The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26
MAKING UP A WRECK TRAIN
RECENT TEST WAS PERFORMED IN
SEVEN MINUTES.
Only Valuable, Experienced Men Are
Special Importance.

means mat there Is a wreck and tnat the
wrecking crew Is wanted. Immediately
after this blowing. especially If it happens
to be at night when all of the men are at
home. there is great hurrying in the neigh
borhood and men can be seen running from
every direction fast as they can, for as
soon as the wrecking train can be pulled
out on the main track and engine
coupled to 1t 1t is gone. There is no time
whatever allowed the tnen for unneces-
sary preparations. The whistle which gives
the signal can be heard for about four
miles. Its blast is not particularly shrill.
but is exceedingly Penetrating. To one
who does not know the meaning of the sig
nal II tells OF distress in the weirdness of
its sound. Often in the, dead stiffness of
the night the whistle will 'let CO." as the
members of the wrecking! crew say, and the
ordinary man will wake Up with a start and
lie and wonder what it II blowing for. and
when 1t ceases he will again nestle in the
covers and doze off to sleep without another
thought concerning il, bat TO the wrecking
crew its sound has serious meaning, and
they take no time to lie abed and wonder
what ii is blowing for. They have become
so accustomed to II, and as II is the fore
most thing in their mirds when they lie
down to sleep the instant the first blast is
heard they are out of their beds and get
ting into their clothes az quickly as posi-
BILE, for a wreck is in one respect like a
building that is on fre-fhe sooner it is got
to the better IL will be aid damage will be
prevented by prompt action.
The men that compose the wrecking crew
fully realize when they go home at night
that before the sun again rises they may
be miles away working on some disaster.
and Ii Is this uncertainty of the life that
makes them like 1t. 1t is: life very similar
TO that of a member of the fire department,
or it might more properly be compared to
that OF United States life saver along the
coast 1t seems strange, lbut IL a man once
gets into this branch of railroad service he
seldom quits, for there. is a fascination
about the work that appeals to any one
who likes excitement and uncertainty. The
nervous and physical strain that these men
undergo sometimes tests their endurance to
the utmost. 1t is a very noticeable fact,
railroad men say. that she men who have
been members of the Srecking crew for
any length OF time are much faster than
the average man and generally look from
ten to fifteen years older than they really
are. The excitement c$nd exposure, to-
gether with the scenes and incidents that
I'LL their lives, are held responsible for the
deep lines about their faces and the gray
hair that the majority Of them have at an
earlier age than most men.
CAREFULLY-SELEf,TE CREWS
Many might think that it is considered
somewhat OF an honor 30 be appointed on
the wrecking crew. and so it is. for no one
but the oldest and most experienced men
are ever selected, but the men themselves
can't see II I'm that lighx, and there is not
one among them who At the time of his
appointment would not Ihave gladly given
II up to someone else. AS stated before,
however. after a man has been In for a
time the fascination Crews on him and at
times when the whistle has not blown for
many weeks he becomes: anxious to hear its
sound. The men who make up the crew
when not doing wrecklng duty are en-
ployed in the shops ass car repairers and
builders; the instant though. that they
hear the whistle each man drops every
thing and hurries to the train. The reason
that men employed in the shops are chosen
TO do this work is that their experience In
building cars teaches them how they can
best be handled. A tram OF box cars, for
instance. which has been smashed all to
pieces and which WOULD look to the ordi-
nary observer as mourning more imam q
shapeless mass. can be cleared away by
these men until considerable salvage can
be got out OF the piles OF ruins. Whole tops
OF cars can be saved, together with large
sections of their Sides and trucks that are
twisted and bent can be Strengthened until
they are again serviceable. By the wreck
ing crew being all old aad experienced men
they are able to save the railroad company
many thousands of dollars each year. 1t is
impossible to estimate the amount of salv-
age that Is got from the various wrecks
annually. II 1t could BE- stated in figures,
however. the sum no doubt would be
enormous.
The wrecking crew proper is composed of
fifteen men besides tAe wrecking mas
ter. These men are on duty at
all times. and during the twenty
four hours of theI day must be
within hearing and running distance OF the
whistle. II one OF them. desires to go down
town at night or on SUI, day he has to first
apply to the wrecking master, who ap-
points another man TO so with the crew in
his place. At the time. the man asks for
leave from duty he must state exactly at
what time he will return. for after the hour
he names the substitute will not answer for
MIN. IL the whistle blows and one of the
men does not answer he will be asked for
an explanation, and IL; his excuse is not
deemed satisfactory b. the officials he Will
either be- dropped from the crew or dis
missed BY the company altogether The re-
deeming feature OF being a member OF the
wrecking crew is that he receives very
good pay. Every man gets p cents an hour
from the time the whistle blows until the
train is put away. OF course. 1t is seldom
that they ever get back under twenty-four
hours portion OF this time is consumed
In going and coming from the wreck. dur
ing which time the Grey does nothing, for
the train is in charge az conductor. two
brakemen and the enginemen. who have
full charge OF the running OF IL. This part
of their work is lazy. Where the men earn
more than their pay is when the scene of
the disaster is reached. They have TO work
quickly. and the taking apart of cars and
engines u exceptionally heavy and labor