St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-09
weather rs well a. under more iAvors
bic circumstances

weather as well as under nore iavorsll
bic circumstances
Think of standing on top of one ol
those moving cars. with rain and slecS
falling on the face and hands, the brak{
coated with ice and the roof rs slipperj
rs glass Add to this the danger of stepl
ping from one car to another over !
gap of twcnty-sevcn to thirty inches OF
a dark night when the cars are conf
stantly moving up and down on thei,
springs or swaying from one side to thf
other every few seconds.
This stepping or jumping across \
something absolutely appalling in II:
dangerous features when the roofs ary
so slippery that even walking on thcrss
is attended with the greatest possibly
risk. A high wind often co,npcls thy
brakcmen to crawl from one car TO an
other in order TO avoid being blown Of
As cnviable rs their lot appears il
summer. when we see the long traint
gliding in and out among the hills.
bounded on one side by a charming
prospect Of river and meadow land
and on the other by the cool. grcct
trees that nestle Mt the foot of somS
grand old mountain, they endure evet
then the many discomforts unknown L.
the watcher from the piazza Of some
summer hotel
In dashing through some shaded val.
ley they may be drenched to the ski,
by q sudden shower. and within half ap
hour. perhaps. the ascent Of few huH.
dred feet brings the train into an al
mosphcrc a few degrees below thu
freezing point, so that, with the and ii
the wind famed by the speed Of the
train. the clothes are very soon frozen
stiff.
: Bushels Of cindcrs fly through the aif.
but. strange as it may appear. the mep
become accustomed to these in bulI,
where one would cause q world OF dig
comfort
Another feature. often involving SUI
fering and danger. is going back p
flag" When q train is Unexpectedly =
stopped on the road the brakeman y
the rear end must Immediately take his
red flag or lantern and 60 back half q
mile or SO and give the stop signal %
the engineer of any train that might Ee
following
In Gear weather and on q level
stretch this order is frequently disre-
gardcd. and lazy fellows will. at the
risk of their lives, even neglect t0do e
on dark and stormy nights, though n
m, st cases the men are faithful aIfd
will 60 out and stand for long time $n
a severe snowstorm liable to freeze 10
death from the merciless cold. Pcrha'.s
it is the very fact that they are cop.
stantly surrounded by danger TO lixe
and limb that these trainmcn become
careless and foolhar,ly. and do the most
reckless things with no thought Of cop.
sequences
Coupling accidents. however. are
practically unavoidable, because /
though the necessary manipulations cSn
be made without going between toe
cars or placing the hands in dangvir.
Gus position most Of the men prefer 70
run the risk in order to facilitate maS-
tcrA According to the regulations pf
most roads the operation must be pssr-
formed with the aid OF stick. but dis
regarding this order. partly TO saye
time or perhaps because they fear tne
ridiculc that would be called forth ~
their lack of skill in this direction. tine
average brakeman prefers to use Gis
fingerA
lie must lift the link and hold Il hofi-
zontally until the end enters the opsn-
ing. and then withdraw his hapd
before the heavy -drawbars cone 70
gether. A delay Of a quarter of . SIC
Ond would crush the hand or finger rs
under q triphammer.
The number of trainmcn with wourd-
cd hands that may he seen in every
large freight yard is sad evidence Of Me
fact that this delay often occurs but
assuming that this part of the opera
ton is accomplished in safety. there Is
still the possibility Of being crushed
bodily.
Cars are built with projecting tim
bers on their ends at or near the center
for the purpose Of keeping the m3in
body of the cars ten or twelve Hes
apart, but cars of different makes 20
qucntly meet in such a way that Jhe
projections on one lap pass those ION
another and the space which should!6o
maintained for the safety OF the mai, d
missing.
II in the hurry of his work or She
darkness Of the night the man failsyto
note these pcculiarities hc is crushed
without a moments warning. the pm.
dcrous vehicles coming together on pis
helpless body with the force Of ms$ny
tons A constant danger i'm coupling
and uncoupling is the liability TO each
the feet in angles in the track. :
This is peculiarly the case when tho
must be done while the trsin
Is in motion. The hazardous work Vnd
the perils described are those TO which
only the brakemcn are liable: but all
trainmen lead lives more or less Cited
with danger, for no matter what pAst-
ton they occupy there is ever the nos
sibility of . collision. . landslide o: .
hundred other conditions that men2ce
their lives that the man or woman y ho
re ds this dreams not Of
II il does nothing more than make N
appreciate our own homes and the frce.
dom from personal danger in our seem
ingly monotonous pursuits. then .he
telling Of the incidents in tho everyday
life Of . brakeman has accomplished
much.
But 10 the kind-hearted and unseltish
men and women who for the 6rst time
have realized the dangers to those lises
running parallel with theirs. yet 90 en-
tirely distinct, there will come . rtsh
Of sympathy for the mcn whose work
compels them to brave the fury Of the
elements, while we are housed safe and
warm before . fire. the material dor
which has through the edorts OF scme
been brought TO our door. =