The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-24
The Free Press the Leader, Only $Ioo Year.
MUST EXERCISE CARE.
A Heart to Heart Talk With R. R En-
ploys--A Wonderful Invention.

Heart TO Heart Ialk WIFI n. n EN-
pIoys--A Wonderful Invention.
Employees of some of the roads enter
ing st. Paul who are engaged in the
operation of freight and passenger
trains have received circular letter
from the superintendentas of the roads
warning them regarding the frequency
with which wrecks have occurred of
late. ..-.-.>-
The tenor of the circulars SO far is
sued is the same, and although the
letters cannot be considered as repri-
mands, they are heart to -heart talks
which will undoubtedly result in ex-
traordinary precautions being observ-
ed. In general the circulars call atten-
ton to the wrecks occurring recently
and suggest that in the majority of
cases an exercise of ordinary precau-
ton and strict attention to orders
and duty would have avoided the dis
asters.
1t is stated that the management of
the road desires extrsordinry care to
be taken for the safety of trains and
suggests that every man who does his
duty faithfully will be kept in mind
by the management. Attention is
called to the necessity Of proper un-
derstanding of train. orders and of the
harmonious cooperation of every en-
ploye to the end that safety may al
ways be attained in the operation of
trains.
1t is family suggested in the circular
that disastrous wrecks come in cycles,
and that fate seems to decree that
there shall at times be several of them.
In such cases something should be
done to break the luck and to sidetrack
the hoodoo and the employees are ad-
vised to make a strenuous effort to
throw ties or other distractions in the
way of fate to keep that variable dame
from carrying out her purpose. 1t is
we'll known that railroad men, as a
class are superstitious and that after a
few bad wrecks engineers and train
men are apt to have the idea that the
hoodoo is pursuing them and that
wrecks will go on happening until. the
hoodoo is either broken or voluntarily
goes out of the business.
According to the idea of the general
superintendent there is nothing so de-
moralizing as a series of wrecks and it
is with view of counteracting their
influence and getting the -aen out of
their fatalistic frame of mind that
they have issued the circulars.
A wonderful instrument has been
placed in the cab of engine No. 91S,
on the Milwaukee road and is being
tested by the inventor. 1t is a railway
chronograph which registers every
move of a locomotive. The test is un-
der the personal direction of Rev. 81.
@. Sedrick, the inventor, who was for
merly an operator on the Milwaukee
road at GAINESVILLE. The inventor
claims that the instrument will record
accurately every blast of the whistle,
the exact time and place speed every
minute, hour, day and week the time
and the place train breaks in two,
how fast the speed was when the traii
parted, the time and place any acct
dent occurs; the speed approaching,
the arrival, the delay at any sta
tion, the time consumed switching al
any station the number of miles rur
in switching at any station how close
any number of trains follow the first
section, in the same direction wher
and where two trains pass in opposite
directions when and where engineer
first noticed flag and if he signaled
how long after discovery of flag before
stop was made; when the air brakes
were applied; how long any engineer
is on duty, any and every stop; JUS
where the locomotive is, what it is do
ing, each day and week; how much
steam is wasted through the pop valve
each day. The machine is placed di
rectly in the rear of the steam drum.
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