Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-06-17
weather as we'll as under moro favora-


Think of standing on top of one of
those moving cars, with rain and sleet
falling on the face and hands, the brake
coated with ice and the roof as slippery
as glass. Add to this the danger of step,
ping from one car to another over a
gap of twenty seven to thirty inches on
dark night when the cars are con-
stantly moving up and down on their
springs or swaying from one side to the
other every few seconds.
This stepping or jumping across is
something absolutely appalling in its
dangerous features when the roofs are
SO slippery that even walking on them
is attended with the greatest possible
risk. A high wind often compels the
brakemen to crawl from one car to an
other in order to avoid being blown of.
AS enviabe as their lot appears in
summer, when we see the long trains
gliding in and out among the hills,
/ bounded on one side by charming
prospect of river and meadow land,
and on the other by the cool, green
trees that nestle at the foot of some
grand old mountain, they endure even
then the many discomforts unknown to
the watcher from the piazza of some
summer hotel.
In dashing through some shaded val.
ley they may be drenched to the skin
by sudden shower, and within half an
hour, perhaps, the ascent of few hun.
dred feet brings the train into an at
mosphere few degrees below the
freezing point, so that, with the aid of
the wind famed by the speed of the
train, the clothes are very soon frozen
stiff.
Bushels of cinders fly through the air,
but, strange as it may appear, the men
become accustomed to these in bulk,
/ where one would cause a world of dis
comfort.
Another feature, often involving suf-
fering and danger, is going back to
flag" When a train is unexpectedly
stopped on the road the brakeman at
the rear end must Immediately take his
red flag or lantern and go back half a
mile or so and give the stop signal to
the engineer of any train that might be
following.
In clear weather and on a level
stretch this order is frequently disre-
garded, and lazy fellows will, at the
risk Of their lives, even neglect to do it
on dark and stormy nights, though in
most cases the men are faithful and
will go out and stand for long time in
a severe snowstorm liable to freeze to
death from the merciless cold. Perhaps
it is the very fact that they are con-
stantly surrounded by danger to life
and limb that these trainmen become
careless and foolhardy, and do the most
reckless things with no thought of con-
sequences.
Coupling accidents, however, are
practically unavoidable, because -
though the necessary manipulations can
be made without going between the
cars or placing the hands in danger,
Gus position-most of the men prefer to
run the risk in order to facilitate mat
ters. According to the regulations OF
most roads the operation must be per-
formed with the aid of stick, but dis
regarding this order, partly to save
time or perhaps because they fear the
ridicule that would be called forth by
their lack Of skill in this direction, the
average brakeman prefers to use his
fingers.
He must lift the link and hold it hori.
toll 10
ing, and then withdraw his hand
before the heavy drawbars cone to-
gether A delay of quarter of sec
ond would crush the hand or finger as
under trip-hammer.
The number of trainmen with wound
ed hands that may be seen in every
large freight yard is sad evidence of the
fact that this delay often occurs But
assuming that this part of the opera
ton is accomplished in safety, there i:
still the possibility of being crushed
bodily
Cars are built with projecting tim
bers on their ends at or near the ceute,
for the purpose of keeping the MAR
body of the cars ten or twelve inche.
apart, but cars of different makes fire.
quently meet in such way that tn,
projections on one lap pass those OF
another and the space which should b.
maintained for the safety of the man Il
missing.
If in the hurry of his work or thu
darkness of the night the man fails K
note these peculiarities he is crushed
without moments warning, the pom
derous vehicles coming together on hi
helpless body with the force of man,
tons. A constant danger in coupling
and uncoupling is the liability to catcl
the feet in angles in the track.
) This y peculiarly the case when tn,
uncoupling must be done while the trail
is in motion. The hazardous work ant
the perils described are those to whicl
only the brakemen are liable; but al
trainmen lead lives more or less file,
with danger, for no matter what posi-
ton they occupy there is ever the pos
! sibility of collision, landslide or
hundred other conditions that menac
their lives that the man or woman VIII
re DIS this dreams not of.
If it does nothing more than make u
appreciate our own homes and the free
dom from personal danger in our seem
ingly monotonous pursuits, then tn
telling of the incidents in the everyda,
life of brakeman has accomplished
much.
But to the kind-hearted and unselfisI
men and women who for the first tim
, have realized the dangers to those live
running parallel with theirs, yet so en-
tircly distinct, there will come a rus
of sympathy for the men whose wor
compels them to brave the fury of tn
elements, while we are housed safe an
warm before a fire, the material 70
j which has through the efforts of som