The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-02

the danger they had escaped.
 "A more serious case occurred at a tunnel on the Panhandle. It was a single track tunnel and the officers of the road had perfected scheme by which they thought 1t was impossible for an accident to occur, tower was erected at each end of the tunnel and the two towers were connected by wire. Every train was compelled to come to stop and get orders from the operator before she could enter the tunnel. Neither operator was allowed to let a train enter the tunnel until he had called up the other operator and got from him assurance that the track was clear Jones worked at one end and Smith at the other. Jones could not let a train go into the tunnel until Smith said so, and smith could not let train go in until Jones said so. The only way a wreck could occur was for each man to let a train go in at the same time. Even if both operators were to fall asleep at the same time the system would work, for the train con- ductors going into the towers for or ders would awaken the operators. "One night there was a terrible wreck in the tunnel Two trains had met head on. Several of the crews were badly injured, and I think two died. There was an investigation.
 | "The president of the road himself went to the scene of the wreck, The | two operators were called before him. It was impossible to learn anything about the wreck. Each operator was sure the other had reported the track clear, and could give no explanation of the cause of the wreck. Then the pres- ident said:
 " Now, boys, I will tell you what will do feel sure you know how this happened. If you will tell me I will give you my word that neither of you will be discharged. l thought had a system here that was absolutely safe, and it is of more importance to me to | learn how the wreck occurred than to punish the one who was responsible. l must find out how it happened so that l can take care it does not occur again. l Tell me the truth, and will give yol my word that you will not lose your jobs.
 'Then the two. boys confessed. Dur l ing the long nights they would become sleepy. Sometimes one would fall asleep Then if train came, the other could not get an answer from him. | One night Smith was sleeping soundly and Jones could not get any answer. He did not like to hold the train for fear Smith would lose his job. So he let the train go through. He knew it was perfectly safe for Smith could not l Ia4 ;,. fpo I'm, 1 When the train came out of the tunnel it wakened Smith, and Jones told him what he had done. Then they ar ranged a scheme so they could both sleep. They always kept the red block down so that no train could enter the tunnel while they slept. If one called and received no answer he knew the | other was asleep. and therefore, the track must be clear, and he let the | train in.
 "One night both were sleeping as usual A coal train came to Jones l end of the tunnel. The whistle of the train wakened Jones. He called to Smith. and received no answer. So he knew Smith was sleeping and the tun- nel was clear He asked the conductor to throw him off a little coal for his l fire, as he was entirely out. The con- ductor threw off two OF three Jumps, and the train started into the tunnel. Those few Jumps of coal cost the road thousands of dollars, and believe they cost two men their lives.
 "Jones went outside to pick up the coal as the train pulled out Being outside the tower, the noise of the train drowned that of his instrument, and he did not hear Smith call. A freight l train had come to Smiths end of the tunnel at the exact moment that Jones was picking up the coal. As Smith did not get any answer, he thought, of course, Jones was asleep and the track clear. So he let the freight in. Then the two trains came together in the tunnel.
 "The president of the road kept his word with the boys, but he took them off that tunnel and gave them day jobs, where they were not likely to sleep, and could not do so much damage if they did sleep. Those are but three of l the many stories like them that have come under my personal observation.