Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-17
Why the Railroad Telegrapher Quit.

was followed by three other sections,
about 10 minutes apart. No. 81. east
bound, was to meet No Al, DE. of
three sections, westbound. somewhere
between Ashtabula and Conneaut, II
miles away.
Some time before midnight I got or
der No. % from the dispa tcher at Con
neaut. He says to copy nine. that Is
a copy OF the order for the conductor
and engineer of each of the four sec
lions and one for myself, making nine
In all.
No. 9S is a time order on the first sec
ation of "a at Fargo. A few minutes lat
ter comes order No. SO. also copy nine.
which annuls 9s so far MS firsk 81 Is.
concerned, which gets time order at
gravel pit further east, where 1t was
to wait for all three sections of west
bound A.
WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTED.
When the first 81 came in delivered
both orders to the conductor and engi-
neer and got their siss. all right.
remember Pease was the engineer, and
he said: This Is no good to ms" and
crumpling up order IS In his hand,
tossed it away The conductor did the
same
You understand that for them order
9S was annulled. But their action of
tossing the order away lmpelied me
absent mindedly to do likewise.
scrumpled up my order and tossed 1t
through the window.
1t was a bad night, showing and
blowing hard. J. told the dispatcher
that the first 81 was gettin' held UP at
Les. A freight was crossing. He says
o. k, and let him know when second
54c-m-g.
The second, third and fourth 81 came,
tla{p nd
two necessary "sigs" to order 80 from
each section. Then I sent the "sigs"
TO the dispatcher to show him | was on
the lob and that the sections had their
order.
He comes back at me quick: go
ahead .sigs. 9S."
Right here I went crazy,
Order No. 9S. annulled for the first
section, was intended for the three sec
tons following, And l had not deliv-5
cred 1t to them.
L could see the first two sections
meeting and piling UP somewhere In
that 14-mile stretch of snow covered
track jumped up and did fool trot
around the stove and back, pulling my
hair. The dispatcher was waiting, and
| / knew it
GO ahead 'sigs.' 9s," he repeated,
and his sending was impatient.
SENT OUT "A LIE.
or course had the names. They
were on order 90. All / had to do was
copy them Without reasoning that
it was a wicked thing to do or that Il
was only making terrible mistake
worse Il sat down. and with fingers
that trembled / sent the dispatcher
lie! sent him the "sigs." which was
the same as saying order 9S had been
delivered to second, third and fourth
"a.
Then followed two of the most fright
full hours ] ever endured. ! pictured
the awful wreck which | was convinced
was the author of. The two first sec
tons would meet head on. Because
Of the wildness of the night flags could
not be seen far behind. The following
sections would hit the wreck. one af-
ter another. 7 could see the dead and
dying-hear the screech of escaping
steam-fcei the awful impact as the
trains met.
HOURS OF SUSPENSE.
There were no telegraph stations be-
tween Ashtabula and Conneaut There
was absolutely no way to find out what
damage l had done byr my care
lessness. could only wait strainins
for the first toot of the first II coming
into Ashtabula Then I would know
that somehow Al had got through.
But the thing couldn't happen. The.
trains were bound to meet II L was
,,rlzy before ! was Il maniac now.
ran out OF the shanty into the storm.
i raced, stumbling and falling, over the
tracks | skunk back into the shanty.
sroaned aloud. lay down and
srovelcd on the floor Then l sang
and shouted. trying to forget.
Two hours.
Now this is what was happening
while raved, The first 81 lost time
in the storm. and when it reached gra-
vel pit its three following sections were
right behind And there was Al. the
first section, in plain sight on the sid
ing. the headlights OF the following sec
lions shining into the ca bosses in front.
So there was no danger.
The siding at gravel pit is only long