The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-09
BY j. Howard.

end of your run, that's all thereais to 1t, :.
said an engineer WHO last week scrapcd
away three cars and a caboose of local
freight which had neglected to drag Its
full length on to the siding. "1f you gctin
the ditch you don't get there that's all.
Worry about getting wrecked?. Never think
OF 1t. Dyes, there's danger, all right, but
not II you jump quick enough AS the ro-
nance of the business, you'll have to see
some one who knows more about that than
I do. only run all engine" Is
y X II
I'VE Jumped: That Was ALL"
The wreck In which this man was con-
ccrned was one of the peculiar accidents that
happen IN railroading, and which prevent the.
life from becoming inonotonous at least. The
west bound freight, In going on 10 n siding
which was run at a slightly down grade,
Is" bucklcd up Tin the center. One car eftthe
trucks, and In some mysterious fashion, at
4 the sudden stopping of the engine, snapped
up into the air against the forward car. This
premature stop left the caboosc and three
cars projecting Slightly over the right of way.
Of a fast stock train cast bound. twas q
scrapng blow, the worst kind in railroading,
that the engine Of the stock train struck,
and locomotive, tender and fourteen stock
cars went rambling off into theineighboring
fields. But the engineer and tremen were
picking the gravel out Of their eyes, on the
safe side of the track. ~ 5S Ut }t gs''s'
I'VE jumped that's all,'' said tho engineer.
getting ready to take the same train out
again.
would you have jumped If you had had
a passenger train behind you" was asked
him. ~ 81
Yes sir" was the emphatic reply. 4" You
bet. shut off the'steam and got the air on.
"A man was of no use in the cab afterthat."
would you have jumped If you hadntth
time to get the steam shut off and the air On,
y with passenger coaches behind you?
Generally Have Time to Jump.
The engineer squirmed. We generally
have The time, he said, and beyond that
there was no questioning. So it would seem
that there is o. suggestion Of heroism In this
mans Observation-Disclosures.
,3 But other locomotive engineers are not so
averseto speaking out on this subject. There
! is the inevitable preface of: y" I've always
had time TO slow herup, SO far" but there is
also often the flat statement that no man in
the cab will give up his own life that those
behind him may live. All OF them avoW that
they pray that they'll have enough time, 1t
they do not have time they will jump first.
Engineers have jumped without shutting
her off and throwing on the air., and the pco-
q pie behind them have lived, !" Is n doctrine
with many old engineers. : Besides, there
] are thewife and family
5 Dead Engineer Earns Nothing.
A. dead engineer can earn llttleto support
and attend to the bringing up Of q family, and
most engineers are family men. Therefore
they I" jump" HowevcrSit must not be sup.
posed that the engineer goes to his work
+ with this resolve firmly fixed in his mind.
3 The chances are that he never thinks Of
tie possibility OF n wreck II he does It is
probab bly, only because he has been in one
recently and the experience has borne hard
upon him-usually In the way of lost time or
mileage. When the time comes for him to
decide upon a course OF conduct fora few
,tS nhor