Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-04-01
THE LOCOMOTIVE FIREMAN.
One of the Hardest Worked and Least
Annreciated of Employees.

Ii is doubtful If there is a man on the
train who is less appreciated than the
fireman. The public shakes hands with
the conductor who has charge of the
.rain. thanks the brakeman for many
little courtesies, bows to the baggage
master who looks after its luggage en-
tnnsit-perhaps il it is masculine public
swears at him-trusts its valuables with
the express messenger, and talks long and
loud Of the "brave engineer" But the
tireman-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 a 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 fire box; his view ahead is
INSTRUCTED, and he cannot see the danger
that may be dashing upon him. The
rattle and roar of the machinery may
drown the engineers warning Gala
erash-the tender pins him to the boiler
head and he dies horrible death.
Standing in the narrow gangway peering
ahead. a sudden lurch around a curve
may throw him of Instances have been
known when the coupling between the
engine and the tank parted, and the fire
man dropped between them to be ground
TO pieces. The records show that more
fremen than engineers are killed in rail
road wrecks.
About the only time the fireman has
little leisure is when the train is running
down grade. Then "she is shut of, "
steam is saved and the knight of the
shovel climbs up to a cushioned seat and
takes breathing spell But even then
one eye is ahead, his hand on the bell
cord and the other eye fastened on the
steam gauge, whose little black hands,
fluctuating back and forth, gauge his
labor as we'll rs the steam. There is a
science in feeding an engine that is
not understood by one not in the bust
ness. There is way to throw in the
coal and to empty the shovel and close
the furnace door ut the same time. 1t
requires nice calculation that tells how
!, many "scoop-loads' 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 skilful
| Gra,,ap--onp thot saves money for the
company by outstanding the coal.
In the old days tie fireman on " wooc
burners" had hard time of it and Ger
o tainly earned the small money he received
r for his services, but he had sinecurt
e compared with the man in blue overall'
o and Jumper who stokes up" one OF tn
Il huge ''moguls' or hogs of the present
c day. These engines haul freights anC
Il eat up coal as if it were creased paper
: The fireman is at work continuously ant
g about the only time he has to rest l
r, when his train takes siding to lie
G a more arstocratic passenger train pass
Is On the n-wheelers" that pull the 81
d Four fast trains, or the engines that hat
e the express trains of the Vandalia, Penn
II sylvania, Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day
,e ton and the New Monon, the fireman ha
Al a hard time of it. The machinery need
,e a large amount of steam, and it takes
er great deal of coal to make 1t, ana tn
rs "scoop' is ringing all the time. - lndiat
b. apolis News.