The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-05
THE REAR-ESD BRAKEMAN.
Responsibilities a.d Torp<aoes Burden HE
Retros pectIye Hours

After such a collision as that which occurrs.
on the Delaware LackawannH and Western
Railroad on Jan. 10. one hears. much about
the rear-snd brakeman. Indeed the whole
responsibility for this terrible accident which
cost thirteen men their lives. seems to lie be-
tween the rear-end brakeman OF the express
and tho engineer OF the local that followed all
too swiftly Heretofore popular admiration
has been about equally divided between the
conductor with his brass buttons and his tick ct
punch and the grimy. watchiul genius In the
cab. who pulls the lever and makes the wheels
go round. Ii would seem. however that the
modest young man In blue. who stands Idly
gazing out OF the rear window OF tho last car
is also entitled to his share Of tho praise. He
is not lounglng; he is on duty. and his duty is
to watch the approach to the rear with the
same fidelity that the engineer bestows upon
the forward prospect.
Every train Is equipped with Q conductor, a
baggage master. a rear-end brakeman. and q
forward brakeman. Very long trains some
times have also n centre brakeman. The rear
end brakeman has graduated from the lower
orders Of brakeman. He is tho flower OF his
class Henceforth there is no higher honor
for him till he steps out Of the rank of brake
man altogether and becomes a baggage mas
ter. The baggage master is a conductor in
embryo. and on trains Of more than four cars
ne gathers up the tickets In the extra cars
nearest tho baggage car. He is generally lord
OF the smoker.
Therear-end brakeman Is . walking arsenal.
On duty or on. his pockets are filled with deto-
nAtin gitorpedoes. with long flexible lead strips
attached TO fasten them securely 10 the track
These tOTpedoes are nearly as large as a silver
dollar, and the explosive Is contained In half a
dozen caps hidden and protected under mass
OF black wax. lie has half a dozen red flags on
hand and several colored lanterns. All around
the lower part Of the lanterns are hung torpe-
does OF q different sort from those carried in
the pockets. The lantern tOrpsdoes are said
to make less noise than the others
On those roads that do not have the block
system Of signals the rear end brskemans
busy day Is whenever there 10 q fog. 1t is then
his duty, " the train stops between stations. TO
get on with flag and torpsdoes and run back
own train goes on without him. and he has to
Chamber aboard the other train. His place IL
I'M m ediately taken BY the forward brakeman.
aud. II there should be another stop between
stations recurring this brakeman TO drop or.
the baggage master has to eOndescend to the
post Ot rear lookout. There have been times
when the baggage master had TO drop on to
signal the following train In that event the
lone conductor, like the Ancient Mariner. con-
sttutes the whole crew in his own Ierson. aud
max es the remainder Of the trip with one eye
in the rear,
A regular station is always place Of COM
pATAtlNe safety Approaching engineers are
locomotives well In hand. When the tram
stops az regular station theTsfOrs. the rear
end brakeman hurries to the front Of the last |
two adjoining platforms with every appear
Rnce Of disinteTssted gallantTy. He wears = |
PINK In his huttonhols and a smile upon his |
I tRs sSs Gas SI IN 1aSES6s s0
OF responsibility that Is upon his mind or the |
weight Of the torpsdoes that are in his pockets. |