The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-26

scious of important business; a 600-mil
run and a track cleared Of all tn
freight trains, even dlgnified passenger
trains, which must give way. Even tn
stolid trainmen take an interest i
starting these gilt-edged racers on thei
way and the levers that free the tracl
for them settle back to place with
satisfied grunt, as If having done some
thing worth while
after making One Hundred ant
Forty-seventh Street, get in as soon a
you can" is the accepted rule with tn,
roads engineers, but the time of arriva
is apt to be modified by various hap
penings, and the signals along tht
hundred-blocI tunnel are watched
sharply The towermen can count pref.
ty accurately of the workings of then
outbound trains, but with the inbound
1T is another matter, qualified by host
of contingencies, and with the specials
and extra assignments there can be
no invariable rules, and sometimes
even the least used lever of all the 17O
is called into use for an emergency. AT
| times of popular demonstration for in
| stance, when there is rush of visitors
| to the city, there are numerous extra
| trains made UP, extra hands are taken
on, and every combination is worked to
the utmost.
I'VE have to take on extra hands in
all departments when there is a big
drive on, but never any greenhorns go
into the tower" said the Superintend-
ent. There are always old experienced
hands that have been laid off for rest,
I, op ,,.ilI ~ To i,,n
ency, and, again, the best men in the
regular shifts are willing to do double
duty
And is there never an accident" he
was asked. Are there not close shaves
and barely avoided blunders as in
other businesses, when so much hinges
on the accuracy of the employees?"
But he shook his head. 1--WE can't
afford to have accidents" he said
There is too much at stake. Our men
are either perfect or they wont do, and
every few months they are rigidly
examined to be sure that there is no
falling off from the standard Their
physique, memory sense of distance
and proportion, and knowledge of color,
all are tested. One morning some years
ago one of the yard engines climbed up
on the top of a suburban train here in
the yard but very fortunately nobody
was hurt Since then there has been
no trouble.
There are Ats regularly assigned
trains to be cared for each day. The
yard master has been here over twenty
years. He is equal to any emergency,
and has three able helpers in the for
man of the three shifts OF men who
work in the tower. The yard-master' |
plans are never interfered with. He is
told the number of trains to be accomo- |
dated and given an idea of the special |
work that is apt to turn up. Then he |
goes ahead and plans it all out just |
like a fieldmarshal planning a cam
paign. When he has more moves to |
make, he doubles UP his forces and puts |
more watches in the tower
These sWitch-operators are selected |
rom the hundreds of trainmen, bag
sage-men, etc, employed about the
station. No applicant raw from the |
street, or habituated to some other bust
ness, Is ever taken on as SWitchman.
with the yard and with rail-
Dad and engineering matters is a good |
foundation for the tower training, and |
he ambitious employees look forward
O berth in the tower force Just as
he statesmen in a shop look forward to
,eing buyers for their department. The
ower-men are we'll paid, and their po-
tion has the added charm of perman- |
ncy. Although the many employees |
ccustomed to the workings of the yard
pply for the post of switchman, and
nay even begin an apprenticeship at
he task, but few of them are selected
f become experts. The requirements
re not easy to fill, and where an april
ant might possess some of the attri-
utes essential to success. the failure
4 any other particular would render
i'm unavailable. The switchman must
e strong and able to endure fatigue, |
n some of the levers are very heavy
nd are used continuously. With his
trength he must have nimbleness and
retentive memory and, even with
lesesqualities, if he has not presence Of
lind he cannot be trusted for the po-
ton.
The four hours from 1885 A, M. to a:
A. M. are the slack time in the
Then the work lessons to
minimum. The long-distance runners I.
re away on the road, and the yard
comotives and those that pull the local
Id suburban trains have an opportuni-
: to rest before the five o'clock morn =
e rush sets in. Slack as the work is
this night shift, however, it is no
me for beginners at the tower to take !
ssons: for, with vigilance in all other
apartments relaxed, the picket watch