The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-09-18
knew what became of the engine dri-

knew what became of the engine dri-
yer. Before he went. however. he
| sent a full report OF the occurrence
to headquarters. and the man was
In all probability discharged.
According TO the latest reports OF
the Adobe disaster. the accident was
| caused by the negligence OF tele-
graph operator and signalman who
fell asleep and was therefore not
aware that the fated train had passed
his station. This is one OF the COM
monest and most difficult dangers TO
deal with, confronting railroad Off
GERS. The strain of keeping awake
during the hours when a person Is
normally In bed, in a little way STA
ton where only three or four trains
pass in the course OF the night. is
greater than any person can realize
who has not experienced It.
Every sort of device has been re-
sorted 10 by the railroad companies
to insure that the men along the line
are awake and doing their duty. Spe-
cial calls are sent over the wires TO
the different agents at frequent in
tervals, they are Obliged TO report
10 the train dispatcher every hour or
two, and the conductors OF passing
trains are called upon TO notify head
quarters OF any evidences of careless
ness on the part Of the operators
they may notice as they go up and
down the road. In spite Of these
precautions, every little while opera
tors go 10 sleep, as the Adobe acci-
dent shows. The following incident
illustrates the fact that men who
have attained TO high positions in
railroad life were themselves some
times guilty Of subterfuges as under
lings which they were later anxious
to detect and punish in their subor-
dinates.
A man who ended his career as
president of the Lake Shore Road be-
gan life as station agent, and is
credited by his associates with in
venting what was perhaps the first
automatic signal ever put into prac-
tical operation. The station OF which
he was in charge lay far out on the
prairies in Illinois, and with the ex-
ception Of two expresses and a
through freight, there was no night
traffic. The express trains passed
the station early in the evening, and
after that there was long stretch
of lonely waiting until the freight
went by about o'clock in the morn
ing. The agent tried improving his
mind with study, and then took to
modelling in clay.
Neither of these schemes worked,
so he was finally forced to put aside
the promise he had made his moth
er never TO gamble" and Joined
the 'round robin poker game which
is as old as the institution OF night
telegraphy. Each man deals himself
n poker hand, and then, as his turn
comes round, calls his play. The
stakes are always small, and are for
warded TO the winner by the hand OF
a friendly conductor or brakeman.
The poker game became tiresome af-
ter a time, and the agent comp-o-
missed still further with his consci-
enCe. His sole duty after the freight
went by was to set the red light in
the middle OF the track. warning any
following train that the freight had
passed. and then give his code signal
to the operator at the next station to
warn him that the freight was on the
way. The agent decided after think
ing the matter over that so long as
the signal was set, and the next agent
notified. It made no difference by
what means the end was attained.
He therefore spent the whole next
few evenings perfecting a device that
would allow him 20 80 TO sleep with
out danger OF being detected. The
signal was crude one, but it an
swered its purpose in an age when
railrOading was haphazard at the
best. In after years this man was
wont TO say that one Of the first
things ne did after he became a divi-
siou superintendent, was TO install
telegraph outfit in his bedroom SO
that he could cut in on the main line
OF his division during the night and
discover whether he was talking 10
a man or a maChine.-New York
II