The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-22

ueaIn or serious injury, and L shall not
soon forget it.
DANGEROUS NAP.
Fortunately for me no accident ever
occurred due to my negligence, bat on one
occasion when l had been called to take a
second run out, having had but two or
three hours sleep after being on duty all
night, went out filled with fear lest
should slumber before l had finished my
run. never had a more tOrturing ex-
perience than that day. 1t was in the
summer; the sun shone brightly and the
weather was delightful, but it seemed to
me that l must sleep l fought it off till
l had almost finished; then for an instant
l lost consciousness. l do not think my
eyes closed, and l doubt if l would have
known that l had slept but for a dream,
vivid in its reality and minute in its de-
tail. just before l dropped off 1 noticed
that signal at a crossing showed
clear track. I dreamed of
finishing the run, of getting down
from my engine and turning the ma
chine over to the 'hostler, of going to my
lodgings and undressing for bed. l was
thinking how good the bed would feel to
me, when awoke to find that l had not
yet passed the signal l had seen before
Morpheus had embraced me. Never after
that time have l wondered when l have
read of engineers passing signals, and the
wrecks that have followed; for had
slept little longer, and the signal been
against me, would have been guilty of
the same thing myself. Never after that
either would l go out if felt any fear of
falling asleep would report sick first y
SLEEP CAUSED THE MAST HOPE DISASTER.
An engineer, now running an important
train, and for that reason nameleSs here,
to whom the writer spoke of the matter,
-
not an exceptional one.
Il have myself" said this man, "under-
gone similar experience. l remember
distinctly descending a long and steep
grade sound asleep, one day when l had
been on duty too long. | did not dream as
Warman did, and must have worked the
air lever automatically, for when l awoke
l was still working it, but | was quite
unconscious during the entire descent"
The Mast Hope disaster, which took
place some twenty years ago, was caused
by the momentary sleep of an engineer.
He had been directed to sidetrack his
train to allow a passenger train to pass.
He was wide awake when he pulled on to
the siding, and he remained awake for
some time, for he remembered hearing
the whistle of the approaching passenger
train at the next station. Then he lost
himself for a little, regained conscious
ness and pulled out, believing that the
other train had passed. He was wrong
the advancing mass of metal and wood
was upon him before his engine had en-
tirely got upon the the main line. There
was an awful crash and a historical rail
road accident had taken place.
ALMOST MADE HIM LEAVE THE BUSINESS.
81 was running as a freight conductor
at that timeo said a very well-knOwn
man, who has since risen to high rank
in the management of railroads, who re-
called the Mast Hope accident, and owing
to the blockade was delayed so long on
my westward trip that l had to turn
about and start east without sleep.
was tired, of course, but did not feel
drowsy, and | was practically anxious to
get a sight of the wreck as we passed it
on the homeward trip. The depot at
Mast Hope had been struck by one Of the
engines, and catching fire, had been
burned to the ground. The wrecked cars
had been hauled off the tracks and were
being burned as we approached the place.
| remember distinctly leaving my seat on
one side of the caboose and crossing over
to the other, where l could see better.
The next thing l knew we were half a
mile beyond the wreck. l had slept, and
when 1 fully realized the fact l was thor
oughly frightened. came near leaving
the business then, for fear ! should sleep
some time with fatal results, but never
again slumbered on duty"
SLIPPED OFF WHILE ASLEEP.
A man who has served on a western
road as a brakeman during the war told
this story of sleeping when at work:
Owing to a peculiar combination of
circumstances, - said this man, lit became
necessary for two engines and double
crew from our road to haul train of fifty
r1fx ~ orr mil loo fcfr
road. We had to travel slowly for our
engineers did not know the line, and we
were on duty many hours without sleep
1t was the duty of one of the brakemen to
constantly ride with the leading engineer
and two of us, more experienced than the
others, took turns at this work. l went
forward for the last time during that trip
al about o'clock at night and perched
myself on the seat to the left of the en-
CINE. IL was winter, and bitter cold, and
l felt drowsy. 1t was necessary for me to
climb down of the foot board, between the
engine and the tender, occasionally and
look back to to see if the train was follow
ing by watching for the red lights on the
cabOOse. l remember thinking that | must
get down and look back; the next thing
| remember ! was lying in deserted tank
house by the side of the track, half COW
cred with brush. | got up and walked
train was pulling out The conductor
stood on the platform of the station with
a telegram that had been sent back from
our train asking that a lookout be kept
for a lost man. [ was the man, and l
boarded the train and followed my COM
panions, from whom | had undoubtedly
been separated by slipping from between
the engine and tender while fast asleep.
1t being winter the place on which stood
was slippery with ice from the overflow
of the tank. That l was not seriously hurt
was almost a miracle, but we were run
ming slowly and the snow on the ground
softened my tall. Perhaps l was not
asleep as you would sleep in bed, but my
theory is that ! had gone to look back
while in a somnabulistic state; that was
not fully awakened by the fall, and thatI
crawled into the old tank house, instinct
lively covered myself with the brush, that
[ lay there and continued my sleep. l
was slightly bruised, but not seriously
hurt.
The authorities of the various railroads
differ in their treatment of men who sleep
at their posts. 1t may be reass uring to
the travelling public to know that the men
who drive the phenomenally fast trains
in these days do not remain on duty more
than two or three hours at a time, and
then have at least one day of rest before
going out again, so that lack of sleep on
their part is never likely to be an element
of danger. For an engineer to run by a
signal means instant dismissal on the
New York Central railroad and some 9TH
o,c C,,epaneior, &c tho ni1dpst OtlniGh-