The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-24
From the Chicago Times. Herald,

From the Chicago Times Herald.
John Barry, an Engiishman OF
wealth. found himself IN New YORK
city early last June. desirous of reach
ing San Francisco in three days. lt
was imperative that he should make
steamship connections at the Golden
Gate the night of June 10, and this was
the morning of June Z. Regular rail-
way travel between New York city ana
san Francisco Is rapid in these days.
but not as fast as MIR. Barry desired to
travel. He made inquiry at the New
York Central. Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western, Pennsylvania and var
ious other offices, and ascertained that
il he chose to pay for II he could en-
gage "A special train which, barring eX-
traordinary accident. would bring him
to the Pacific Ocean within the desired
tir,r. After some financial transactions
not necessary to mention here, Mr..
Barry WAS provided with u train con
.istinS of an engine. u baggage ear,
diner and sleeping ear. and left New
York at o'clock the afternoon of June
=, over the Delaware. l.ackawanna ana
Western railway for Buffalo; thence ha
was to be whirled to Chicago via the
Lake Shore. he delivered 10 the Chicago
and Northwestern for carriage to
Omaha. and by it be given to the
Union Pacific. and at Ogden to the
Central Pacific for safe conduct to San
Francisco. H made the journey
within the prescribed time, often t av-
cling at the rate Of sixty and seventy
miles an hour. He crossed over 2j,'O0
switch points. several thousand inter.
locking systems. by innumerable signal
tower and semaphores, and at no time
was in as great peril of his life as he
would be in making an ordinary street
crossing in a crowded city.
PROTECTING HUMAN LIFE.
This imagined story of Mr. Barrys
trip is used for the purpose of telling
the greater story of how American
railways protect human life in tht Sc
days of rapid transit. A pubic i'm
preston existed for a long time that
railway corporations had no particular
objection to taking human life. But
granted that the railways have man,
faults which might be corrected, in
vestigation leaves no doubt that from
president to fireman of the speeding
locomotive there Is a constant, strenu-
Gus effort to save life and avoid ac-
cidents. Draw upon your imagination
long enough to be either in the Grand
Central station of the New York Cen
tral or at the Hoboken station of the
Lackawanna road. A train has been
made up for it's journey westward. The
engine is coupled to the heavy sleep
ers and parlOr cars. The engineer and
fireman are examining all the exposed
parts of their machine. An inspector
is looking after the condition Of the
wheels of the cars. Another is exam
lining the air apparatus. Outside of the
train shed track walkers are going
down the main line looking after
switchboards, the condition of spikes
rails and ties. The train dispatcher
sits in his room watching a chart which
shows him the location of every mov-
ing car on the entire system. He gives
few orders and the track is ready for
the limited, which is about to leave for
the West. Corporate wealth, corporate
ingenuity, corporate necessity have pro-
Nided against every kind Ct an acci-
dent possible. barring Il flaw in ma
terial and the weakness Of human ma
ture itself These two contingencies
cannot be guarded against.
IN THE OI4DEN TINE.
Contrast this starting of a modern
railway train on IA journey from New
York to San Francisco with the start,
ing of IL railway train thirty or fit y
years ago, either from New York /,
Albany, or from Chicago to Elgin. The,
say that in the old days old Commodar
Vanderbilt was wont to take a lanter!
In his hand and go out on the roaG
bed of thc, ancient Harlem and Hudgo:
Road arl give the proper signals
which two trains could safely pass.
On the Ga!enr division Of what
now the Chicago and Northwester
road the great peril Of travel was COW
and young calves which made the trac
their resting place or often inserte,
their legs through culverts and u!
there and beloved until either release
~ run down. One of the trials of early
conductors and brakemen was the stop
Ding of the train and chasing cattle of