The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-27
TEE POWER BEHIND THE KEY.
The Curtain Before the Mysteries Of The
Train Dispatcher Raised.
HOW THEIR INPOR!aNI WORK IS DONE.
His Mind Must BE Ever on the oui yive-
What H. Has TO Know aud Remember
i Description of How Orders Are
sent and Received Some Rail
road Ncrnacular.

Toe Htatr-,iiiHcrs annunciatlOn horn has
been siprsantcd by the shrin shrek OF
tnc locomotive whistle. The pixies" have
been succeeded by the wcll-graded. rock
ballast rodi-hed. on which Is planted the
magnificent steel rail. over which smooth
j. shdc magnificent coaches. But the
back number stagc-line routes seem
20 more antquatcd in this year 1885. than
the primitive railway equipment and
iacinues. Think OF "a passenger train OF
to-day being hauled by an engine whose
steam IS generated by heat produced from
wood are stopping every few miles 10
il TIE tondcr with pine logs. and replen-
isn TIE tank with water pumped by hand
Imagine ourselves boarding a passenger
c's with rude seats running lengthwisc
oi tire car. with q common iron link-and-
pM-coupler. the old-fashioned mandrake,
stub switchcr. coal-Oii lamps am old wood
stove. no safety cord, To-.1y when we
wish 20 20 on a journey we board an cle-
KANT vcsubuled train, with coaches car
lcttcd ana beautifully upholstered thor
ouehly equipped with an the convent
cnCes comforts. and safety appliances
that can well be conceived Of, and which
SIS whirlcd over a solid and smooth road
bed by mammoth iron horse whose
mechanism seems 10 approximate perfec-
lion itself. Electric lighted steam-heated,
with automatic coupler. air-brakes. and
"a safety cord appliance boy which the con-
ductor can actually stop the train in
fey secondsl
"Oh' bless me. this is pleasant,
Riding on the rail.
soMr DETAILS.
But there are comparatively few per-
sons who travel in this great and ad-
Vanciug age Of Taiiroadins who have
any wcli-ocnucd ideas as TO the details
81 the makeup Of AN these advantages
and comforts further than the realization
that they DO exist. Especially In their
get popular ignorance Of what We may
term the safety CODE in connection
with modern railr0ading-an by the way
Il matter OF more importance than that
OF comfort or convenience. The running
gear Of each coach is minutely inspected
at EACH division terminal. Tho wheels are
all sounded Boy slcdgc hammers. 10 see
N there is any flaw and every precau-
ti0n taken against the possibility OF an
accident through defect in the machinery.
Switch-lamps are provided on all
switches which work automatically, and
when the target IS white, the engineer
D. assured that The switch is duly set 10
the main line II red. then the switch aas
been left 20 the sidc-track by some train
using IT, Thcre are block-station Offices,
and the signals at these when. at safety.
assure the engineer that there is no train
ahead OF him 10 the next block station.
The safety cord Is "A bell rope thar runs
the entire length of the train, and is at
tachcd 10 the air-brake so that in case
OF emergency the conductor can literally
stop the train as well anu as readily as
the engineer. There are track-walkers,
provided with signals-day and night
ever on the lookout for obstruction. The
section foromen inspect their tracks regu-
larly 10 guard against the rails spread
inC. sc. These are bat a very few of The
many precautions taken by our great
railways 10 insure the safety of the tray
cling public.
TIE TRAIN DISPATCHER.
or course fl is generally presumed that
the management has duly provided cfi-
cient trafn-men and the weary passenger
losses himself into issullman berth with
a sense of entire security, and without
a passing thought Of the invisible pro-
toctor and guide who forms such an i'm
portant component part Of the great and
Important "safety-codc." This invisible
power follows the train from mile 10
mlle-from station 10 station-and yet is
never seen. 10 is man, but he IS not
on the train. He speaks TO IL. and often
directs 81. and "a refusal 10 heed his voice
means a calamity-and yet his words are
not heard. Tfc knows where the train is
at al times. what speed &c Is making
provides for its passing opposing trains,
and yet tho conductor, engineer, nor pas
sengers can see him. He follows the
train and is in instantaneous communi-
cation with it. but is fever In sight Of
~ lie follows IT with his mind by means
of the little wire that is strung parallel
with the track. This power and per-
aonage is the train-dispatcher The train
dispatcher's office Is never closed from
one year 10 another. day nor night sun
DAY. Christmas. the GLORIOUS Fourth
IFaa II
Uatcher relieves another at designated
times but the work never ceases-no in
PERMISSION whatever. As there is very
vague idea In the minds Of most people
as 10 the offices of n neutrality-suspicious.
and as 20 the manner OF handling trains
hy Geographic order. The following out
line OF the matter given in n comprehen-
sive manner VIII ennghten the Ignorant
TRAM pIspA1cnNc.
All railways have what they denominate
Cline Tables" which contain the "sched-
ules" or the times for each train at each
station. Trains are designated az first
second third class. and thus on-trains Of
the first class being superior to those Of
the lower classes. those of the second ST.
pcrior TO those Of the third, &c. Tnus
trains avoid each Other according 10
their class But same class trains run IN
each direction. and therefore IL becomes
necessary for trains running in one d.
rction 10 have absolute right OF way over
trains running in the opposite direction
OF same or inferior class. NOW, II all
trains were always on time (an impossl-
bpitv that each reader will recognizel,
they would always meet at the designat-
al N Getting points as per The timetable.
When the ruling train Is late the train
Of inferior right 80 10 must Of necessity,
wait al the designated point on the
other hand the train Of superior right
can proceed. although the train OF infe-
rlor right is not at the timetable meet
ing uoint. But. suppose the train OF in
ferior right Is very late-several hours,
say-it is seen that the inferior right train
is laid out" Just here comes IN the
junction Of the train-dispatcher lie
must watch the trains OH his division.
Keen a record Of each at every telegraph
office. and hy special order which In
such instances supcrscdos the time-ta-
be. advance" the train OF inferior
rirht. and save this great delay. Ana
when we contemplate Tho fact that. es-
..cciaiiv as regards freight trains largely
Tho chief source Of revenue in railroading
--oomparadvely few OF them run on time
table prompt time. u viii at once be con-
oedcd tfst this Office OF the dispatcher Is
rot only a very important one, but ac-
tually an Indispensable one.
HOW orDIHs ARe SENT.
How arc these orders sent and dcliv-
credg Each officer is provided with a num-
Der OF manifold" books and carbon pa