The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-23


nfty-six pounds 10 the yard. steel rails are
used which weigh sighty-six pounds. You
understand that now a road has the heav-
Test steel rails that can be procured and the
roadbed is made OF stone or gravel ballast.
which gives an engine every opportunity TO
make speed. OF course where we lose time
IS on a curve. II has been shown in
scientific test that a locomotive will lose
one-third OF its pulling power on a short
curve, because an engine binds all OF its
machinery and the wheels also bind TO the
track when going around a curve
For many years everything was given
up 10 the Improvement OF freight lOcomo-
tives which could draw heavier loads, but
IL was soon seen that the demand was
becoming more urgent for passenger en-
gines that could draw much heavier loads
at higher rate Of speed than had pre-
viously been done. The Eastern roads then
began to increase the speed OF their pas
senger trains, and they were soon followed
by the West When these improvements
started. and they have been maintained UP
20 the present day, they called for many
different styles Of engines. II Is obvious
that there is a great difference in the pos
eible speed Of locomotives under the most
favorable conditions and the speed that
can be maintained with sufficient steadiness
20 furnish a basis for regular schedules.
On portions Of all roads of this country OF
considerable length there are serious OBJ
stacles TO be encountered, such as those
that arise from heavy grades. sharp curves,
weak bridges, defective track or grade
crossings. which make ii easy to traverse
some sections more rapidly than others;
and bad weather or crowded conditions OF
the tracks materially increase the OBJ
stacles to high speed along entire lines.
Therefore. locomotives that maintain with
regularity any given schedule time could
do much better under more favorable cir
cumstances."
CHANCE OF WRECK LESSENED.
with the new safety appliances, are
wrecks as liable to occur as formerly?"
the engineer was asked.
mo; the wrecks that take place now are
generally due TO the high rate Of speed at
whica we run and to the misinterpretation
OF the orders by the engineers. Everything
Is so built about the engines and cars at
the present time that there is little danger
of breakage. and there are few wrecks Of
this kind to-day. Then the signal appll-
hnces that we have are a great advantage
On averting disasters. The semaphore sig
mails are exceptionally useful to US. They
are two iron bars of bright colors, fastened
20 the sides Of the stations, and protrude
from the buildings about three feet When
these arms are directed horizontally we
must come to a stop and stand there un-
til they point diagonally. Then we can go
On.
1T used to be, when an engineer saw
danger ahead. he would have to whistle
Tor brakes, and then the brakeman would
have to go through each car and set them.
This would take time, and consequently,
AZ you did not see an obstacle long way
ahead. you could not bring your train to a
stop before you struck IT. AS II is now.
with the Westinghouse automatic brakes
the engineer controls the whole train, and
when danger Is seen he stop it in the
time ne was formerly whistling for brakes.
",rhe duties OF an engineer are becoming
more Iaborious all the time. and the re-
sponsibiIity is becoming greater. An en-
gineer now has full control of his train,
besides having charge OF the brakes. In the
winter he has TO see to the heating of the
train; also to the running time and to the
rate Of Deed. Whenever We see danger
ahead the first thought that comes to us is
OF the number of lives under our care.
When running freight train a man never
feels as frightened when he sees danger
because he knows that there are only three
or four men on the train, and they are ex-
perfenced enough to have seen the danger
as soon as the negineer. who can generally
slow the train down so that they can all
jump. But a man passenger train
knows that this power is put in his hands,
and he feels the responsibility for the safe
~ Of his train.'
Mr.. Thomson was asked to tell of some
of the predicaments he had been in and
replied: I'm my thirty-three years of serv-
ice have never been in a wreck, but dur
ing that time 1 have had some narrow es-
capes on account OF bad tagging. The rules
are that when anything happens to train
man shall be sent back far enough 10
protect the approaching train and in some
of my narrow escapes this was not done.
In foggy weather it is almost impossible
TO see a hagman even if he is sent back
far enough to stop you.
RUNNING OVER A MAN.
The nervous strain which an engineer
undergoes on each trip is something ter
rible and the general cause OF this is
that people who will persist in walking
along the tracks do not get out OF the way
until the train is almost on them 1t is
no small matter in the career OF an en-
gineer TO run down person. You can see
him walking ahead of you and you do
everything in your power to stop and he
pays no attention to the whistle but keeps
walking on; gradually you gain on him.
and finally you see him so under the en-
Eine, when il gives a slight bounce and
IL is all over. Not long ago on a cold zero
Gay the wind was blowing against me,
saw an old man walking down the center
OF the track. | whistled for him. but he
had his ears muffied up and could not hear
the sound. There was long trestle work
right ahead Of US and when / saw the old
enter this my heart almost stopped
FOR knew that l could not keep from hit
ting him. /, however. made one final eff
fort and brought my engine TO a stand
ssill Just as it lightly struck him and
knocked him into the river. The fireman
and 1 rescued him with the bell rope and
found that he was not seriously hurt
Another time 1 going along at a pref
~ good rate OF speed when suddenly a
couple OF horses dashed out from a field
that was at the side OF the track and
started down ahead of the train at full
gallOp. Well. i knew that we were getting
close 10 a bridge and il / did not catch
those horses before we struck IT., there
would be a terrible wreck, because we