Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-03
TILE DISPATCHER.


pntcher, and handled a trick for many
years, but since one year ago tonight l
have not been inside Of telegraph Office,
and tho very tick Of tho instrument makes
me shuddcr"
short time ago. IIc IL II man who has tho
reputation Of being ono of tbs best train
uispntchers In the country, and previous
to the accident which he related ho had
never made an error. Although the train
men said he could mako Il closer meeting
point than any other man In tho business
he WIS considered safe and cnrcful
1T was u hard night" continued tho
dispatcher. "Tho SHOW WIS blowing over
the whole division, and all OF tho cuts
were driftcd full. Tho passenger trims
from tho western division were late, and
the time card was Of no uso. There wcro
number of trains moving, ind they were
MI calling for orders. Collins, tho night
trick man, had been doing tho best ho
could with the situation, md no was "a
good man, too, hut when came OH ut
O'Clock in the morning the train sheet
was puzzle. No. 1, the through train
from the coast, WAS received about mid
night from tho west, SO that when emo
to work She WAS pretty well over the dis
trict
She had been laid out number Of min
utes meeting u snowplow, which was be-
ing sent west with nll possible hnstc, but
aside from that and II few minutes delay
caused by slippery rails, she was nearly
on timo. No. z, the midnight express, go
ing west, was. however, over two hours
late, so that when Collins left the trick
lc had made no meeting point between
tho two passenger trains Whom things
nre So bndly mixed up MS they were that
night, man does not make meeting
points any farther ahead than he is obliged
to, for many things arc Liable to occur to
spoil the combination.
II Ind been UP during tho night with
my two babies, who were i'll, and my wife
was also sick, SO that when l went To
work in the early morning was pretty
sleepy. 1t was all my fault, presume,
even though thcy do say was not tech
nlcaily responsible. AS ] entered the office
Collins WAS sitting ut The desk, aud from
the manner in which he pulled his pipu
could tell le had been having all he could
handle AS busted the snow from my
clothes and put on my oilicc coat Collins
arose from his chair, and after greeting
me and mentioning the storm he said, No
is just reported rnst Dwghtvilln. All
right, l answered, not looking to SEQ
whether 1t had been put OH the train sheet
After explaining Il few Of the orders he
had given Collins put Oh his orercont and
cup ana wont out into tho night Seating
myself ut tho desk, glanced over tho train
sheet and figured upon several orders to
be given | guess had been thinking
about my sick family. don't know whit
else could have been In my mind, certainly
my work was NOT, when called the oper-
htor mt O., and he copied an order mnk
nsP n ~. Ne. IA, al. l..
tween No. ana No. Z.
AS the operator mt f., tho first night
office tho other side Of Dwishtvillc did
not answer sent the order first to c.,
with the intention of later repeating it ut
L. then made another meeting point
between the snowplow and II freight train
Oh tho west end and settled back in my
chair to enjoy II smoke There was no ono
around Save tho operator III the outer
Office, and ho was asleep. called f. sta
ton, but could not rniso it. called
Dwightville, but could not get III answer
Timo was getting short, and grew merry
Gus. Presently Dwightvilln called ID,
ana answered. when the instrument con
veyod to my ears trclcgraphio accident re-
port
Is struck terror to my heart, and al
most lost my solf control. Then followed
the report III all it's narrowing details ms
best the operator In his nervous haste
could send 1t. No. 1 had met No z In u
cut cast of Dwightvillc, and as tho engi-
ncers wcrc running through the cut Mt full
speed to strike with their own plows any
drift that might have bccn there the COLI
sion was u terrible ono. Tho engineer and
fireman on the COL of No wero killed
instantly, whilo the men on tho '237' of
No. were both badly injured, and the
mail car was overturned and burned with
tho postal clerk in it.
My pen fell from my hnnd. could
not copy, nnd l called the operator, who
could do no better. rang for tho Gull
boy, and sonG over to the hotel for tho SUI
pcrintcndcnt, and tho wrccking outfit
was got out inter considerable delay
Hell itself would have no greater terror
for mo than did those moments stood
as II III Il trance, and words can mover cx-
press tho feeling of horror that cunlo over
me.
1T makes me shuddcr to relate 1t, and l
shall never get over feeling Of guilt that
hnunts mo day and night The passengers
wcro badly shaken up. but mono of them
was injured. The thought that | had been
responsible for tho death Of two of my
own friends and ncqnulntnnces and by my
cnrclcssness had brought grief to tho fam
@tS VI eho IoStai CIcTK aIIttoaC uTOSD mo
mud. left tho Office thRt morning for tho
last timo. Tho catastrophe SO unncrvcd
mo that doubt If | could even handle a
key now.
Tho accident was shock to tho COM
munity. An inquest was held Mt which
WIS entirely eNoncrntcd of blame, and tho
superintendent requested mo to return to
work, but MI that does not relieve my
! feelings. Collins rendered his resignation
tho next day, and have lost nll truce Of
him. You SEQ, he had received tho report
over the wire that No. had pissed
| DwiRhtyille, but did not put 1t on tho
train sheet. Ilo told me Of tho report, and
forgot it, so that we were both RESPONSE
bio for tho accident and its terrible re.
suits That wns one year ago tonight but
ovory year shall probably live over again
those terriblo morning hours Us long as I
No,