The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-17
WHEN TINT pRtND1Nr TRAVELS.

cling row monafths IN Europe hav,
lrtatrf cafo eNefoiaod with respect I'd
their Journeys n IN not w the MATURE
Iuf tuadyinn ~ greatness, bat because
the dratt ~ our President, irrespective
~ his personality. would be- y great
national calamity First ~ AL, says
Mr. wosi. the percentage ~ possibility
" accident ~ reduced 90 n minimum
In the selection Of cars for the presi-
dents train New coaches, which have
iust loft the shop. are preferred. Ashes.
wheels springs. Journals. brakes. coup
ilngs-in fact. all ~ the important
factors IN the makeup Of trnin-nrc
carefully examined and tested before
being allowed 10 depart with their pre-
clous human freight. The engine Sc
icrtod Is the best In the service. and
IL run by the most reliable engineer
In each division OF the road, the man
upon whom the company can rely for
the exercise OF caution and % the best
Judgment In time Of emergency. In no
case. however Is h. allowed TO bear
alone the responsibilities Of his import
ant position. on the opposite side OF
the cab sits a man less grimy, perhaps.
and without overals He is the road
foreman OF the division Neither the
engineer nor the road foreman speaks
TO the other as the train rolls swiftly
along. Their eyes are on the long line
of steel rails that stretches away into
the distance, but they are thinking of
the smooth faced, dark-eyed man Hho
| Is In the rear car. smiling and convers-
| ing with his friends, and in whom all
the greatness of the Republic is per-
sonified. They Feel their heavy respon-
f,.l, 90 i.f
when the end of their division is reach
ed"
AS the train glides from division to
division, says Mr.. West, quiet men,
who seem to know no one except the
conductors and other train men. slip
into some vacant seat in a sleeping car
or sit and smoke in the combination
car. Just behind the engine. They chat
with each other occasionally glancing
at their watches. and are always alert
They are the division superintendent
masters of transportation or others
high in authority. Suppose" said Mr.
West to one of these officials while rid
ing on a Presidential train, that some
evil disposed person should displace a
rail for the purpose of killing the Presi-
dent?"
| "Any attempt to wreck this train,
with designs upon the life of the Presi-
dent" was the emphatic reply. would
| have to be carried into execution in less
|than five minutes. Just before we left
| the last station an engine, with two
men in the cab, slipped out on the main
track, and Is now just ahead of the
Presidential train If any body has dis
placed a rail, or set fire to bridge, or
opened a switch. the engine ahead will
| feel the blow. 1t is our picket line.
Between the passing of that engine
over the track and the coming of the
| Presidential train there is not time
enough for anybody to displace a rail"
When asked If the track was kept
! clear of other trains in order to prevent
collisions. the official responded: ooh.
no. We can guard against collisions
| We cannot, however, prevent the
breaking down of some old freight car
| 1t would be just our luck, If freight
were moving, to have a car jump the
track. or something else happen to-
blockade the track and delay this train.
1--WE could not afford to have the Presi-
dent kept waiting in the woods for
four or five hours. The safest way is
the best way. so at present all our
trains are on sidings."
Furthermore, an engine follows the
Presidential train in order to have
power at hand in case anything went
wrong with the Presidential locomotive.
And, usually, the railroads keep man
at every bridge, switch and tunnel un-
til the Presidential train has passed.
SO the line Is virtually picketed from
end to end, and the possibility of ac-
cident is reduced to the minimum.
L.. 4
Presidential train bears at least one au
tocrat before whom everybody must
bow. 1t is the chef who presides over
the private dining car, and his import |
ance is illustrated by two incidents
which Mr.. West recounts as follows:
ION the way to the Nashville exposi- |
lton the chef cooked a mess of trout |
with such perfect skill that he was
summoned to the Executives presence
for deserved commentator. When the |
message was conveyed to the chef. the
answer was as unexpected as 1t was
firm. II the President wants me- he |
said. surveying his little kingdom of
pots and pans, ne can find me here
And there It might be added, the chef |
remained.
THE other incident occurred at Chat |
tanooga. The train was to start at 2 !
o'clock on Monday morning. the Presi- |
dent desiring to avoid Sunday travel, !
but the night was so unbearably hot
that the President sanctioned the NOV
ing of the train at 10 o'clock Sunday |
night to a suburb about eight miles
from the city. Everybody was on board |
except the chef, That Independent and /
Indispensable gentleman appeared at
2 o'clock in the morning, according to
the original schedule time, Imagine
his surprise when he found an engine
ard coach in waiting for him. He rode
in solitary dignity out to the suburb
and was then transferred to the Presi-
dents car. 1T is the first time I ever
knew of special train being run for a
cook said the superintendent of this
road with disgust In his voice, as he