The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-15
THE DISPATCHER.

and the very tick of the instrument makes
me shudder"
Thus spoke an old train dispatcher a
short time ago. He is a man who has the
reputation of being one of the best train
dispatchers in the country, and previous
to the accident which he related he had
never made an error. Although the train
men said he could make a closer meeting
point than any other man in the business,
he was considered safe and careful
1t was hard night continued the
dispatcher. "The snow was blowing over
the whole division, and all of the cuts
were drifted full The passenger trains
from the western division were late, and
the time card was of no use. There were
a number of trains moving, and they were
all calling for orders. Collins, the night
trick man, had been doing the best he
could with the situation, and he was
good man, too, but when / came on at
O'Clock in the morning the train sheet
was puzzle. No. 4, the through train
from the coast, was received about mid
night from the west, so that when I came
to work she was pretty well over the dis
trict
She had been laid out number of min
utes meeting a snowplow, which was be-
ing sent west with all possible haste, but
aside from that and few minutes delay
caused by slippery rails, she was nearly
ing west, was, however, over two hours
late, so that when Collins left the trick
he had made no meeting point between
the two passenger trains. When things
are so badly mixed up as they were that
night, a man does not make meeting
points any farther ahead than he is Obliged
to, for many things are liable to occur to
spoil the combination.
81 had been up during the night with
my two babies, who were ill, and my wife
was also sick, so that when I went to
work in the early morning I was pretty
sleepy. 1t was all my fault, I presume,
even though they do say was not tech
nically responsible. As 1 entered the office
Collins was sitting at the desk and from
the manner in which he pulled his pipe I
could tell he had been having all he could
handla AS I busted the snow from my
CLOTHES and put on my office coat Collins
arose from his chair, and after greeting
me and mentioning the storm he said, No
I is just reported past DwightvilIe.' All
right, I answered, not looking to see
whether it had been put on the train sheet.
After explaining few of the orders he
had given Collins put on his overcOat and
cap and went out into the night Seating
myself at the desk, 1 glanced over the train
sheet and figured upon several orders to
be given. I guess 1 had been thinking
about my sick family. I don It know what
a.
my work was not, when called the Oper-
ator at c., and he copied an order max
ing a meeting point at Dwightville be-
tween No. 4 and No. z.
GAS the operator at F., the first night
office the other side of DWightVille, did
not answer sent the order first to c.,
with the intention of later repeating it at
F. then made another meeting point
between the snOwplow and a freight train
rT1 hp nd n my
chair to enjoy a smoke. There was no one
around save the operator in the outer
office, and he was asleep. I called F. sta
ton, but could not raise it. I called
Dwightville, but could not get an answer.
Time was getting short, and grew nerv-
Gus. Presently Dwightville called 'Di,'
and answered, when the instrument con-
veyed to my ears 'Telegraphic accident re-
port
1t struck terror to my heart, and al
most lost my self control. Then followed
the report in all its narrowing details as
best the operator in his nervous haste
could send it. No. 4 had met No. in a
cut east of Dwightville, and as the engi-
neers were running through the cut at full
speed to strike with their own plows any
drift that might have been there the colli-
sion was a terrible one. The engineer and
fireman on the '651' of No. were killed
instantly, while the men on the 1887 of
No. were both badly injured, and the
mail car was overturned and burned with
the postal clerk in it.
my pen fell from my hand I could
not copy, and called the operator, who
could do no better I rang for the call
boy, and sent over to the hotel for the su-
perintendent, and the wrecking outfit
was got out after considerable delay.
He'll itself would have no greater terror
for me than did those moments I stood
as if in a trance, and words can never ex-
press the feeling of horror that came over
me.
1T makes me shudder to relate it, and
shall never get over feeling of guilt that
haunts me day and night. The passengers
were badly shaken up, but none of them
was injured. The thought that 1 had been
responsible for the death of two of my
own friends and acquaintance and by my
carelessness had brought grief to the fam
lily of the postal clerk almost drove me
mad. I left the Office that morning for the
last time. The catastrophe SO unnerved
me that doubt if 1 could even handle a
key now
1.-The accident was a shock to the com
munity. An inquest was held at which
was entirely exonerated of blame, and the
superin tendent requested me to return to
work, but all that does not relieve my
feelings Collins rendered his resignation
the next day, and have lost all trace of
him. You see, he had received the report
over the wire that No 4 had passed
Dwightville, but did not put it on the
train sheet. He told me of the report, and
I forgot it, so that we were both response
BILE for the accident and it's terrible re-
suits. That was one year ago tonight, but
every year shall probably live over again
those terrible morning hours as long as 1
live. Exchange.
Sleep and the Poles.