Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-04-06
THE LOCOMOTIVE FIREMAN.


One of the Hardest Worked and Least Ap-
preciated of Employees.
1t is doubtful if there is man on the
train who is less appreciated than the
fireman. The public shakes hands with
the conductor who has charge of the
train, thanks the brakeman for many lit
tie courtesies, bows to the baggage mas
ter who looks after its luggage In transit
perhaps, if it is a masculine public,
swears at him-trusts its yaluables with
the express messenger and talks long ard
loud of the brave engineer, but the
freman-he who bends to his work and
feeds the fire that makes the steam-is
never mentioned. Sometimes purse is
made up for the engineer. No one ever
heard of the fireman getting purse, but
the records show that he has performed
as many deeds of valor as the engineer.
Again, if the train leaves the track or
goes into another train, the fireman has
fewer chances to escape than any man
on the train, except perhaps the mail
clerk, shut up like rat in cage.
When the fireman is at work, and that
is nearly all the time when the wheels
are turning, he stands stopped over,
shoveling in the fuel or raking the Goals
in the frebox. His view ahead is OBJ
structed, and he cannot see the danger
that may be dashing upon him. The rat
tie and roar of the machinery may drown
the engineers warning Gala crash-the
tender pins him to the boiler head, and he
dies horrible death. Standing in the
narrow gangway peering ahead, a sudden
lurch around curve may throw him off.
Instances have been known when the
coupling between the engine and the
tank parted. and the fireman dropped be-
tween them to be ground topieces. The
records show that more fremen than en-
gineers are killed in railroad wrecks.
About the only time the firemen has
little leisure is when the train is running
down grade. Then "she is shut off,
steam is saved, and the knight of the
shovel climbs up to cushion seat and
takes a breathing spell. But even then
one eye is ahead, his hand on the bell
cord and the other eve fastened on the
steam gauge, whose little black hands.
fuctuating back and forth, guage his
labor as well as the steam. There is
science in feeding" an engine that isnot
understood by one not in the business.
There is way to throw in the coal and
to empty the shovel and close the fur
mace door at the same time. 1t requires
nice calculation that tells how many
''scooploads" are needed to send the
hands on the gauge to the proper figure;
deft handling to keep the deck of the
cab clean, and a hundred other little
things that go to make skillful fire
man-one that saves money for the COM
pany by outstanding the coal.
In the old days the fireman on ''wood
burners" had hard time of it and GER
tainly earned the small money he re-
ceived for his services, but he had a sine
cure compared with the man in blue
overalls and jumper who "stokes up
one of the huge ''moguls" or "hogs" of
the present day. These engines haul
freights and eat up coal as if it were
CREASED paper. The fireman is at work
continuously, and about the only time
he has to rest is when his train takes a
siding" to let more aristocratic passen-
ger train pass.-Indianapolis News.