The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-07-03

man of more Importance than the
superintendent himself.
"What happens when a wrecking
train reaches the scene of the disaster de.
pends entirely on circumstances. Just
as no two wrecks are alike, 80 no two
methods of clearing the debris are alike.
As a rule, if the wreck includes pas.
senger train and if persons were killed
or injured, the gruesome work OF saving
the survivors and of rescuing what re-
mains of the dead has been finished
Only the actual work of getting the
road back into shape is what confronts
the wrecker. At times he must exer'
else ingenuity and invention on the
spot. About the limit in this direc
ton, I always thought, was shown by
. Western wrecking master who, on
finding he could not clear the track o1
a pair OF hopelessly smashed engines
ordered them hoisted clear of the
tracks, took the rails from under them
and with some spare rails which are
on every Western long distance wreck
ing train, built curve Of track around
the obstruction until, in time, it was
removed.
SAVING THE REMNANTS
"A good wrecking master and q
good crew can do much in the way ol
saving q company considerable money
picked out of the wreck, as it were
You might look at a smash-up and
think it perfectly gorgeous because tc
you every car on the train seems as il
knocked to smithereens. After all
judgments of this kind all depend upon
q point of view. But to a trained
wrecker and his men, all from the re-
pair shops and used to putting togeth.
er and taking apart every sort of a
railway contrivance, much that is val
liable will appear. Here a car roof
intact and even unscratched, sticks in
vitingly out Of the wreckage. This
can be hauled back to the shops and
used as if it were u brand new one.
There q whole side of box car awaits
only transportation to be used over
again. Even bent and broken and
twisted trucks, scrap IRON you likely
would call them, are valuable, when
scanned by the eye of an expert and
so on. Many thousands of dollars
worth of things are saved in this way
every year by we'll experienced crew.
Wrecks scarce? We fellows wish
they were! It isn't only every wreck
you hear about that happens on a rail.
road. In the first place, a wreck with.
out loss of human life, attracts mighty
little attention nowadays, and also it
depends what sort of lives are wiped
out whether a newspaper thinks it
worth the interest of its readers to
print an account of the trouble.
Smash a ouple of tramps on a coal
train. and tbey don't count.
"No work on a Railroad is harder
than that Of the wrecker. And aside
from, everything, man is constantly
on duty. If he wants a day off or
wants to be excused from duty for a
Sunday or for an evening he must give
notice and another man must be ap-
pointed in his place. To fail to re-
spond when the wreck siren blows
means discharge from the crew unless
previously excused. The wages paid
men while on wrecking duty vary with
the different roads. One railroad pays
as much as fifty cents an hour from
the time the train pulls out to the
time it is back on its siding. This is
tremendous pay for the wreckers, and
it stimulates them to do good work
and creates a competition on the part
Of all bands to hold their appointments
and to keep new men out of them.
Frequently the run to a wreck is a
long one, and for some hours there is
little to do but to lounge lazily and
enjoy life. On the way back there is
another breathing spell for those who
are in condition to enjoy it. But why
not come out with US some time when
you hear the siren snort, and you can
see for once in your life what work is"
In some cases the wife has fits when
the husband steps aside a little; in
others she gives 'em to him.
"What are you doing, Harry?'
"Opening a can of tomatoes"
. "What are you opening it with?"
"A can.opener, of course. Do you
think l am using my teeth"
mo, dear; but do know you are