The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-11

"a group of railroad men were seated
In Inspector McGinley's office in the
Delaware and Hudson yard. discussing
railroad accidents says the Wilkes
Barre News, when Yardmaster James
Brady said:
"'No, accidents to railroad men are
not nearly so frequent today as they
We're years ago, and the many safety
devices being adopted from day to day
are all for the benefit of the men.
Twenty-Five years ago. in n yard such
as this, accidents would average about
one per week, but at present / am
happy to say we do not have one per
year. Good luck? Yes, and no. Most
Of the boys were done up in the old
days while making couplings. and the
best and most careful of them were
liable to get caught. You see, at that
time there was no uniformity about
bumpers, drawheads or couplings, and
when a fellow stepped in between the
cars to hold link he hadn't the re-
motest idea what he was up against.
The bumpers of one car might be six
inches higher than those of the other,
and when the cars came together the
boxes closed so tight as to prevent the
slipping of Il sheet of paper between
them. If the brakeman who held the
link did not get out in time, you can
readily see what became of him. At
night when men were in a hurry the
danger was greater. Often have seen
the most promising men crushed to a
pulp between the cars, all because the
bumpers rode each other
"'Then there was the difference in
the size. design and location of the
drawheads. Some of them had broad
cavernous mouths, big enough to swal-
low a railroad tie. and others We're
small, narrow things, scarcely large
enough to admit link. Others. again,
were what were called three link
and-hook.' and were all right when
every car was equipped alike. but Were
nasty things to monkey with, when
necessary to couple them to an ordi-
nary 'bull-nose' drawhead. You sec
the big iron hook from which the three
links dangled ran plumb against the
drawhead of the other car when the
two came together. Occasionally the
brakeman had to spend the fraction OF
second working the link into the
drawhead ard usually the delay provet
fatal. Before he could get away his
fingers We're caught between hook ant
drawhead. or, worse still. his arm was
crushed between the bumpers. The ole
Lehigh Valley. Jersey Central an(
Philadelphia and Reading iimmes wer,
equipped with the three-link -and- -hool
coupling. and l can tell you no rail
road man expressed regret when tn
Jimmie was discarded.
The difference in the size of bump
ers often resulted fatally to the rail
roader. One bumper was fourteen
inches high and the other only six
some cars had big bumpers with draw
heads located squarely in the centre
A man who was tall enough to reac'
over the bumper and hold the link fror
the top rarely got caught But the littl
fellow who had to reach from the bot
tom or. worse still. hold the link wit
his arm squarely between the =. bi
blocks. stood poor chance of con
tinuing long in the service. He eithe
got caught by the wheels before h
could get out after holding the lin
from beneath or had his arm crushe
while making the coupling straight ou
from the shoulder
1.-The patent coupler has wonderful
ly reduced the rate Of mortality anon
railroad brakemen, and with improve
ments being made will soon reach tn
minimum. A man rarely has to stan
between cars today to couple them, an
even when such position is necessar,
he knows that bumpers and drawhead
are Of uniform size and riding Is a
most unknown. In the old days on
could scarcely pick up a newspapt
without seeing such headings as Han
Taken on Caught Between BumI
ers.' Squeezed to Death etc, but no
you will notice these are the exception
Railroading Is about the most danger
ous occupation known today, in fact,
Durpasses fighting Spaniards or Fill
pinos. but 1t Is nothing like 1t was
quarter OF a century ago. and
walked away to straighten out a trai
ior Carbondale."