Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-14
Railroad Men Must Undergo
Rigid Examinations.
SIGHT AND HEARING
BEFORE THE FIREMAN CAN BE,
COME AN ENGINEMAN
He Has Long and Hard Row to Hoe
May Be Called Upon at
Any Time.
Written for The Evening Star.


Every healthy American boy nourishes at
one time or another large ambition to be
Seated on the right-hard side of locomo-
tive cab when he is grown up But IL s
dollars to doughnuts that he would not be
so anxious to b. an engineman If he only
knew of the ordeSls that the idol of his
heart had to go through before he attained
to his high seat, and has to go through
from time to time in order to convince his
superiors that he is still a ht and proper
nan TO be intrusted with the safety of the
train and the passengers behind him.
1t is the fashion among railroads nova
days not to employ engineman-the new
term for eugineer-a man who has not run
on the road a fireman. No greenhorn is
tolerated at the throttle. Hence, he who
aspires to become an engineman. and has
his heart set on it, must first undergo the
ordeals required of all applicants for the
position of fireman.
After the superintendent of the road, or
the division, as the case may be, has de-
cided from the mans personal appearance
and conversation that 1t is worth while TO
spend more time on him the applicant is
turned over to, the roads chief inqulsltor.
who is generally known officially under
the title of chief examiner, and popularity
as the school teacher.
For this official the applicant, first thing
Of all, writes out a detailed record of him
self. If the penmanship is poor, and the
photography indicates a limited education,
the examiner makes no bones about in
forming the applicant that it would be a
waste of time the part of both of them
for the examination to be continued Writ
ing that is difficult to decipher and mis-
spelled words might lead to serious re-
suits; have, indeed, caused more than one
railroad catastrophe. The railroads now
pretty generally recognize that it is part
of wisdom to see that only men who can
rite orCers legibly and spell them cor
teCtly. likewise reports, are taken on.
But if the applicant shows himself pro-
fCient in this direction he is straightway
PUT through an ordeal that lasts two hours
or more, and that many an engineman
looks upon with fear and trembling when
ever he is summoned to undergo it. This
is the triple ordeal of vision, color sense
and hearing.
Must Have Perfect Vision.
No man whose vision is not perfect can
sit on either side of the locomotive cab
these days Time was when not much at
tention was paid to ascertaining fire.
mans range of vision. but since the prac-
tice came in of recruiting enginemen
wholly from the ranks of firemen this has
changed, until now the eye test given the
applicant for fireman is as rigid it
be made for all practical purposes. Not
only does he have to undergo the opticians
Standard test for vision, both distant and
near. but there are variations, all of which
tend to increase the severity of the exam
ination. For example, in place of the
binary optical chart there is substituted
chart bearing such figures a flag a bu-
gle. a chair. a ladder, a watering pot
table and scissors. all so drawn and placed
as to make il impossible for any except
perfect eyes TO identify them from what
they are a distance of twenty feet. Be
sides being harder to decipher than the let
tered chart, this figured chart prevents the
railroad from being imposed upon by a
crafty applicant with a good memory.
More than one man, before the trick was
discovered. studied up the positions of the
different letters the ordinary chart.
which can be bought anywhere. and passed
a perfect examination when his eyes were
far from being perfect.
This test is taken looking with both
eyes then with one eye at time, the eye
not taking the test being covered with an
oval disk of brass, fastened to a handle.
what of a lorgnette. In fact. every test for
vision and color sense is taken, using both
eyes and with one eye at a time.
Next the applicant is led to a window
and tells what he sees before him and in
tie distance Not only that-he must ac-
curately describe the shape of each object
Its composition and it's details, SO far as
Splendid eyesghtt will permit.
For Color Sense.
This part of the ordeal successfully
passed, the test for color sense Immediately
follows. Heavy curtains. excluding all
light, are dropped over the windows, the ap-
plicant is seated at one end of the ROOM
and when all is ready the examiner presses
an electrical button and the colors used as
signals-white. red. green. blue-follow one
Rnother in quick succession in the lantern
placed upon the wall in front of the men.
They are flashed not once. but time and