Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-10
freight trains and the latter to passenger trains,
but doubt If even this will suffice

|
"You know my duty as railroad physician
generally takes me out with the wrecking crew
and places me on the scene about as soon as any
one outside OF the crew directly concerned in
| the wreck. In this manner / get an insight OF
| matters the public know little about and. of
course, form my own conclusions. Therefore
when venture the opinion that three fourths
OF the wrecks on the railroads of the entire
country are caused by tranmen going to sleep
while on duty you can judge whether my belief
| Is based on any foundation or not
only last week, out on o road runuing into
flttsourg, an engineer went to sleep on an
| accommodation train and ran by stations at
which he should have stopped. An official on
the train knew how to work the air brakes from
the inside OF the car and in two instances pulled
the train up sharp. This official left the train
before the terminus of the road was reached or
the end of the engineers rum
Zone would think two warnings amply suf-
ficient for almost any engineer, but this one
trifed with fate once too often and the third
warning came in the shape of a crash into the
rear end of beated freight. When he came
to after the third warning there was little sleep
LETT In his body, likewise was there little ife as
he was with great difficulty dug out Of The
debris His train had run ahead of schedule
time while he was sleeping and the trainmen
ahead had not expected him SO soon
PECULIAR CASE OF SLEEPING ON DUTY.
'Let me tell you of the most peculiar case of
sleeping on duty that has ever como under nv
observation. A big wreckage of cars resulted
therefrom: no lives were lost and the excuse
made public was a foggy night and slippery
rails The scene was on one OF the roads run
ming north from Washington and the time not
thousand years ago. l went out, as usual
with the wrecking crew and thus learned the
true details from the trainmen
"a north-boupd freight was making good
time the road tho NIGHT in
when the cylinder head Of the locomotive blew
out The rod on the one side struck the ground
and rebounding swung around and smashed
the cab up rather badly. 1t fortunately grazed
the engineers head, taking off his cap in its
descent. Had he been awake he would have
been leaning forward Watching the machinery
and track ahead and as consequence been
killed instantly. Instead. he was reclining
against the rear partition of his little cabin.
with head to one side, INDUCING in pleasant
dreams that had rude awakening
when he finally brought his train to a stand
still he blew the engine white for the fagman
to go back and protect the train, and that
worthy rushed back with his lanterns to warn
the train following. After going back about
an eighth OF a mile he stopped, out Of breath,
and seated himself alongside the track on
pile Of ties. Unconsciously he placed the
lamps on the right side of his body facing the
expected train. The spot was a lonely one;
he was dead tired from his run and want of
sleep and the expected train didn't put in an
appearance. As consequence he dropped off
to sleep.
FINALLY the expected train swung around
curve away down the track and came on with
the speed of the wind. The engineer up on
the box. thinking everything clear. lolling
forward on the big reverse lever, his head on
has arm and tight asleep. His fireman was
back in the tender shoveling in coal and at
tending strictly to his own business.
when within a dozen yards of the sleenino
fagman the trains noise awake him, and with
a mighty shout lie sprang to his feet At that
instant he was hardly two yards from the Sleep
ing engineer and his voice struck the latter
eals like the clang Of bell
The train must have been running near the |
seventy miles-an-hour clip, for. work as he |
would, the engineer couldn't break the tremen- |
dous momentum of his train, and his engine |
dashed into the rear end OF the freight with |
terrific force. The engineer and his fireman |
jumped and saved themselves. as did also the |
baggage master and express messenger. The |
passengers were badly shaken up and terrified, |
but none seriously hurt
A STRANGE COMBINATION,
THAT was a strange sleeping combination, |
wasn't it? The first engineers life was saved |
through sleep. The fiagman's life was not en-
iangered by sleep, but the second engineer
came within a hairs breadth Of losing his life |
through this weakness. Had he been awake he |
certainly could have seen the red lamp a long
distances up the track and averted the run-in
The officials of the road gave it out that fog
md slippery rails caused the accident, but l |
observed a month later that both the f,agman
md engineer were no longer on the company's
,ay roll"
VIVA. remedy would You suggest for this
vil?' inquired the reporter.
Persuade the tranmen to join church
Unique remedy but a good one. Hammer it
nto one OF the engineers mind that he will be |
leld accountable for his carelessness by his
;reator, and that there is no such thing as luck,
nd he will make one OF the best men IN the
BUSINESS. am acquainted with several Chris
Ian engineers. and they are exceptionally trust
Torthy employees.