Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-09-05
A WRECK ON THE ROAD
What a Collision Means to the
Man at the Throttle.
PLIGHT OF THE ENGINEER.

The Chances He Has to Take and His
Fate Should He Become Crippled IN
a smashup-There Are Some Things
Worse Than Physical Pain.
81 lust dropped in to tell you that
the coroner's jury has eXonerated you
from all blame for the wreck. They
are going to hold the block tower
man."
The old engineer turned his PAIN
drawn face toward me. A white cap
ned nurse gently brushed back the
wild hairs from his forehead.
"Thank you, miss" lie said, "and you'
foo sir for the good news. l knew
they couldn't blame It on me, because
# was white at Mentor. Poor Denny
he'd tell you so, too, If he was awe
t,u vhiter he shouted when we came
round the curve and ! gave him the
answer All whitev and pulled her
wide omen. Then we struck the emp
ties on the siding, and-well, you KNOW
rho rest" He wiped a trembling hanu
across his eyes as if trying to Diot out
some horrible vision.
His ewes began TO sparkle, and Dit
Of color flashed into his pale cheeks.
81 suppose you fellows think opened
bor nm and went into those boxes just
Cor finn" 4 smile fitted over his lips,
and then he grew serious. Say, did IL
evor come TO your mind that an en-
eineer might be as anxious about MS
own life rs he is about the lives OF
thosc who are riding behind him. My
.vife and little one-dOn't you suppose
NV life counts for something with
them? ,4 =
e "Did you ever stop to think what d
collision like that at Mentor means 10
the engineer? Just try to figure your
enlf I'm his place He rides III Iour
SQUARE feet of cab room, surrounded
/ Inv mass of levers, rods and the IKE,
| Ahead of him Is about three miles Oh
boiler pipe. carrying 200 pounds ol
steam pressure and enough hot water
I f. cook the meat off his bones III
J. urfv Gathering Mt his back Is o'OO'
Gallons Of water and 10000 pounds OF
= coal. Under him is 2OO'OOO pouh''
Of engine. and behind there
!, GOO O0O hounds of train. Altogether h'
u &c running along ahead OF SOo'oo'
mounds Of steel hardwood and bras
u held to an eighty pound rail by three
~ quarters Of an inch OF wheel lianse'
~ "Why. when one Of those big huS
eian battleships fred broadside Il
y tbo Japanese the whole thlh
L amounted only to $4,000 pounds, so ID
" noners say. And that $1,000 pound
travelling eight miles a minute woul
strike Japanese ship eight mli'
-. owav with an impact only one-tenI
- Of the force we hit the empties
r. Mentor
=, "of course was the engineer an
~, tbov depended on me. There Is
no ways lot of fine talk about ensihee
an having the lives of several huhdr'
49, messengers In their hands. That's
~ worry true but you don't want 10 owe
bo look the fact that the engineer Il
l.. richt there along with the othel
lodi We all take chances, the Tram cie
mo rs well as the passengers, ohiy y
on chances are simmer. l had o
,o+ chance In 500 Of being killed. OF one
49, twontv-dve of getting right where
ros am now. but a passenger on the TIA
u1d had one chance in about 3,OOo,oOo
NV hoino killed and one in 10000
the being hurt ,.,,
nv 81 see that a lot Of people were XII
a,, and q whole lot more hurt l c.
you want TO he a grumber but it appe'
ncl 70 me that you fellows have klh'
overlooked the fact that both OF
LOGS are gone. OF course that NIL
NOT mean much to you, but il !
int realized. as l do, that for the rest
iris INV life it is going to he my JoD
hat bobble out into the middle OF 50
bo oorntrv road and wave white nag
rrv ovorv train goes by-if you could II
Of tho what that means to an enslhe'
70 hear the hooking loot Of the
not file as she comes up to the Crossing
ears to see the syn pathetic salute Of
'ess. enginS-4T and fireman as they go Il.
ths.rcr NJ tell YOU, my boy, there are $
| for things worse than physical pam
de- His eyes filed with tears. The II
,lay" gently wiped them away and st
stroked back the hair
lat it 81 wouldn't talk any more now
'dern said. " u,
was All right, MISS he IeP'i0u' P"'
eforc out his hand to me. 81 always
orders."-B. Il. Winslow in New
Tribune. --------
Youth and Advice.
1 thn Natnrallv youth doesn't listen to