The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-12
SANLIME'S CROSS ORDER.
How A Cyclone wrecked and saved.

How Cyclone Wrecked and saved.
Copyright. 1902. by Alvah Milton Kerr.
The accident in Pulvers Valley was
perhaps as strange a happening as the
annals of railroading in the middle
west can show. To certain order of
minds it had the cast and color of a
miracle: to the more literal and hard
headed, it appealed as pure coinci-
dence: but to both it was, perhaps,
equally astounding and impressive. 1t
had inception in the next chair to mine
in the dispatchers office at Traynor.
1t was the result of a cross order
that terrifying shadow of doom and
disgrace which hovers over every train
dispatcher's life, though happily not SO
rnenacing as formerly. owing to i'm
proved methods.
had been some three months in
the dispatcher's office. My position
was that of way operator, which sig
mites that ! had not reached the grade
of dispatcher. but stood next to it, my
work being confined to receiving car
reports from the different stations and
sending and taking all sorts of mes
sages relating TO the train masters
department.
There were three dispatchers, divid-
ing the "a hours of the day into tricks"
of eight hours each. Besides myself
and the three dispatchers there was
Train Master wilkins. "Old Wilk" we
called him, a grizzled graduate from
the dispatcher's chair. Charley San
line had the second trick-that is, from
in the morning until 4 in the after
noon. He was a dear fellow. kind,
conscientious, painstaking and every
one liked him Through several years
he had ordered trains from midnight
until in the morning, and with never
q, serious blunder. But his night vigils
and the long strain had broken his
health. Gradually he had grown thin,
and the telltale pallor of oVerwork
crept into his cheeks. Daily / sat be-
side him. maveling at his pluck, as
I saw his long, thin fingers dancing on
the key, as he bent over the train
sheet, guiding the hurling monsters
over two hundred miles of track. Old
Wilk wanted him to quit and go TO
California, but Charley couldn't afford
it, he said. We knew this was true.
for he had a mother to support his
father being dead; besides he was try
ing to keep younger brother in high
school until the boy should graduate.
20. I'll be all right when cool weather
comes" he would say in summer: and,
Never mind. / will brace up when
spring arrives would be. his laughing
excuse in winter.
The Train Master grim, serious and
seemingly as cool and unfeeling as
iron, l observed, often watched San
line, and sometimes gruffiy ordered him
TO go out and walk about for a half
hour. while the old veteran himself
took Charleys chair and ordered the
trains. to the discomfort of many a
lazy operator out on the wire.
One day. toward the hot end of
June, a long train of coaches, decor
ated with bunting and many flags,
came pounding across the switches and
drew up alongside the platform at
Traynor. The train was loaded, prinr
cipally, with well-dressed men, wear
ing badges upon the lapels of their
coats. and carrying ribbon lNnotted
canes, the noisy aggregation represent
ing a great political club on its way
to a nominating convention at Chicago.
As the painting engine was uncou-
pied and started for her stall in the
roundhouse. the crowd swarmed onto
the station platform. Looking down
from the bay window of the office, for
we We're in the second story. I saw
the general manager of the road in a
group of men by the train. Having
some messages for him. ] hurried down
and presented them. He drew writ
ing pad from his pocket and. strib-
bling several replies, handed them to
me. then turned with a cherry Hello,
Drant!" and shook the grimy hand of
a short. grayishs solid-looking man in
engineers overalls, who was passing
toward the front.
How is the 80, Drant? Can she take
us to Chicago in two hours. you think
rr-1.. IN cuaf the
afternoon session said the general
manager.
Drant looked up at the tall official,
a twinkle in his keen gray eyes. He
was an odd mixture of humor and saw
agery. a man with reputation for
making fast runs. THE 80 is well,
sir. I'll make her take you there in
that time if I have to drive a wedge
in her pop" he said.
The manager laughed and held up
his hand protestingly. 80, let her have
her safety valve. Drant! Don't wedge
that or she may blow upA In that event
the east would porbably nominate the
next President, the West being short
a lot of log-rollers and delegates" He
glanced smilingly over the crowd of
politicians. =,
THAT might prove a blessing"
2runted Drant, laconically, as the su-
perb '90' came backing down TO be
coupled on. 81 guess the old girl will
dance you there all right" he added,
looking fondly at the mighty machine
s'Ha. there, Drant, here's orders for
1ls," shouted the conductor from the
office window. "Come up and sign
'eml"
Wiping his perspiring forehead and
oily hands on a piece of waste, Drant
climbed the stairs. l was at his heels.
The order was long one, involving
several meeting points and the pass
ing of a number of trains as the-special
progressed over the 40 miles between
Traynor and Chicago. I noticed that
Sanline did not look even as we'll as
usual and how his thin fingers trem-
bled as he handed out the order book
to be signed.
Don't let any rust accumulate un-
der the 80 Drant," shouted wilkins,
AS the conductor and engineer seized
their orders and hurried out the door.
Drant grunted derisively; that was all.
With flags futtering and the "90''
emitting great, snorting gasps from
her exhausts. the long train went
smashing over the yard frogs and out
upon the smooth rails. and began
whirling away along the green valley
toward the east.
The first station. Fruitlane. she was
TO pass without stopping; at the third
station out. Treetor, her orders was TO
meet a wild oil-that is, a special of oil
tank cars running west. AS soon as the
"90' cleared the switches at Traynor,
Drant pulled her throttle lever back
close to the last notch and hung his
greasy cap on the reversing lever. The
2. I.