Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1903-01-14
The Cause Of
Railway Accidents.
BY Ebert Hubbard, in January
Cosmopolitan.
ssnO you know the cause OF

esnO you know the cause OF
Almost railway accidents z"
asked division superintendent
ot the Lake Shore of me the other
day, as we were waiting on the
platform at Ashtabula.
"What causes most accidents ?
Why, disobedience of ORDERS" /
answered. -.
mo; it is domestic infelicity.
'Disobedience of ORDERS you say,
and this is partially right, but
the cause lies deeper. Why
should a railway employee DISC
hey orders9 Why should an en-
gineer run past the station where
he is ordered to stop9 Itis his
own life he endangers most.
Why should a train dispatcher
send cut two treins, facing each
other, on same time, and on one
tracks Or why should a switch
tender throw a switch right in
front Of fast express2
"You call these things acci-
dents, but that is not the word.
They are the result of mental
conditions, and it is for the gen.
eral manager to be on the look
out for these conditions, and
every good railroad manager now
Is. Do you remember when two
passenger trains met head on, out
In Indiana, last year? The engi
neer OF one of those trains had In
his pocket an order to take the
sldetrack at certain station.
de ran by that station at the rate
80 mi les an hour, and in five MIN
utes there was crash that snuff
ed out "a lives and hundred
thousand dollars worth of prop
ertv.
THE cause of that crash was
marital trouble. | knew the en-
gineer. Let us call him flank
Bristol, for that wasn't his name.
he was married to a smashing,
dashing, beautiful creature, and
they boarded al d hotel. They
had no children. | boarded there,
t"o; and we all made eyes at
Hanks beautiful wife. She used
to play the piano, and sing some
and recite. The love Of one plain,
honest man was not enough for
har. She CTavod the flattery of
male friends and the admiration
Ot the clever. she was not a bad
woman just ali idle woman who
spent every spare cent Hank
o"~red on fine clothes, aud, oS
course, wanted the fnery and
her shape TO be admired. Hank
was proud of her, too. One even
ing he kissed the dear creature
good by, and went out to make a
night run. He went to the round
house, and at the last moment
the Old Man decided to save
Hank back and let him take out
a special, carrying the president
and directors Of the road, in the
morning. Hank was tickled, for
it was a great compliment TO him.
Hc went home TO tell His wife.
He used to tell her everything.
But when he got home she
wasn't there. Sne had gone to
the theatre with a drummer.
Hank went away, and walked
the street all night. His wife
never knew, and | believe she
doesn't yet. He walked the street
all night, and rap out the special
in the morning.
"But, after that, he was never
the same. He used to confide in
me-he just had to tell some one
to keep his heart from bursting.
"ue grew absent. minded, lost
flesh, appetite was gone, and he
was nervous. The doctor said he
should quit coffee, and cut out
half the tobacco.
81 knew what was the matter :;
he was jealous. | told him 80,
and he laughed laugh that gave
me goose flesh. Il jealous? Why,
Bill, you do not know me-! |
Jealous? The idea! No, l am
only mad at myself, Bill, because
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