The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-12
N A SWITCH TOWER.
,rw Works. GREAT NET
10" of RAILS IS MANAGED.

VANS Eye VI D..
-+h the necessary room at COM
Eve .be proper systematizing of mat
'i- me terminal station of big rail-
,.ves the ingenuity of the officials.
a' is the case at the Grand Central
l'- fr New York city, the station yard
an - within narrow limits, the prob
s,,ornes extremely difficult.
is probably no spot in the city
lN.' +bsre is so much concentrated en-
.o1tinually being exercised as in the
~ tower of the station yard There
~, switch levers, ranged side by side
che middle of the tower floor, COM
ding the interlaced patchwork of
4 =, that surrounds the tower. Add
4 ~ sraee would be a boon TO the yard
-..r and his aids. Even so much as a
lie width of ground on either side
NJ greatly facilitate matters. AS 1t is,
our 1p thsre is much business beyond the
vi" --, assigned trains, the yardmaster
Il - +akes counsel with his lever work
4 and adds a new combination to the
LII lengthy list of combinations con-
81 .,ad in the station text book.
a This is lust a brief summary of what
s. =. men have TO know before they begin
4 l-,,,ire in the tower" said the station su-
4 .-rtAndent recently, handing a thick
Il ..lou,-paged pamphlet for the visitors
& o.nsction, There are S31 combine lions
- all referring to the locks and checks,
4 rit,bes and signals, controlled by the lev
T. our best tower men know these com
*t5rations by heart. They know them so
,rs1 indeed. that if there is one bit of
Asckle or apparatus not being worked for
8ouu is worth, they can suggest new
s.rrce to the yardmaster when he has
i lne special demand to meet. The tower
nan are all picked workmen. They ar
sriys at the position after long apprentice
i hin and once there, if their work gives
Satisfaction, they stay for years"
A Huge Instrument.
4 The men manipulating the long-hand,ed
egsrs give the impression of Playing on
Zone huge instrument, the keyboard of
(Which alone is visible. They pull down
Ri lever here and push up a blue one be-
AoDd. reaching out a hand to snap a third
In place Yellow, black, blue, red; black
Mellow. red. blue back and forth thew
fhange the handles. the performance all
n agreement with the teachings and for
tnulas of that yellow text book.
There is Silence In the tower, except for
he sound Of the mems feet on the bare
foor as they move back and forth in at
tendance on the great instrument, the con-
stantly recurring click, click of the re-
leased levers settling back to place, and
he tinkling of the electric bells in their
,netal reverberators. The round-faced
blocks that are posted at intervals along
she wall on a level with the mems eyes do
hot tick Their entire attention is given
10 telling the time, plainly and clearly, to
HE fraction of a second. These clocks have
tlain faces and big, easily seen hands,
with no flourishes or ornament. The work
ben are of a like pattern. They are strong
] nd muscular as blacksmiths yet their
Movements are quick and alert. The
hens faces look as if they were carefully
Fonsiderng listening to the signaling of
the bells and the sounding of the switch
4 Jocks and complying with orders. The
foreman Of tine gang appears to be gifted
swth the faculty of doing a half-dozen
hhngs at the same time. There are
plunge bells at his elbow, by which he can
signal to a half hundred places out
through the tunnel. There is a megaphone
Nor giving messages to the men in the
.yard below; his own special batch of levers
Il 10 be attended to- and he must keep in
'iouch with the men in the telegraph room
|ct in the small building back of the tow
|G He works eight hours day.
Seen From the Tower.
After being in the switch tower a con-
sierable length of time the various noises
and cckings become distinct. 1t can be
told from the sullen thud or the sharp
click Of a liberated lever whether the iron
tentacles it moves are heavy and far
reaching or merely the throw of a signal
Or the turning of a lock. AS for the
signal bells, each speaks a language of its
lwn. Now one rings long and insistent-
" the same note over and over, tale that
he foreman interprets in rapid chalk
marks on his slate, and answers with his
HaccatO plunge bells Now comes only
short quick tinkle, seemingly hardly
Eorth notcie, but the levers answer it
Tompuy and again there is a strong ring
! the further end of the long room that
lakes the master hand grab up the big
-egaphone and speak hastily to the men
the yard below
"A big train load of scenery up aboveF'
e calls out, then jumps back to his levers
S promptly as possible. A signal a minute
+ two later gives the warning that a fu-
eral special is to be provided for.
All is movement and alertness within the
over where those eight men work hand
yer hand at their pulleys, and look out
)r the business 10 come with almost SUI
erhuman accuracy; but outside, where
ne trains and locomotives are being shift
about at the bidding of the levels, it
equally interesting. The tower windows
ommand a view on all sides; the obserV
T being able to take in only a part of
ne general panorama. Here are two
aims ready to start out a minute apart,
ne engines standing neck to neck like
orses alert for a race, the yardmen
atchlng the signals that will let them
o. UP at the narrow entrance to the
ard waits an inbound train eager to get
ONE, but locked fast until track can
e cleared for it. To the right of the
over an engine is making 1.-THE fy,'' part
" company abruptly with the train 1t
rev and scudding off at tangent while
ne passenger coaches run into the station
deposit their loads of passengers and
dsgdge. Here is a train of cars used for
uourDan travel being backed into the sta
'Vi' only to come out promptly on an
enet track a moment later, and a bright,
t1idessIy kept locomotive comes steam
,1s out OF the round house, where it was
elt TO be turned, coaled and watered. 1t
] s'aS me fresher for its grooming, and
- a noIable contrast to the dingy push
: one Of the plodders of the yard, that
'r, oslng switched to and fro on various
The Gilt-Edged Flyers.
~ me long-distance trains go out, their
'l5 tenders haana6 x.-ith .ofA - -