St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-08
DON'T LOOK FOR n.
There Ia no sSafest Carr On . Railr0a
Train.

OON eOON VO0 uVs
There Ia mo- .safest Car. on . Railroad
Train.
switch is the safest car on a rail.
road train?" repeated an old Detroit
railroad man, as he stroxed his chin
and seemed to reflect on the query.
Well, the best answer can make is
that it is the car which doesn't run of
the rails when all others do, and
which is left ON the bank when the
rest of the train goes through q
bridge"
you've travelled thousands of miles
by rail?'
"Yes; tens of thousands
"And been in half . dozen acci.
dents?"
I've been in exactly seventeen rail.
road accidents, but some of them were
hardly worth mentioning"
''And do you locate yourself in any
particular part Of the train?"
mo. When l first began travelling
I wouldn't ride in any coach but the
rear one. I had about two dozen
reasons why that was the safest car.
and for six or eight weeks I went roll
ing over the country feeling rs safe as
If in my own brick house. One
night we lost too much time Mt a
station and special overhauled us and
smashed into the rear coach. You'll
think it funny. but out of sixteen peO-
pie in that car was the only one badly
hurt. had a leg and two ribs broken
and covered with bruises. When was
able to be out again went dead back
on the rear car
'And took the next one to the
smoker. eh?'
That's what did. A dozen differ
ent railroad men had a dozen reasons
apiece why that was the safest place.
and for three or four months rode in
that car and laughed at the chaps who
carried insurance policies. Then my
fond dream of saf fety was rudely shat
tered. The engine, baggage and smok-
ing cars passed over a certain switch
while running ut the rate OF forty
miles an hour, but the forward trucks
Of my car caught somewhere and the
car was twisted out of the train. Yes.
sir, it was torn loose at both ends and
rolled down an embankment, and not
another car left the rails. We had two
killed and a dozen hurt. but I got OF
the car with bad shaking up. My con-
fidence in the first car was gone. how
ever. never to be restored"
''And then you took the middle of
the train?"
II did. my son. Yes. sat down and
reasoned it out to my perfect satisfac-
ton that the middle car of the train
was as safe as sitting on the post Office
steps in Detroit. 1t was about a year
before anything happened to unde-
ceive me. One afternoon, when we
were dusting along to make up lost
time, we crossed the tracks of another
road Just few seconds too soon or too
late. Just as you will have it. An ex-
press train on the other road came
booming along and waded right
through us. 1t struck my car, OF
course, and what was left of it after
the grand smash couldn't have been
worked over into wheelbarrow. Five
killed was the record, and got bro
ken arm, a scalp wound and general
bad shaking up.
''And after thatTe
After that and mp to the present
date have nc choice. ! drop into a
seat wherever can find one and don't
worry about accidents. I've known a
whole train except the last coach to GO
through bridge. and I've known every
car but the last to pass safely over. In
a head-On collision the forward coach
may he smashed to splinters or it may
rear up on end and escape all injury.
was on train once where locomotive
| struck the rear car. rolled it aside with
out serious injury to anybody. and then
killed or wounded every passenger in
the next coach. The man who goes
hunting for the safest car on a train
is throwing away his time. He may
take any car and travel for ten years
and never even he delayed by hot
box: or he may settle down in the car
| of his choice and be killed in a ride Of
ten miles. once saw Twenty-Five peo.
pie smashed to a pulp in \ coach. and
vet two fellows who were stealing a
ride on the trucks underneath got on
scot-free. just buy first class ticket,
get aboard before the train goes and
leave the rest to providence. II you
win it's all right: if You lose your Eeirs
can get from three thousand to ter
thousand dollars damages from the
| cOmpanv, Free Press.