Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-07-24
A RAILROAD WRECKER.
ALWAYS ON CALL AND HAS THE
RIGHT OF Way

I'VE give them clear track and
d 20 or a 75-mile-an-hour engine and
the wrecking master does the rest"
said the yardmaster, knocking the ash
es out Of his pipe and leaning COM
fortably in his old revolving chair.
"All the wreckmaster knows is that at
such and such point on the road such
and such a train, SO and SO many cars;
has been smashed. It's his business to
get to the place fast as steam can carry
him and to clear the main line quick
as Providence will let him:
See that siren sticking up Just over
the roof of the engine house next to
the repair shops? When that begins to
bray and squeal and screech three long;
unearthly toots there is trouble some
where up the line Ever hear one of
those new-fangled whistles? You'd
never know it was turned on by the
hand of man. At night it would make
your skin creep the first time you
heard it. But you're apt to hear it for
miles around and that's what it's there
for-to collect the wrecking crew on
a. run.
Wherever there's a repair shop
along the line there you're sure to find
wrecking train. The crews are
picked men from the shops, for rea-
son I'll tell You presently. It's hard
life they lead and strenuous one, but
they get paid well and they like the
work, just as I've yet to see the first
man in city fire department who is
not in love with the excitement and
uncertainty of his job. In time the
strain on the wrecker tells.
While the work lasts it is heart
breaking, and men age under it and
after 10 years service on the crew are
rarely fit to continue in that part Of
the service. Every member of the
crew has to live within hearing dis
lance and running distance Of tie
wrecking train: During the daytime
the men are at work in the repair
shops and if anything happens they
have merely to jump aboard while an
engine is made fast and starts on
mad race for the scene Of the trouble
But at highland most wrecks happen
nights-the men must be prepared to
tumble out of bed, to run through wind
and weather and to be prepared to
work anywhere from "a to SO hours
without a break.
"A wrecking crew consists of 16 or
Is men, which is exclusive OF a con-
ductor; pair of brakemen and the two
byo ORR itaer
train consists of only four cars. Every
thing that would add to the weight Of
the train without being absolutely nec-
essary is left behind. The first car is
the enc in which the wreck.ng crew
travels In this part of the country
this car is not SO Important but on
the long stretches of read in the west
the car is fitted up completely for the
living accommodations of the men.
The car is painted red, and, in general,
is huge caboose. In the front part of
it the kitchen is located. A cook ac-
companies every wrecking crew on the
modern railroads, just, as a cook ac-
companies our long distance palace
trains. Everything of the best is
chosen for the wrecking crews meals
during its long siege of work Ice is
provided on which things that should
be kept cool are placed and continually
a stock of provisions is on hand as
ready for instant use as the train it
self.
"The rear section of this car is fitted
up as a living room. No carpet is on
the floor, but everything is put up in
comfort and shipshape. Bunks are pro-
vided; chairs and folding tables stand
ready for use. In short, everything
that men want when they require hui
moring to do good work is ready and
waiting for them.
THE second car of the train looks
like an ordinary box car, but is really
a huge toolbox on wheels. In it every
thing is arranged in order as neat as
the silver implements i'll high-school
girls first manicure set. You cannot
mention tool that might be required
in wrecking but what you will find it
here, exactly in it's place, where men
can run in the dark and pick up what
they want without having to spend a
minute to search for it. Axes, crow
bars, shoyels, saws, picks. sledges, ham
mers, blocks and tackles, ropes, chains.
jacks and 100 tools you never heard of
are to be found in the car.
THE third car is an ordinary fiat
car loaded with several trucks. Often
in a wreck the body of car escapes
damage, and only the trucks are brok-
en- and bent and twisted. In case like
this all that is necessary is to raise the
body of the car by means OF jacks and
to put a substitute truck under it and
couple it fast so the car may be hauled
to the repair shop for permanent fix
ing up Besides, the fat car is used
for taking home iron work and what
ever is and is not worth saving, but
would look bad and suggestive lying
beside railroad track ~
THE last car of the train is the most
important Of all. 1t is the derrick car.
This car is built exceptionally strong.
A short, stout derrick built on rachel
turntable stands in the middle of the
car This is capable of wonderful lift
ing power Once the little steam winch
on one end Of the car begins to squeaI
and puff, anything fastened to the der
rick just-comes. A derrick of this
description could raise on end the big
gest locomotive ever built, and set it
back on the rails as neatly as you
would set a chess figure on its proper
square.
The wrecking train stands ever
ready on siding especially allotted
to it. This must not be used by any
other train under any conceivable cir
cumstances. If a wreck occurs the
track must be cleared, from three to
five minutes being the time usually al
lowed for a crew to get under way dur