Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-03

amazing rapidly with which a rear f1sgman
on Wen curved road will reappear AFTER
tne whistle has sounded for his return ~
he miscalculated the distance and ~ -. -
Is shppery and on a down grade-condiftons
Whlch produced a serious accident IN Ohio
last year-the-e VIII not be space enough to
STOP the on-coming train. IL the tra,n
which is delayed is to move in an instan,
me temptation is strong not to go back az
ah-the cause OF the Massachusetts acrs-
oent about four months ago. IL the co.
man forgets his torpedoes or they are nm
noucec. the delayed train may be struck NV
the one approaching after he has been
called In, and before his train starts The
finances are endless and nearly every COL
n Ih gives new combination of the con-
ultions which bring death and disaster II a
lea1 nagman fails TO do his work correctly
ana promptly.
The Rear Flagman.
Even when he does his work correctly.
'he rear hagman is unexpected. Men see
Mna' they are looking for Engineers are
out men. They are not machines. For a
oioch signal, passed on every run. the en-
sineer fireman is watching But for the I'M
expected and accidental fagman. with m
lantern or flag in his hand and an anxious
uesi'e not to be left by his own train in his
nearI the engineer is not watching and in
me nature Of things cannot be- In the
taehehsack accident the approaching en-
s,nser missed seeing the fiagman as ne was
sooo intent I'm his heart and the engineer
Me-. MS engine going with a disastrous re-
ssi- ne American managers of railroads
49, oecone SO welded to this Anticipated
ssstem that IL was only at thei- recent
nIeetnng IN New York that steps were taken
.YAns 70 the general adoption OF block
iS , rules In other words, the general
,uies IN use on a majority of the roads
nave made no proyision htfbe-to for enx-.
elIius out the rear fiagman as a protection
o east rear end collisions-the most fire.
6eent ana fatal of all This is in part be-
cause the block system is costly: but where
erains are moved by teleg-aphic orders-and
I,Iost american lines are-the additional
eost OF moving trains from block 10 block
- not great, and the gain to safety is out
OF al proportion TO the increa sed cost
me very large increase I'm collisions last
ear on lines running out OF Chicago shows
to, qulchg The American system OF NOV
a bsAhs' IN implicit reliance on the rear
nasHah. Is swamped when traffic Increases ,
hesIsiatNe interference with railroad man.
aeeiheht Is not. ordinarily, wise but re-
biant eo o,,ns strongly suggest that the
, n.oeh system should be required on an
traffic :, = >- PeA VI
There are few things I'm which railroad
men are Wliling 10 look TO England for adj
VICE or Information, but the Hackepsack
hvrror should suggest the advisability of
aoopthg some OF the measures I'm vogue
anon .ne numerous suburban roads which
carry the people in and out of London every
day have studied the English railway
system, and next TO the block-signsl svs-
I'm 1 tlnk IL Is the best in use. The
IiacHehsack accident was due, primarily to
the log. The London roads are operated an
least eight months out of the twelve I'm foQs
.hat are even more dense and impenetrabie
IMAM that which covered the Jersey rnea
COWS at the time OF the accident Vet
rear-end collisions. or collisions of any
sort ON the lines running out Of London
nave been unknown in recent years. In
America the theory seems to be that
wherever mechanism can be substituted Tor
men the safety of the travelling public il
assured On the London roads the reverse
OF TINS seems 10 be the rule. Labor is far
cheaper in England than here and The
number OF employees on the railroads is far
greater than IN this country The tracks
IN me vicinity OF the great metropolis are
literally alive with men for ten miles out
OF the city in every direction. They have
log horns. bells. and torpedoes, and the
men, by means Of telegraph stations are in
close communica ton with one another all
along the line. The trains run al a high
rate or speed, but they are under the con-
slant supervision of the trackmen.
Now, L don't want You to take from
what have said that 1 do not sympathize
with the train employees. especially those
who have been the direct cause Of wrecks
IL Is the system that permits them TO make
doubt the poor rear flasmsn. or the engi-
neer. whichever was the direct cause OF the
Hackensack accident have suffered I'm full
penalty already.
fersom0l experience
Il know what il is to live year in a few
minutes. When 1 was a mere boy 1 went
out as a freight brakeman. Ii was on a
singie-track road. The engine Of our train
one night broke down through some hitch
in the steam pipes. We were making for q
siding five miles away TO clear the fast New
York express. The engineer Immediately
sounded the whistle for the 1agman to 20
back and protect his train. As was walk
ing toward the caboose 10 warm I'D, the
conductor came running toward me and
called out Tor me TO get the lamps and 20
back, as the regular fagman was very sick
in the caboose.
The night was what We railroad men
used TO call 'scorcher.' Sleet and rain
vas coming down in Sheets the wind was
blowing gale and appeared to 20 right
through a man. Couple TO this a pitch
dark night and YOU have the state of
Things L had to face on my first experience
as nagman. In a minute I had hold of
the lamps and was stumbling back toward
the oncoming express. 1 muet have walked
a mile when 1 came across a watch house
that was occupied during the day. but
was now closed and dark I was nearly
frozen and decided to 20 inside and warm
up II such a thing was possible. Sitting
the lamp on the end Of the tie kicked
tne door open and proceeded to make iire
THE wind was blowing north toward the
oncoming express and Il crept up on me
WITHOUT warning sound liz was within
% yards of me when first heard it's thun-
derous noise. Then I dashed for my Ian
tern That same feeling comes back to me
now that i experienced when found the
lantern had been blown OF the tie and was
extfnguished. My heart seemed TO stop
beating and i gasped for breath. I hardly
nad time TO grasp my hat and swing IL in
the air before the train dashed by. 1 knew
my signal had not been seen. as was on
the freman's side of the engine and that
worthy was in the tender shoveling In coal
with a will
Il watched the rear lights of the express
disappear around the curve a short dis
lance below me and then gathered up my
lantern. lit IL and started after the train.
My feet appeared 10 weigh a ton and with
every step expected to hear that thrilling
call for brakes from the express trains
locomotive. But it didn't come
The freight engine had been repaired in
shorter time than was expected. the en-
gfneer had blown his engines whistle call
ing me back, but the tremendous wind had
prevented me hearing the sound. They had
pulled onto the siding without me and
thereby saved a horrible wreck. / had TO
walk five miles Before L reached a place OF
shelter at the next station, but i didn't
mind the weather a bit. 1 took the walk
as a punishment. That lesson was a hard
one to me. the exposure put me in bed
for six weeks, but for twenty years after
ward railroaded without an accident.
man never forgets a nerve shock like that
and for that reason / would never dis
charge an employe who has caused
wreck. His fatal blunder viii be stamped