on the supply of competent men would be a
better solution TO the problem.
The employment of poor operators is
another handicap 20 be overcome bv the Of
hclals IN charge II the snccessf Il movement OF
trains is to be thought of. The operator that
sleeps while on duty is a horrible buCaboo "a
the travelling public. but the one that takes an
order on sheet OF paper and, after repeating
! 1t back TO the main Office and receiving %. X
transfers II to the order book is a specte- with
J fangs equally deadly. No good operator will
/ transfer an order Orders sent out by t.le.
. = n--SSAN NC SOpirA Will uArectik II
the book provided for that purpose and re.
reated from that. Some operators 10 avoid
breaking will copy it first on soft paper ant
then transfer it, and in the transfer comes the
deadly error.
CAUSED $4,000 WRECK.
IAN operator of this class caused a s5o. 200
wreck on tine Northern Central road a couple year.
back and seriously injured a half dozen trainmen.
1t occurred on the upper section of that road
where 1t Is still single tracked and where an
error is almost always disastrous. He received
an order for a train to take siding about five
miles south of his tower. but in transferring II
to the order book made it read for a siding
about seven miles further south. The train
runner, thinking everything was all right, OF.
| dered the north-bound train to meet the south.
bound one at the first named siding.
I'm the vernacular of the railroad the wreck
that followed was butte. The trains came 10.
| gether on small bridge and AZ a high rate OF
speed. The trainmen jumped for their live.
and came of with bad sprains and bruises
/ The eQCines were etripped of THAR