The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-01
A TRAINMAN'S RISKS
FIGURES WHICH GO TO SHOW THAT
THEY ARE OvERESTIMAIED.

Brake.n~n. and the Old Hands Among
The,.- Are Oftenest vIctims-But the
Statistics Quoted May BE Exceptional.
Benefits From safety Appliances
1t has been estimated. and. in fact,
railroad men frequently make the re-
mark, that the average life of a man
actively engaged in train service is
about seven years In other words, that
they are either crippled up so as TO rem /
der them unfit for service again in a
like capacity or are killed ON an aver /
age in that time 1t has been found by
looking over the records Of one of the
leading railroads entering Louisville
that this is untrue. During three years. 4
on one Of the busiest roads entering the
city, there were only ? killed and I5S
injured, all Of whom were brakomen
except two, and they were freight con-
ductors who had assumed the duty Of
brakemen, one 10y making q coupling
and the other by assisting IN unloading
freight.
1t would seem that inexperienced men
would be most apt to get injured, but 1
the figures show differently, as indicat
ed by the following: Eleven, or 9. SO per
cent of the total number Of trainmen,
were injured during their first year Of I
service; Is. or l2.lG per cent, were in
Jured who had been in the service two |
years; -, or ILL per cent, had been
in the service three years; %, or 10. 35 /
per cent, fonr years; 90, or 20 per cent, /
five years; %, or 21.77 per cent, six /
years; Is, or 8. 63 per cent, seven years. 1
8, or $50 per cent. eight years; 3. or
2.47 per cent, nine years; 5, or 1. l6 per
cent, ten years. and u, or $50 per
cent, over ten years, some Of whom had
been in the service Is, s and % years. |
1t Will be noted that the largest aver
age Of injuries occurred after the en-
ployee had been in service six years,
and the figures given would indicate |
that employees as a general rule are I
careful up 70 the time when they have I.
been in the service three TO four years
and then become more careless until 1
about their eighth year of service, when 1
tho indications show that they again (
become careful, as those who had work 4
ed over ten years have a very small ,
comparative per cent of injuries com
pared with those who had worked six
years With the completion of the equip /
ment of all box cars with automatic !
cOuplers, airbrakes, etc, the liability /
of a trainman being injured will have
been reduced to a minimum, as the rec
ord gOeS TO show that at least twO-thirds
Of the injuries were caused by attempt I
ing TO couple automatic drawbars with ,
a link and pin 10 the cid fashioned 1
solid or skeleton drawbar. which is 4
very dangerous even to the most expe- |
rienced railroad man. Other causes
were on account of uneven drawbars /
some being as much as three inches /
higher than others. All this will be rec /
titled with the law which requires all /
drawbars to te Of a standard height. 4 /
great many trainmen were injured by 4
stepping upon stones OF links in jump /
ing off 10 throw switches, etc, quite a 1
number by being thrown of on account |
of the icy condition of the tops of the /
cars.
4uCIC was OBG Cdct MuCIt a
man was standing near the end of a car /
when another cut of cars struck il. and l
he was thrown from the top of the car |
TO the ground, alighting squarely upon /
his feet and "stoving him up severe /
~, as will be readily understood A 1
few We're compelled to jump from the /
top Of cars in cases of derailment 9th 1
ers had their feet mashed by attempt !
ing 10 shove an automatic drawbar over
few inches to enable ii TO come more /
squarely in contact with the automatic
coupler. This is one of the serious OBJ 1
jections to the automatic drawbar-that /
il viii not couple readily on curve,
and it is necessary fer the trainmen
either TO pull one Of the drawbars over
or shove il over with their feet
One Of the moss general causes Of
pinched fingers was on account Of the
pin failing to drop ali the way down
into the hole when compiling with
link and pin. The brakemen invariably
reach over TO give the pin a start so it
will drop into the hole, when the cars
frequently roll one way or the other
just few inches and catch the pin Just
before it gets all the way down, causing
il 10 tilt hack and catch the fingers be-
tween pin and end sill Of the car.
A few were injured by holding the
grab iron ON the end of the car-recently
added 10 all freight cars by an act Of
congress-and attempting TO make the
coupling when long lumber or bridge
iron would be extending over the end of
the car 10 be coupled to. and catch their
hands between the timber and end of
the car. However, this dangerous meth
cd Of coupling cars together that have
lading projecting over the ends Of them
will soon be a thing Of the past, as il is
becoming general rule for all CON-
panies not 20 permit the loading of cars
IN this manner. Whenever there is long
timber to load the companies require
the use Of two cars instead Of one, as
heretofore.
With the. taking effect Of the new law
compelling railroads 70 have all cars
equipped with automatic drawbars and
have the drawbars CT equal height from
rails, the position Of railroad brakeman
will not be such a hazardous cne.-
Louisville Courier Journal
Desth Grip on a Satchel.
James Whitcomh Riley the srraaf I