The Portland daily press., 1894-03-14
WORRIES OF; A TRAIN DISPATCHER.
A Blunder That Might Have Sacrificed 1
Of L

A Blunder That Might Have Sacrificed a
Number of Lives.
1t was the train dispatcher's turn to
tell story, and this was the one he told:
''I was working on western road in 1880,
and had long night trick. The section
of the road over which I worked was a
big one. 1t was single track road, and
as the traffic was very heavy it kept me
busy all the time.
Zone week in February there was a very
heavy fall of snow, and the trains all got
behind. / was at my wits ends, and one
night-it was Wednesday, Feb. 16, will
never forget that date-I was trying to
handle heavy east bound passenger and
west bound passenger that was fully as
heavy. The east bound train was way be-
hind, and the west bound train had start
ed out on time. gave the engineer of the
west bound train an order to run to a GER
tain station, and when / got report from
the east bound train I ordered that engi-
neer to go to a certain station and run on
siding to allow the other train to pass.
81 was busy with couple of freights
at the time, and when got through and
had time to think it flashed on me that
had given what we call lap order-that
is, the two trains would have to pass each
other on the same track if my instructions
were carried out don't suppose that
would have felt SO bad if I had known
that I was going TO be killed that minute.
The room swan before my eyes, and l
nearly tainted from fright. I took big
drink of water and wired the nearest sta
lions. Both reported that the trains had
left all right. There was stretch of track
Is miles long between the stations, and
sat there knowing that somewhere on that
Is miles those two trains would go togeth
er and / would be the, cause of the deaths
of perhaps a score of persons.
''That was the most awful five minutes
ever expect to pass through. I tried to
think, and I couldn't. My first impulse
was to run away, and I grabbed up my
coat and hat and was about to go. Then
decided would stay and take the con-
sequences. I sat down by my desk and
stared at the clock. Every time the tele-
graph instrument clicked thought it was
bringing tidings of a fearful wreck. I pic
tured to myself the scenes when the two
trains crashed together, as I knew they
must, for there was no way to reach them,
and every Minute seemed like an eternity.
was pale as a ghost and had not the
strength to handle the key. Great drops
of sweat rolled off my forehead. lived a
century ct that desk during that halt
hour.
1.-TWO or three times the impulse to run
away came over me, but | fought it back.
Then began to think of killing myself. |
did not think could live and know that
I had made blunder with such disas-
trous consequences. | looked around for
a pistol, but there was none there. even
picked up my paper cutter and put it to
my throat. My nerve was gone, however,
and l did not have the courage to cut my
throat I prayed that some one would
come in and kill me, but nobody came. l
couldn't sit in my chair, and crouched
down in a heap on the floor, and held my
hands over my ears so that / might not
hear the terrible tidings that sooner or
later, I knew would come over that wire
Gas / was huddled there | heard the
operator at the station from which l sent
the east bound train calling me. sGn'
was his call, and he repeated it dozen
times. Here it comes thought, and by
a supreme effort [ got over to the desk and
tried to answer the man who was calling.
1t took me five minutes to get sufficient
control of my nerves to answer the call.
Then l sank back in my chair and waited
to hear the news of death and destruction.
mo. 49, he wired, meaning the east
bound train, lis backing into the station.
What's up?'
cit seemed as if Pixies peak had been
lifted off my chest. | jumped up and shout
ed like crazy man. 1t happened that the
trains were running slow and had come
across each other on straight piece Of
track, had seen each other and had time
to stop before running into each other |
was given 80 day lay off for the blum
der, but didn't kick. 1t took me all of
that time to get my nerves Strengthened
out. "-B uffalo Express.