The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-07-01
TRAIN DISPATCHING.
WORK so RESPONSIBLE AND RISKY
IS VET FASCINATING.

Upon hts comprehensive Mental "pfo-
tare"-Some Examples.
- tell you. boys. it's the most fnscinat
Ing work ] ever tried. and I've been rail
soading for Is years and taken turn ut
everything from brakeman TO division su.
tsrintendent."
DO spoke the train dispatcher 70 com.
PAM OF railroad men and the reporter.
why" said the latter. Il thought train
dispatehing was too risky TO make the
seisc Of responsibility comfortablef"
1t may lie partly that at bottom. but q
train dispatcher to do his work must lose
sight OF tho awful consequences that might
follow mistake. II lac didn't. he'd loss
his nerve every time. Why, every train. or
single locomotive for that matter, of the
hundreds whose movements he directs
, every day Is fraugLt with crater posi-.
bilities Of disaster. involving life or prop
erty. or both. than any man can coaiem-
plate and not want 70 desert the RESPONSE
bility."
But how can a man put out Of his mind
altogether those possibilities. 70 that he's
nj to move trains without hesitation and
not get rattled" asked tbs reporter.
We'll. it's the same answer 10 that as in
| other cases where nerve IL needed. It's the
confidence that comes with experiences. II
you've run trains without accident. why
you feel you can do II again"
When the danger Of catastrophe IL lost
sight Of. resumed the dispatcher. the fas-
ciration comes In In the completely Of the
problems which present themselves every
hour. How TO Get the most trains through
In opposite directions. giving eaeh its
| .tiytltf eha oil at~ q Of. a Ia.
rateher's task. IL isn't enough 10 get each
train az IL comes along through safely:
| you've got TO deal with scores al the same
time, look ahead aud keep them moving"
You ought To lie good chess player"
suggested tho reporter.
Il do pretend TO play a prs,ty fair game,
and you'ie right Tie tame faculties that
tell in chess come into play ia train dispatch.
ing. but with trains you're dealing with
/ men that are, when under way, out oil
| your control for time. SO that the GIiiicul,
4 tacs OF the game are in one way incrasoi
| by the mi PRODUCTION Of moving pieces So
| while you doat wildly realize the possible
| consequences Of your move on the siee
ruled buari. the dim Consciousness you
have Of responsibility makes the railroad
game big one
And It's something only the human
4 m!rd can grapple with. I've seeu mechsn
ioai contri,auo.s ussd 10 follow on ii boar
! the movements Of trains with the idea o!
checking the liability O! the dispatcher u
drop stitch and allowing him 10 think q
sorne,hing else without losing the situa
ton But. after ALL it, The man To mus,
be depended on to Inc. that the board /,
| right II " i;ess ST wpae, tie board o.
lcgs ouiy en- harnesses him in trying TO re
cover bis 'pseIur,' a. the boys call IL
- train dispatcher has got TO have
mental pic;urv' 81 The relative positions Il
any given t!me of all the trains under L!i
banda II that's gene. God help him!
why. I've seen a nlan sland be;wcsi
two teit gtsyh operations debating orders Il
one and TIC o,hvr a. fas, ns be could tall
many time without anything tsiw-cn hi
messages and dis1sIe4s. EXCEPT the chang
Ing hut II, every minute whole and eAac
't.ciurr' 81 all the miies of track which b.
rSins Sup:busr IL Is double track, with
few miles Of single track btwe-n and Md
inss, bis r4ipd mus, work like lightning &
kccp them going aid AVOID collisions
I've srn "a tl4aa standing In the opers
tu',' tower Ia such situations. debating
grow snddcniy white "a a cloth. He ha
los; lis plc;ure.' A moment q awful ST.,
prince, hnd then with "a grrsi Sigh. nin.os,
grnza. Of relief lie would recover IL
That instant, unblurrrd. mental imAg
Is the peculiar faculty DEVELOPED by tie d,
pato5rr's business
To give you an Idea bow oornplicatc
thesr racn,Al photographs ray 10 and BIO,
many points, any one Of perhaps fatal In
portsno~. the mind must take Ia at oncc,
WAS ~ one time dispatcher over a section c
double track road 81 90 milc~ Re.ula
trains passed q given point every four N in
u;cs- In this s~rtlop wgs 10 uilc. Of sing
tTnck-a 'LoEback'-ihai IL, n grade bot
ways to Its middle, requiring two locornc
tisys TO pull trains W 10 the highest point
when they left either Of the double tracks
with the regular traffic on the latter
and the locomotives coming Lack from III
hosbaek. twice the ordinary number, an,
Jus; as likely to cause loss 10 property.
10; to life or trains. Il was quick WORK
You must take in. too. tho presence Of train
running under special orders TO put Their
through. Add 10 tina, the liability TO a
emergency call FOR props 10 be forwards
instantly TO the comPsny's ninc- 10 yuan
against n threatened earcin. and you Lav
. soui idoa Of the problems q train di,
pa;ch~r has TO grapplc with.
Every once in awhile "a dispatcher get
a rcalizing glimpse uf The rvspousihilit
placed on him by the way he ia pulled u
Tor any irrrsularity. His .npcriors mus
Ire the s;rictcsi dIscipllnaTians to guarSl tn
company against Losses Tor an illus,rs
ton. One winter nigh, had train whie
! lad positive orVlcTS to put through,
was blocked at n certain point 10y a passci
ger train stalled in the snow. could ovel
come the obstacle In two ways-cither pus
the passenger through with an extra locS
motive, or take the urgent train bacl
switch /, TO another track and TO sroun
the passenger train. The irsi way wo NJ
take about IL minutes, the other I-rhsI
an hour and a half II was late TO 10,
time, - scnt an orier TO push the pax~cr
scr train out of the way Ii was done, an
through my other train went all right,
male the usual note 81 the maneurcr |
my daily report TO the division superintent
snt. aud In a day or two got n message tina
! he would like TO sec me-
, The super ut,pdept WAS ono Of the kin
who doesn't make any fuss, but goes TO th
: heart OF the matter In hand. While speal
ing to mo about somc commonplace sui
|. jcct be took down n volume VI the pen;
; code and pointed out n section FOR me I
read. IL dcscribssl the offcnse Of pushin
passenger trains and the statutory penalt!
, lie said, I guess l don't need to nay an,
, thing more. do ~ said, ! hope not an
weut out feeling rs IL ! had just escaped
, criminal conviction.
Passenger trains, the Law provides, mus
!. be hauled. not pushed, and haven't give
any orlcrs TO violate tho statute since ths
New York Sun.
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