Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-07-19
VERY RISKY RAlLROADING.
Takes Courage to Run Trains Over
Heavy Mountain Grades.

HCdby MVuue0tu o0Oos
Zone of the greatest difficulties of
the real mountain roads, like the Col
orado Midland, the Rio Grande West
ern, and the Denver and Rio Grande Is
in getting engineers" said Charles A.
Davidson, city passenger agent OF the
Rio Grande Western road, this morn
ing, Mr.. Davidson is familiar with all
the intermountain roads, where the
trains have to all but fly to reach some
OF their destinations.
''One might suppose that all roads
would look alike to the expesienced en-
gineer, but they don't. Along some
of the prairie roads an engineer can
take run on any new track almost as
we'll as on one he has travelled for years,
and knows with his eyes shut. But
here in the West it is different. Down
In Colorado, where are some of the
greatest monuments to the railroad
builder that have ever been erected,
an engineer has to travel over the roads
sometimes for weeks with old, expert
enced engineers, who know the track,
before he will be trusted with train.
1t isn t question of engineering abil-
ity; merely one of experience.
''It is enough to take fellow s nerve
to sweep around some of those noun
tain curves and passes for the first time.
Some good men never take more than
their first ride. I have seen engineers
come from the East, men of gilt edge
character and ability, who lost their
nerve with the first trip and took the
first train for flatter country. Dir
zy reverse curves, trestles that seem to
totter in the wind, precipices that
seem to yaWn for fellows life, and
grades that are revelation of borrow
to the newcomer, crowd in bewilder-
ing confusion on the view, and unless
a fellow is stolid as an OK, or nervy as
the devil, be is apt to lose his head.
"You would besurprised at the num-
ber of young engineers who are on the
mountain roads. For one thing, a
man does not last there as be does on a
less picturesque, more prosaic run. 1t
takes youth and strength and courage
of rare order to stand it at all. The
companies are the most appreciative
in the world, for they realize how hard
it is to get good man, and they treat
good man right Loyalty. But even
this does not attract surplus of the
right sort.
''The principal dangers are in the
heavy grades and in the sharp curves,
though landslides are far from un-
known. One must know his train and
and his road like book to get through
with his life on the Marshall Pass, for
instance, where you seem to plunge
headlong down the mighty hill. A
rock on the track, broken wheel, a
runaway car, Or failure of the brakes
to work, would end in smash up that
would startle the whole country. The
hill might be glare of ice or frost; it
might be wet or snowy, and If you set
the air brake too hard, SO as to start
the wheels to sliding, down the hillyou
60 like gigantic tobaggan. with death
and destruction at the end of the ride.
The management of the air brake, and
knowing where the curves and danger
GUS places are, is the greatest part of
an engineers education in the noun
tains.
"For my own part. knowing the dan
gers as I do, 1 feel nervous after riding
a hundred miles over the widest parts
of the roads, even as passenger. l
rode through the Royal Gorge on the
engine few weeks ago, and was glad
when the ride was oyer. 1t makes a
fellow feel .trem mbly-like to think what
might be, though the worst rarely hap
pens. Such is the care taken in equip
ment and in getting the best men that
the mountain roads have as small a
proportion of losses as the deadlevel
roads of the plains. But it takes a
man of nerve to pilot train through
some of the wilder regions.
"a freight train is the worst, in that
it is much heavier than a passenger,
and is expected to make almost the
same time. All the heavy stock trains
going east, twenty-five to thirty cars,
make passenger schedule. A freight is
SO loosely occupied as to be very un-
manageable at critical points. The
stock trains are the terror of the en-
CINE drivers and all the train men.
"A fellow isn't necessarily coward
when he throws up his job as engineer
over the mountain roads, after seeing
what the dangers are. Not one pass
enger in 10000 would assume the same
danger The position calls for absO.
lutely steady nerve, and one who feels
that he is likely to get ratified is dan
gerous to himself, to the company, and
to all who ride behind him. A man
| must think and act like lightning il
the face Of so many dangers that ht
| must be sure of his ability to StanC
! the strain. No one stays any great
snumber of years. 1t is beyond one''
power to do SO. and be safe. A mai
may be brave and willing and all that
but these are not enough. He mus
be sure, and proof against stampede
Such man is worth rything to tn,
companies, and they treat him like ,
prince. Butte Inter Mountain.
&c. c. c." on Every Tablet.
Every tablet of Cascarets Cand,
Cathartic bears the famous c. c. c
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