The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-29

l 'As 1t was Sunday night traffic over 1 the mountain was not very heavy and
 the extras made good progress, having | to look out only for the regular passen- ger trains and an eastbound extra. When l turned my desk over to the
 third trick dispatcher at midnight one
 of the extras had reached Clifton Forge | and another had passed Millboro, the last i telegraph station coming west. but l ] had a feeling of misgiving as l sauntered ! toward my hotel l smeled whisky on | the breath of the man who relieved me,
 but I did not think him too far gone to
 handle what few trains there remained | out
 Reaching my hotel I threw myself carelessly on the bed and tossed restless
 ly for nearly an hour. Sleep would not come to me. Why l was so uneasy and
 restless I did not then know. My thoughts
 seemed to be centered on the three extra | trains rushing toward Clifton Forge on
 orders issued by me
 Presently I heard the round house bell | ringing-something that never occurs at | night unless there is a wreck Clifton | Forge was then a small village and the | hotel was less than a block from the round house.
 | "A call boy came rushing to the super i intendents door, just across the hall from | my room rapped on the door and yelled
 out: Two extras got together from the rear at Millboro and killed everybody on l board
 T sprang from my bed and in less time | than 1t takes to tell it was on my way ! to the round house, reaching there just 1 in time to board the wrecking train. "When we reached Millboro l found l that the light engine had poked her nose | into the caboose of the third section Of the extra, killing a conductor and a 1 brakeman and seriously inJuring the en- | gineer and fireman of the light engine.
 Those that remained of the crew scowl- ed at me as came up. I had issued the | initial order and could not to save me see
 how they could get together in a rear | end collision.
 l q asked the engineer of the light en- | zine to show me his orders. He handed me copies of two orders. l had issued l but one The second order read: 'Fourth section of extra, engine 299, will run forty
 miles an hour; Stretchers to Clifton Forge regardless of regular trains l What did you mean by sending that
 order to me and not sde-tracking the third extra?' demanded the engineer, as 1 he sroaned with pain from broken | limb.
 l I did not issue that order, sir said l.
 That's what you all say when you get in trouble. you - - -! scowied
 the crippled engineer.
 My brain was in a whlrl The death
 of two human beings had been laid at | my door and was as innocent as babe. i q stood by, however amid the scowls i and angry looks of the trains crew until l the wreck was cleared and then helped l remove the dead and injured to Clifton l Forge.
 "Hurrying to the office I picked up the l order book The order shown me by the
 injured engineer was not there. l asked
 the man who relieved me why he issued
 such an order He disclaimed all knowl-
 edge of it. declaring that he had put out
 no orders that night.
 "The superintendent came In and, on the third trick mans statement that l,
 was the guilty party, suspended me from
 duty till the blame could be fixed.
 "I remained in my room for nearly two
 weeks. It seemed ten years to me. Final
 ly the general superintendent arrived for
 the purpose of holding the trial. The
 third trick man, the operator from | Stretchers, the fatal order and myself
 were the only witnesses.
 "The Stretchers operator testified that
 the order was sent by dispatcher 'D.' My
 wire signal was c w. I almost col
 Iapsed over the joyous news. I had been
 eXonerated.
 "The superintendent was profuse in his
 apologies for laying me off. ID was dis charged on the spot and l was asked to | return to work.
 Not for a million dollars month' | said l. and from that day to this have
 never issued train order.
 T am young man yet but my hair is | thickly tinged with gray. Those gray l hairs came into my head while I was a ! train dispatcher at Clifton Forge"