The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-08
A SWITCH TOWER TRAGEDY
BY VICTOR SMITH.
ECopvrtght.l

NNoEy AtShs'J
One of the noblest men in the world is
bob" Pritchard, and it seems the very
irony of fate that his life should be dark
ened by the ever present shadow of a
great sorrow. Hehas everything on earth
that a man could hope for-wealth, posi-
ton, influence, home. family, health and
friends-but over all there brocds a super
sensitive conscience that destroys his hap
piness. Morbid fits come on him once in
while, and he steals of alone to commune
with himself. His wife understands the
cause Of his sorrow, but he is trying to
keep it away from the knowledge of his
boy, who is old enough to begin to do
some thinking on his own account. He
never goes home in his hours of melan-
choly, but hides in some out of the way
place till the mood passes off. 1 often
run across him in such places as "Old
TOMS" down near Trinity church, and
Marchesi's, in Fiftieth street, where he
he is unlikely to meet any of his intimate
friends. He will sit there for hours and
hours, smoking and drinking, oblivious of
the surroundings. On the table at home
is superb dinner untouched while he
sits alone with his conscience and dimes
upon a chop.
Conscience is the experiment of mans
character. If it makes towards OF us all,
il also makes us brave. 1t makes US
weak, it makes strong, it makes US miser-
able and happy, contented and dis
cOntented-it even make US i'll or well. A
guilty conscience is the blacklist hell on
earth. For a clear conscience purgatory
hath no terrors. l have seen men guilty
in their own sight who, in the eyes of the
world, were innocent. | have known
Bob" Pritchard for thirty years He is
and always was incapable of doing a
wrong or dishonOrable thing. But his
conscience is scared, and remorse will go
with him to the grave. I have tried to
talk him out of it in vain.
When bob" became a switchman on
the greatest railroad in America he was
stationed in tower at point about half
way between two of our largest cities,
where another road crossed the four
tracks of the main line. Not less than
300 trains passed the spot in every twenty
four hours The chief switchman was a
man of the name of Danton, Al Danton,
who lived in little cottage near by with
his mother and sister. These were de-
pendent upon him, and to Tighten his
burdens they took few boarders. Bob"
went to live with them as soon as he was
settled in his new berth, and in the
course of time a warm friendship sprang
up between him and Danton, while he
began to regard the young woman with
more than ordinary interest. The Dan
tons were an old Virginia family, once
rich, now poor, and the mother and
daughter were proud and sensitive. They
were descendants Of Gen. Archibald
DantOn, who figured among the revolu-
tionary heroes. Miss Margaret was re-
garded by young, old and middle-aged as
a beauty.
Besides Bob" and Dauton there was
third man on duty in the switch tower,
and the watches were divided into six, of
four hours each, the men alternating so
that four hours of work were followed by
eight of rest and recreation. Danton
being the more experienced, had the busy
watches of the morning and afternoon,
when the regiments Of commuters were
going to ana from the city. bob had
the midday watch and the midnight
watch, so that he and Danton were at
home together from to 70 o'clock every
evening, and the hours were passed very
pleasantly in the society Of the mother
and daughter.
One night stranger called, a reporter
for one of the New York papers, who said
that his mission was to write a special
article on the signaling system in use on
the road, and in furtherance thereof he
sought permission to sit for an hour or
two in the tower during the busiest time
OF the day This Danton could not grant
without letter from the general man
ager, as it was against the rules of the
company. The reporter acquiesced, but
did not depart at once. He seemed bent
on an interview, and forthwith began a
rigamarole about the responsibility of
railroad employees, seeking deftly to draw
out his hearers.
''Ill tell you what lisa fact Mr.. Dauton."
he said, bristling with enthusiasm; ''the
most responsible place on a railroad Is the
switch tower. Did it ever OCCUR to youl
I doubt if it ever occurred to the public,
and shall make it my duty to point it
out. Just think of the awful RESPONSE
bility on you for instance. l wonder it
doesn't break you men down in few
months. The strain must be terrific! 1
don't think the responsibility of an en-
gineer is to be compared for q moment
with that which rests upon you; but we
never hear of the people conceding any
thing to the poor switchman. Don't you
think IL rather strange?
Just think of the chances of death
taken by Travellers" he went on. "On
the road they trust to the engineer At
sea they trust TO the captain. They never
think how easy IL is for switchman to
throw two trains together; never realize
that by the simple turning of a little
wheel in the boiler room the largest ship
may be blown to atomsl All, the sublime
faithfulness of subordinates is the one
thing that makes me believein heaven
I have often said that if had my way.
would rather see two trains, each going
fifty miles an hour, crash together than
witness any other sight ON earth Ye
gods What a grand spectacular effect!
How easy it would be to do it, too. Did
you ever allow yourself to think of such
thing?'
mot often, Danton replied. 81 don't
think it wise to let the mind dwell too
much on such things"
He was becoming interested in the re-
marks of the reporter and the rest Of the
audience-Mrs. Danton, Miss Margaret
and 'Bob'-were content to hear any
thing the stranger had to say 1t still
lacked an hour of "Bob's" watch
ITO think of such things may be dam
gerous to a weakminded man, but to one
of strong senses there could be no danger"
continued the young man. "And there I
find additional cause for wonder. Don't
you suppose there are many switchmen
and signalmen on this road who are men
tally weak 1t must be So And when
they read of accidents, and their imagi-
nations are wrought up, | should
think some Of them would 20 crazy
or be so temporarily insane as to
experiment at the expense of the pub
lie and the company. Now 10 there at