The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-16
> Webb &. Ball Discusses
By JAMES II. MORROW.


lights. the white lights. and the red |
lights, the wooden arms that reach |
across the tracks, the rail makers the |
ear builders, and the train dispatchers to |
make travel both swift and safe by day |
and night
II may be, in the way OF protecting |
lfe and in the matter Of saving legs and |
arms, not to mention heads. necks, and |
backs. that Webb c. Ball. time expert |
on $4,000 miles of railroads. is beating |
all the hospitals in the United States |
and most of the doctors. besides. II |
may be.
IF ones watch were thirty seconds slow |
or fast, il would make no appreciable |
difference in the routine Of ones pleas |
ure or business. Measured in feet, how
ever thirty seconds equal half a mile |
and more to the locomotive engineer of |
a high velocity special OF twentieth |
century fier. half mile either way
from the approximate spot of the run
ming schedule might mean 100 lives and
o property loss OF many thousands of
dollars.
Keeps watches in Order.
It is Mr.. Balls duty TO see that the
watches Of engineers and conductors
from New York to San Francisco and
from Chicago TO New Orleans are so
nearly exact month in and month out
that side-swiping and collisions, head-on
and from behind are az least theoretI-
cally impossible. if orders are obeyed
and signals are rightly read and not dis
regarded. Nearly all the great railway
systems OF the United States have put
the technical details Of their time into
HIS management. lie has offices in
Cleveland. Chicago. and San Francisco.
and his assistants are travelling the
country constantly.
Ultimately, of course, some man would
have thought out his scheme Of watch
and clock inspectiOn-as some other man
than Morse would have invented the
teiegTaph-but to Mr.. Ball alone as a
pioneer belongs the honor Of its con-
ception and perfection He IS sixty years
old. 7 would say at a guess. and while
his hair and beard are pretty gray. the
steam Of youth is IN his step and the
eaEerness Of youth is in HIS vision More
over, lie IS an energetic and prosperous
merchant and manufacturer.
i was a farmers son he said. and
my first investment was merino lamb
that 7 bought of Columbus Delano. our
nearest neighbOr and the Secretary Of the
Interior during the administration Of Gen.
Grant. While learning the watchmaker's
4 F.,r4 Hr4e
second year my wages were 81 week.
No boy would apprentice himself so
cheaply nowadays, mechanical fact that
may not be conducive To good craftsman
ship
When did YOU begin" 7 asked. TO
regulate the watches and clocks OF rail-
ways?'
His Watch out of Order.
Eighteen years ago there WAS a bad
wreck on the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern Railroad" Mr.. Ball answered
The fast mall known as No. +, was go
ing east. An accommodation train was
coming west. At Elyrla twenty-five
miles from Cleveland, the engineer and
the conductor OF the accommodation were
given orders 10 let the fast mail pass
them at Kipton. a small station west OF
Oberlin. the university town. As the ac-
commodatian was leaving the station al
Elyria, the telegraph operator ran 10
the platform and verbally cautioned the
engineer and conductor. although both
men had been given their orders in
writing"
" Be careful. the operator shouted.
No. is on time
" Go 10 thunder the conductor called
back 7 know my business
From the time the train left Elyria
until 1t collided with the fast mail al
Kipton. the conductor. as he admitted
afterward. did not take his watch out Of
his pocket. He said that he supposed the
engineer would look out for No. 4. But
the engineers watch stopped four minutes
and then began running again. a little
matter Of life and death OF which he
YVES unconscious There were several
stations between Elyria and Kipton. hu;
the engineer pounded slowly along in the
belief that he had time to spare I.eav-
ing Oberlin. he supposed he had seven
minutes in which to reach the meeting
point OF course. he had only three min
utes. Had the conductor looked at his
own watch he could have prevented the
accident.
The trains came together at Kipton.
the fast mail at full speed and the ac-
commodatiOn under brakes. because II
was nearing the station. The engineers
Of both trains were killed. and the dead
bodies Of nine clerks We're taken from the
kindling wood and broken iron OF the
postal cars The railroad sustained
heavy loss in property, and a large guam
tlty Of mail matter was either lost or
destroyed. There was an official inquiry
into the wreck, and the coroner of Lo-
rain County summoned me as a witness
as an expert In Watches I might say.
The ease was finally carried into the
United States court at Toledo. and I went
there several times to testify.
Finds Variable Time.
Returning to Cleveland on one oc-
casion with John Newell, president Of
1.-THE Lake Shore road. and William II.
Cannif. the superintendent, / suggested a
plan OF watch inspection. The Kipton
accident proved that the watch of one
Of the engineers was unreliable, and th:t
the conductor Of the accommodation
train had neglected his business. A meet
Ing OF The operating officers of the rail-
way was held soon after and I was au-
thorized TO get Up a scheme of inspec-
ton and also to investigate conditions
on all the important lines east Of Chicago.
! found that railroads We're run hit or
miss. with respect 20 clocks and watches.
and that practically every city and town
had It's own uncertain and variable time.
IN some instances the ringing Of the
school bells or the whistles Of factories.