Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
THE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER
Has Some Seven Hundred Important
Rules to Remember.
From Harper's Weekly.

From Harper's Weekly.
officials who operate the fast trains re-
Gently put on between New York city and
the west are just now facing a problem in
philosophy which, on paper, looks some
thing like this:
How many iron-clad rules can the hui
man mind keep within instant recall If
death is the penalty for forgetting?'
The answer is supposed to lie somewhere
in the code of rules and signals which the
officials have devised for the operation of
these fast trains. These rules. of which
there are about 700 for each 125 miles be-
tween New York city and Chicago. were
made for the safety of the public. but the
public may look aSkance when 1t learns
that one man must remember 100 of them.
and that slip on any one rule may mean
a shocking loss of human life.
These 100 rules are the average for each
division of the chief railroad lines running
west from New York. Each set covers the
work of one engineer. who drives his train
until another engineer with fresh set Of
rules. and presumably fresh memory, re-
lieves him. In other words. eight men, the
average number of locomotive engineers
who drive a fast train between New York
and Chicago, must keep constantly In mind
nearly 5000 different rules. In order that
patrons of these trains may travel without
risking their lives. What this means to the
public. in twenty-four hours ride on one
U
lowing list of what an engineer on a certain
1OO-mile run has to watch. while his loco
motive is going at sixty miles on hour:
Five hundred "cross-over' switch-lghts,
to learn whether they are red or white.
Fifteen '1nterlocking switch-lights to
learn whether they are red white or green.
Seven "non-interlocking switch-lights. to
know whether they are red or white. Three
Notwithstanding" switch flights, to know
whether they are red or green. Semaphore
arms at twenty-five way stations, for pos
sible red lights Four hundred highway
crossings, to know whether they are
clear" Locomotives of a dozen trains ap-
preaching on parallel tracks. for red or
green lights. Telegraph operators at TWEEN
ty-five way stations, who may be waiting
near the track with orders. For a red flag
at any conceivable point in the 100 miles,
displayed as a danger signal Whether one
or two torpedoes are exploded at any point
In the 100 miles, signifying caution" or
stop" Whether his clearance card Is good
for each of twenty-five way stations.
Whether there Is enough water in the en-
CINE boiler. Whether there Is enough water
in the engine tender. Whether there Is
enough coal in the engine tender. Whether
the steam pressure Is being kept up. Wheth-
er the fireman is obeying another long set
of rules. Whether the engine-bell rings at
400 highway crossings.
By day the switch and signal-lights are
replaced by signal boards and blocks" the
color or direction of which must be read as
literally as the lamps. The engineer who
notes 900 of these signs from his cab-win-
dow. and misses the 7O0th has taken. In
race-track language. q 100 to l shot with
a train-load of human lives.
The public has good reason to ask wheth-
er the safety limit has not been reached