The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-08-05
THE TRAIN DISPATCHER.
INTO HIS HANDS ARE GIVEN
THE MOST IMPORTANT
DUTIES.

LIE MU0G lMEURHANE
DUTIES.
/ A Mistake Made by Him Might
Have Horrifying Results.
N. Y. Dispatch.
The train dispatcher, says the De-
triot Free Press, is an important func-
tionary OF railroad. Everybody knows
all about the conductor and the engin-
eer, of whom so much has been written,
and who are supposed to be the ones in
whose hands they trust their lives when
they enter railway coach. But the
train dispatcher is seldom heard of un-
less he makes a mistake in his orders
to trains, and has collision resulting
in the death OF several passengers. All
train dispatchers are necessarily teIe-
graph operators, and the position
is filled from the ranks of the operators
on the line as their capabilities for in
creased responsibilities indicate their
fitness for position in the dispatcher's
office where they will "copy" train
orders as sent on the wire by the train
dispatcher, and underscore each word
in the order as it is repeated back by
the operators at stations where trains
addressed receive the order. After the
operator has filled this position four or
five years and demonstrates that he has
| ability and GOODNESS and nerye to meet
all emergencies and acts promptly in
case Of accidents, he is promoted to the
position OF 'sextra" dispatcher and
works in the absence Of the regular dis
patchers until vacancy occurs in the
force, when he is appointed to the reg
ular staff.
The working hours of the dispatchers
are divided into "tricks" of eight hours,
the first "trick" being from a. m.
until 4 p. m. That the dispatcher may
know where each train on his division
i is every moment of the time he is on
duty he has before him a chart called a
"train Sheet" which is about four feet
long and eighteen inches wide, upon
which, in the centre, are printed the
stations OF the division. The list of
stations on the train sheet is the divid-
ing line for trains in opposite dlrec-
tions that Is, the west bound trains
are kept on the right hand, and the
east bound trains on the left hand side
of the sheet, and as many perpendicular
lines are ruled ON either side of the
sheet as are required to provide space
for every train or light engine running
over the division. No train can leave
terminal OF the division without first
reporting to the dispatcher for orders
and when train is to be started the
operator at the terminal calls the dis
patcher and says: "No. AZ, engine SIS,
Engineer Smith, Conductor Jones, has
IS loads and IL empties." This IN
formation is recorded at the top of the
train sheet in the spaces provided for
it, and it any orders are necessary the
dispatcher will send them at ouce, if
there are no orders to be given he di-
rects the operator to give the conductor
clearance card" stating thereon that
there are no orders for his train.
Trains upon division are numbered
with odd numbers for east bound, and
even numbers for west bound trains. or
vice versa, and, therefore, trains start
ing out from the eastern terminal begin
their run at the bottom of the dispatch
er's train sheet, while the west bound
trains start from the top of the sheet.
Each operator at the stations on the
division reports to the dispatcher the
time OF arrival and departure or the
time train passes bis station and the
time is recorded on the sheet by the
dispatcher, and as they progress over
the division he can readily note that
they are approaching each other and
that he must provide passing or meet
ing point for them, and to do this he
must be familiar with the topography
of his division as regards grades and
stretches of track where fast time can
be made, and he must be able to figure
to the fraction of a minute how long it
will take train to run a certain num-
Der of miles to meet another train with
out delaying itself or the opposing
train.
Trains on the time table are classl-
fed with regard to their priority of
rights to the track, trains of the first
class being superior to those of the Sc
cond and all succeeding classes of trains.
Trains IN specified direction haye the
right of track over trains of the same or
inferior class running in the opposite
direction. An inferior class train due
to meet superior class train at GER