The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-07
rNsTRucr1Na STUDENTS

| crease the danger to the train service is the
student. On several roads they are thrust
upon the operators so as to be in readiness
| to take their places in case of sickness or
discharge, and 10 this way salaries are kept
down. The operator at first resents the in
| trusion, but as the novice begin TO come
around and becomes able to work the sig
mails aud later on the wire many a quiet
4 snooze is INDUCED in with the green hand
on duty. Everything goes along smoothly
for many months, and it is only when a
mlshap occurs that we learn of the true sit
uation, but when it does come the delay is
amply compensated for by its horrifying
| results,
! but, to continue, let me cite case with
unique features, but, happily, no fatal re-
SUITS, wherein sleeping on duty is the chief
subject.
The operator in question was a base ball
crank Of the deepest dye and played rather
god game on the green field. He had
| peen transferred from small town TO a
city Of considerable dimen ions and placed
on the night trick from Z O'Clock D. m. TO Z
O'Clock a. m. His fame as a ball player had
preceded him and no sooner had be arrived
| IN the city than several members of the diff
ferent clubs put In an appearance at the Of
ice. He was pursuaded to join one OF the
clubs and big match game was arranged.
| Being a new man the novelty of the position
| of the game, but as he did we'll 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 in discussing with dozen COM
panions the exciting features of the days
game. One by one these sought their
homes and by midnight the operator was
lie It alone.
The track was clear Of passenger trains
and the frelghts north were twenty miles out
and an order had Just come in for the
freights coming uD from the south. These
orders were to the effect that the first Sec
tion 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 a
single track one, the operator working the
switch as well es the key.
Thinking to secure q short nap, the
operator lowered the red signal and turned
the watch, knowing the north bound train
men would wake him up for the orders al
ready received. This they did ten minutes
later, tut the short sleep seems to have
dazed him. After giving out the orders
and turning to the switch the operator re-
entered the little watch box and almost
Immediately began nodding. After the
had passed he again lowered the red signal
TO hold the second section and then fell into
sound sleep.
sHRILL sHRIER 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 sudden awakening dumfounded him.
Thinking 1t was the first section 90 whom he
had given orders. but had forgotten to turn
the switch, be pulled up the red signal and
left them in the sinpla track
THE train had bnt passed around the
curve north OF the office when chs main
office inquired If the second section was in
sight. He replied not yet, but had hardly
flushed ticking Off the telegrAphic charac-
ters of that reply when the operator at the
Office q mile north said the second section
was in sight OF his tower. but a good dis
lance down the track, and wanted to know
II he should hold the south bound trains
"Thep the wires humtned with orders
and the yarimen were sent scurryinR up
the track to stop the south-bound freight.
This was finally accomplished. but it was a
close shave, as the train was a heavy one
and making fast time. You eau imagine
the state Of mind that operator was in ait
ting there listening to the anxious inquiries
from the main Office and the sight OF relief
that escaped him when the muddle he had
created was at last Strengthened out with
out damage to the road or loss of life.
"Strangs as it may seem not six weeks
later another operator fell asleep at abous
the same hour, mixed the trains up on the
same schedule, and beside smashing up
some thirty cars killed conductor who
had runoa the road for thirty years.
"As present the secret organization OF
the railway teleRraphers is making q
strong demand for an advance in salaries.
On several of the western roads they have
been successful in having their demands &C.
coded to- and now the eastern roads are
comforting with them over the subject
This advance, If granted. will no doubt
raise the standard of operators, but to my
mind the eIght-ho system and its conse-
quent drain on the supply Of competent
men would be better solution to the prob
lem.
1.-THE employment of poor operators Is
another handicap to be overcome by the
officials in charge Of the successful move
ment of trains to be thought OF. The opera
tor that sleeps while on duty is a horrible
bugaboo to the travelling public, but the
one that takes an order on a sheet of paper
and after repeating il back TO the main
office and receiving %. K.,' transfers 1t to
the order book Ia q specter equally as
deadly. No good operator will transfer an
order. Orders sent out by telegraph should
be copied with a stylus directly in the book
provided for that purpose and repeated
from that Some operators. to avoid break
ing will copy 1t fret on soft paper and
then transfer it, and in the transfer comes
the deadly error.
CAUSED A $4,000 WRECK.
IAN operator Of this class caused $50, 600
wreck on the Northern Central road
couple of years back and seriously injured
q half dozen trainmen. It occurred on the
upper section of that road where it Is still
single tracked. and where an error Is al
most always disastrous. He received an
order for train to take siding about five
miles south Of his tower, but in transfer
ring it 60 the order book made 1t read for
siding about seven miles farther south. The
train runner, thinking everything all right,
| ordered the north bound train to meet the
| south-kound oDe at the first named siding.
''In the vernacular Of the railroad tie
wreck that followed was butte. The trains
came together on small bridge and at
high rate Of speed. The trainmen jumped
| for their lives and came off with bad
sprains and bruises. The engines were
strppsd of their running gear aud the cars
ground into splinters.
AT the investigation held at the superins
| tendent's Office the operator, on being inter-
rogated as to why he had transferred the
| order which resulted in the mistake being
made, replied that he didn't like to break. "
Too Smart To Hang.