Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-09-30
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
smashuP-There Are Some Things
Worse Than Physical Pain.

smashuP-There Are Some Things
Worse Than Physical Pain.
Il just dropped in to tell YOU that
I the coroner's jury has cNoncrated YOU
/ from all blame for the wreck. They
are going 10 hold the block tower
man"
The old engineer turned his pain
drawn face toward me- 4 white cap
| ped nurse gently brushed back the
wild hairs from his forehead.
Thank you. miss" be said. and you.
too. sir. for the good news. I knew
they couldn't blame it on me. because
It was white at Mentor Poor Denny.
he'd tell YOU SO. too, If he was alive.
All white" he shouted when we came
round the curve, and I gave him the
answer All white" and pulled her
wide open. Then we struck the emp
ties on the siding. and-weu. You know
the rest" He wiped trembling hand
across his eyes rs If trying 20 blot out
some horrible Vision.
His eyes began to sparkle. and a bit
of color flashed into HIS pale cheeks.
Il suppose you fellows think I opened
her up and Went into those boxes Just
Tor fun y smile fitted over his lips.
and then he grew serious. SAY. did It
/ ever come 20 your mind that an en-
gineer might be as anxious about his
| own life as hc Is about the lives II
those who are riding behind him: Ny
/ wife and little one-don't YOU suppose
my life counts for something with
them:
Did YOU ever stop TO think what a
collision like that 1T Mentor means 10
/ the engineer: Just try 10 figure YOUR
| self 81 his place. he rides in four
square feet OF cab room. surrounded
4 by mass Of levers, rods and the like.
/ Ahead Of him is about three miles OF
/ boiler pipe. carrying POO pounds OF
/ steam pressure and enough hot water
! 70 cook the meat OF his bones in Il
/ j.ry. Gathering ut his back IS 5000
gallons OF water and 10000 pounds OF
coal. Under him IS 100000 pounds
OF engine. and behind there IS
! 10000 pounds OF train. Altogether Lc
IS running along ahead Of 100000
/ pounds o. steel. hardwood and brass
held to an eighty pound rail Icy three
! quarters OF an inch Of wheel aance.
Why, when one Of those big Rus
SIAN batcleShips fired 4 broaGside nc
/ the Japanese the whole thir-
amounted only To 2LOOO pounds. 50 the
! papers say. And that $4,000 pound is
travelling eight miles u minute would
strike Japanese ship eight miles
| away with an impact only one-tea.h
OF the force we hit the empues at
Mentor.
"Of course I was the engineer AMI
they depended on me. There IS al-
ways a lot of fine talk about engineers
having the lives OF several hundred
/ passengers in their hands. That's all
very true. but You don't want % over
1 look the fact that the engineers lie
] IS right there alouS with the others.
/ We all take chances. the train crew
rs well rs the passengers. only our
/ chances are simmer. had one
chance in SEQ Of being killed. or one in
! twenty-five OF getting right where
/ am now. bur passenger on tile train
/ had one chance in about 100000 of
being killed snd one IN 10000 81
being hurt.
Il see that lot Of people were killed
]
/ want 90 pa a grumbler bur il appears
10 me that you fellows have kinder
| overlooked the fact that both Of ms
legs are zone. or course that micht
not mean much 10 YOU. hut Il YOU
I realized. as J do that for the rest 81
my life Il is going 20 he my Job %
/ hObble out into the middle OF some
! country road and wave a white hac ass
! every train goes by-if YOU could real
| lie what that means 20 an engineer
TO hear the hooking foot of the wills
Tie rs she comes up 10 the crossing anl
10 see the sympathetic salute of tha
engineer and fireman is they 20 nyiug
| BY tell YOU. my boy, there are some
things worse than physical pain"
His eyes dlled with tears The nurse
gently wiped them away and softly
| stroked back the hair
Il wouldn't talk any more now" she
said.
"An right. miss" ne replied. putting
! out his hand TO me. i always obey
orders. b. r. Wiuslow in New York
/ Tribune.