Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-05-06

advout&ge 70 Dc.aDfeft 70 uSc enc s.4nos
to convey his instructions to the engi-
neer. he does il lust as the switchmen
do. At night lanterns are used b. both
conductors and switchmen. as their
hands would not be visible.
Swinging the lantern forward is up-
derstood by the engineer to mean ego
ahead, while the reverse motion instructs
him TO 'come back on her.
When it is desired to have the train
move cautiously, as in coupling cars,
the lantern is first held up in the air and
then brought down quite slowly. until
the train is almost against the car to be
coupled. Then il is brought down with
quick movement
Lanterns are also used at night by
station agents to stop the train, or
flag it down." as they term it. To
do this the lantern is swung horizontally
across the track, in full view of the APP
proachiHg train.
The engineer expresses quite few
railroad idoms by the use Of the whistle.
The ideas conveyed by different blasts,
or combinations of blasts, are not the
same on all roads. One long whistle,
however. indicates that the train is APP
preaching station, while two is the sig
nal to ''take off brakes" Three long
whistles instructs the crew to, put
brakes on.
When il is desired to summon the
station agent. the flag boy, or any one
connected with the train, four long blasts
are given. and four short blasts indicate
that the train is to be run backwards.
On good many railroads, besides the
usual whistle indicating the approach TO
station, four short whistles are given to
INQUIRE Of the agent whether he has IN
structions for the engineer. If he has
none he displays two red'balls, and the
engineer replies by two short whistles,
signifying that he understands.
The responsibility attaching to the
position of telegraph operator at stations
where instructions are received rs very
great, indeed.
An operator who now occupies quite a
prominent position with the Southern
Pacific railroad relates the following IL
Illustrative of this fact:
az had fallen asleep said he, ''Wnder
my mosquito net with half-read novel
in my hand. l was suddenly awakened
bv the low tic-a-tic of my instrument.
"a telegrapher will hear that sound
no matter how fast asleep he may be.
They say soldiers hear the long roll when
they never would hear anything else and
| suppose it is all pretty much on the
same principle. Well, when heard the
thing ticking away became wide awake
in an Instant, and made haste to answer.
" You have been asleep
"Train dispatchers have blood-curd
ling way of always knowing when man
has been asleep.
81 know l have, I answered.
g Take message for train No -
began to feel decidedly nervous as
realized that it was past the hour a
which train No. was due at my sta
ton
, :" Wait, | answered, her hour i
past" Rushing out to the track lookeo
up and down. but there was nothing il
sight either way. Then took my Ian
tern and carefully inspected the rails t.
see If the dewdrops were smeared to
gether, which would be the case if sh
had passed But nature herself wa
against me-there wasn't any dew.
Il fastened back to the instrumcn
and found to my horror that the trail
dispatcher had arranged fOrJher TO sid
track at my station until the westbounC
train had passed.
"Now, if she had already gone by, til
two of Them jumping along at fort
miles an hour, were headed right for eac
other. When fellow realizes that h
has bv his own careIessness, put ever!
, thing in trim for smash up and lose h
lob in the bargain, a sickening sensatio
comes over him that is almost impossib
to describe.
again / heard the ticker.
G Here she is, Just heaving in sight
came from brother operator, who WI
+, stationed little ways down the line,
= the direction from which the train WI
. due
1 "Well, could have Rugged that fe
d low, thought had never been partic
n larly partial to him L.fore. y New @
Il leans Picayune.