Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-11-24
RECORD OF LOYALTY
SPLENDID WORK OF RAILROAD
@ MEN IN AN EMERGENCY.
Enormous Amount Of Traffic Success
fully Handled on Single Track In
Face Of Heavy Handicap-shows
Quality Of American Train Crews.

:
The well.known writer on railroad
subjects, Mr.. Frank HI. Spearman, In
his book entitled, The Strategy OF
Great Railroads." describes the sur
prise OF the general manager of one
of the eastern trunk Ines, on hunt
ing trip in the north woods, who sud
denly found himself on the right OF
way OF q splendid. wellbuilt railway
line, apparently of construction and
equipment similar to the New York
Central or Pennsylvania, along which
Numbered in quick succession heavy
trains Of iron ore, splendid passenger
equipment and general freight service
of surprising proportions.
This was the Peninsula division o.
the Chicago & Northwestern Rail
way, which covers the Upper PENN
sula of Michigan, including the iard
wood district and Lake Superior iror
and copper region, with surprising!,
efficient net work Of lines that con
meet the mines and forests with i'm
portant lake ports, and with through
rail service to and from the QUITE,
world.
Along this busy ore-carrying line
splendid exposition of the loyalty, In
telligence and general good tear
work that can be expected OF the aver
age railroad man and the efficiency o.
the rules laid down for his guidance
in an emergency, was given a few
days ago, which so greatly pleased the
superintendent and other officials that
the story has finally crept into public
print, and it is well worth repetition
in these columns.
1t was all occasioned by a yer!
heavy sleet storm that fell in the Up
per Peninsula few days ago. which
threw down practically every tele
graph line in the region in few
hours, and left the aga miles of the |
division absolutely without tele |
graphic service for no less than forty. |
eight hours.
The ore movement has been espe'
cially heavy this year. more lake SUI
perior ore being transported on the
Great Lakes than ever before in the
history of the iron industry, and in
this emergency every mine would
have to shut down on account of the |
shortage of railway cars to move
their product unless the road wa:
kept open in spite of the storm.
There was nothing that could te
done by the chief train dispatcher;
both he and the division superintenG-
ent were temporarily out of the game
1t was one of these emergencies where
the man behind the gun" must make
good, or the case was hopeless one.
And make good lie did, in true blue,
loyal style, with that splendid initia-
i've that makes the average train
crew typical of the qualities we ad.
nire in our American troops.
There was no way in which to get
orders for train movements, no means
BY which division, headquarters could
be kept advised of where their trains
we're, and to the onlooker, no means
existed by which the train crew could
keep track of the whereabouts OF
rains in the opposite direction. 1t
was an emergency of the grayest char
,cter, and was met with splendid
exhibition OF good judgment and in.
telligent grasp of the science of rail-
,oad operation that is perhaps without
an equal. They managed, on single
rack line, without telegraph lines, for
TWO whole days and nights, to keep
avery iron and copper mine in tn
district supplied with equipment and
moved all trains practically on time.
4.971 cars were moved over the di.
vision Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 |
and q, and one hundred and twenty
1--WE freight trains and no less than
.hirty-four passenger trains were
AIKEN care of upon the division, all
handled on time on a single track. |
without accident, mishap, or delay !
and without the help of a train dis
catcher.
Can anyone. beat that record Of 10y.
lily to employers, hard work and in
elligent grasp of conditions?
Any man who has ever handled the
rain movement of busy railway III
lision will appreciate how very much
$ involved in the work these train.
men did, hurryiug to and f 20 over
:leet covered cars, keeping cool, and
,eady to meet every emergency by ap
pIication Of the operating rules pro
rided for their guidance.
Every sixty-ninth birth it is twins.