Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-10-31


on One Of These nrain whiriimg
Nerve Hacking Runs.
zone OF the greatest difficulties OF
the real mountain roads. like the Colo
RADIO Midland. the Rio Grande Western
and the Denver and Rio Grande is In
getting engineers, said the city pas
senger agent OF the Rio Grandc West
ern road. This gentleman is familiar
! with all the intermountan roads.
where the trains have 10 all but Fly 10
| reach some of their destinations
lone might suppose that all roads
would look alike 10 the experienced en-
| gineer, but they don't. Along some OF
| the prairie roads an engineer can take
run on any new track almost as well
| as on one he has travelled for years and
knows with his eyes shut But here in
the west IL is different. Down In Colo
RADIO, where are some OF the greatest
| monuments TO the railroad builder that
have ever been erected. an engineer
has 10 travel over the roads sometimes
n weeks with old, experienced engi-
Q - who know the track before he
W. % trusted with a train. 1t isn't a
que, OF engineering ability; merely
one OF 0rionce.
1T is :, Oh TO take fellows nerve
to sweep N und some Of those noun
tain curves a"d passes for the first
time. Some GOO on never take more
than their first riu have seen engi-
neers come from a. St men OF gilt
edge character and " who lost
their nerve with the tiI> y and took
the first train for Tia country.
Dizzy reverse curves. tr,-. that
seem to totter In the wind, o. ices
that seem to yawn for a fellow i'fe
and grades that are revelation ~
horror 10 the newcomer crowd In bt
wildering confusion on the view. ano
unless fellow is as stolid as an OK or
nervy as the mischief he is apt 10 lose
his head.
You would be surprised al the num-
Der OF young engineers who are on the
mountain roads. For one thing. a man
does not last there as he does on a less
picturesque, more prosaic run. II takes
youth and strength and courage OF
rare order TO stand IL all. The compa-
MES are the most appreclative In the
world, for they realize how hard IL is 10
get a good man, and they treat a good
man right royalty. 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 IN
known. one must know his train and
rood hgnIy 70 nvl
with his life on the Marshall pass. for
instance. where you seem to plunge
headlOng down the mighty hill. A rock
on the track. a broken wheel. runa
way car or a failure Of the brakes TO
work would end in a smash up that
would startle the whole country. The
hill might be a glare Of Ice or frost. il
might be wet or snowy, and II you set
the airbrake too hard SO. as to start the
wheels to sliding down the hin you 20
like a gigantic toboggan, with death
and destruction at the end OF the ride
The management OF the airbrake and
knowing where the curves and danger
Gus places are is the greatest part of AZ
engineers education In the mountsins
For my own part, knowing the dan
gers as / do. | feel nervous after riding
100 miles over the widest parts OF the
roads even as a passenger | rode
through the Royal gorge on the engine
a few weeks ago and was glad when
the ride was over. 1t makes fellow
feel trembly like TO think what might
be, though the worst rarely happens
Such is the care taken In equipment
and In getting the best men that the
mountain roads have as small a proper
ton OF losses as the dead level roads OF
the plains. But II takes a man of nerve
to pilot train through some OF the
wilder regions.
"A freight train is the worst, In that
II Is much heavier than a passenger
and is expected TO make almost the
same time. Al the heavy stock trains
going east, - to 30 cars, make passen-
ger schedule. a freight Is so loosely
coupled as 10 be very unmanageable at
critical points The stock trains are the
terror Of the engine drivers and all the
tralnmen.
a fellow isn't necessarily coward
when be throws up his job as engineer
over the mountain roads. after seeing
what the dangers are. Not one passen
ger In 10000 would assume the same
danger. The position calls for absolute
iy steady nerve and one who feels that
he is likely to get ratified Is dangerous
TO himself, TO the company and to all
who ride behind him man must
think and act like lightning In the face
OF so many dangers that he must be
sure OF his ability TO stand the strain
No one stays any great number Of
years. 1t is beyond ones power TO do
so and be safe. A man may be brave
and willing and all that. but these are
not enough. He must be sure and proof
against stampede. Such man is worth
everything to the companies. and they
treat him like a prince. Butte Inter
Mountain.
A Blapk Flower.
60 eha lV,rro