New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-07-01
rus kIiLE6Ab MAN AND
HIS WATCH.

It NAV be news to many that
the watch of the railroad man is
as necessary in modern railroad
ing as the airbrake. Without
accurate time keeping there
would probably be moro accl'
dents than if there were no ar
brakes. The train dipatcher
starts a train at a certain time
ha halts it at certain stations
certain times; he sidetracks 1t
for a period of varying length;
the watch Of the conductor
on the sidetracked train must
agree with the watch OF the
conductor on the express to
which he had to give way; each
station master along the road
checks the time of every train
that stops or flies past.
In order that there may be
agreement among all these rail-
road men there must oviously be
not only timepieces, but accurate
timepieces. There must also be
some means of inspecting the
timepieces to see if they are ac-
curate and if they agree with
some standard. The railroad
man is therefore compelled to buy
not simply an ordinary watch OF
reasonable val1e, but a partsc|
ularly good watch, a timeplece
which is knswn lin America as
the seventeen-jeweled patent reg
ulator, watch which is adjusted
to heat, cold, and at least three
positions. These three positions
are pendant up, as carried in the
pocket, dial up and dial down.
Such an instrument will not vary
more than thirty seconds a week,
which is a good deal more
curate than many scientific instru-
ments Of precision used in labor
altouies. Even human proneness
to error is considered in this mat
ter Of choosing a good railroad
watch. for a lever-set watch is
preferred to the peadant-set
watch because there is just the
chance that the stem OF the
pendant-set may not be pushed
back after setting, Through an
oversight.
On one great line about 5000
watches, worth on an average OF
$75 apiece { a low estimate) are
used. If we take into consldera-
| tiop the number of watches that
are used on other roads through
out the country, it is evident that
the value must run up into hum
dreds of thousands of dollars.
In order that the watch may be
kept up to a regular standard, it
must be inspected regularly.
There is not only a general time
inspector on most railroads, but
! a staff of local inspectors who
are placed along the road at con-
venient points, and to whom the
men may resort when they wish to
compare their time with the
standard time at that place.
Once every two weeks the rail-
road man submits his watch to
such an inspector casually a jew
eler or matchmaker by profess
sion.) The inspector gives his
expert opinion on the condition
of the time-piece. If it needs
cleaning he says so and does it;
if it is fast or slow he regulates
it, and not until it is running with
sufficient accuracy is it allowed to
escape from his care. A watch s
record is kept as if were thief.
So far as repairing goes, the rail-
road man is under no compul-
sion. He need not hand over his
watch to any particular watch
maker, or inspector, for repair,
but he can give it to any watch
maker in whom he has conf
dence. It must, however, be sub
mitted to the inspector before it
can be used in actual service.
That no favoritism is shown in
the matter of watches is evident
in the fact that no less than eight
different manufacturers supply
railroad watches. - Scientific
American.