The Washington herald., 1913-09-13
Icopyright, lsl,, BY A. D. JGcobsOu.l

NlOp4Hsnls l1AJs " a. ~ SeS~S~S-'s
Comparatively few people know OF the
rigorous precautions taken by British
railway managers to insure the safety of
the King when he travels on their lines.
When King George goes to Balmoral all
that the public knows is that the royal
train left Euston and reached Aberdeen
and then Ballater in so many hours
after a speedy and safe trip" But the
Journey of 500 miles means the success
full accomplishment of an elaborate
scheme of arrangements in which not only
the chief officials of the line and the
crew of the royal train but nearly every
employe on the route has had some share.
A time table with the hours of de-
parture, of passing through every station.
and OF the arrival at Ballster terminus
of the North-of-Scotland Railway, nine
miles from BalmoraD, is prepared and a
CODY together with a special list Of gen.
eraI instructions is placed in the hands
of every person who may have some
work to do in connection with the run
ming of the train, way down to the switch
and fiagmen. These men are ordered 70
read the rules carefully and to obey the
instructions, as ignorance of them will
not be accepted as an excuse for failure
or neglect The sheet contains general
directions as to speed, emphasizing the
necessity of travelling with great caution
over sharp curves and through functions
and past crossings and impressing the
fact that an absolutely clear road must be
kept for the royal train.
When Queen Victoria used TO travel
from Windsor to Balmoral, a gold bor-
dered time table was provided for her
use. 1t showed the mileage and hours,
grades OF the line, and also the hills
and valleys all the way to Ballater, which
is SIS miles above sea-leveL
The royal train carries telegraph and
telephone instruments with all appliances
required SO that communication can be
established at a moments notice in case
OF emergency. There are special tele-
graph and telephone calls pre-arranged
FOR this emergency service. To these sig
nails, OF course, precedence must be given
The principal officers of the railway, In
cIuding chief locomotive engineer and
superintendent of traffice, always accom-
pany the royal train 30 as TO be on the
spot in the event OF anything unforeseen
happening On one occasion, when Queen
Victoria was on her way back from Bal
moral the engine driver of her train was
killed near Aberdeen. He had to go 10
the tender of his engine for some purpose,
and while passing under a bridge his
head struck the arch. But the train was
not stopped. The locomotive power su-
perintendent was on the engine and he
piloted the train to Perth, where the
body of the unfortunate engineer was
taken of. 1t was not until then that
the aged Queen was made aware Of the
accident. r..H
1t is rare that any uptoward incident
happens on royal journey; Everything
that human ingenuity can devise is done
to avoid accidents Fifteen minutes in
.ha rim n UilOf
engine so that il there is any danger
ahead or anything wrong with the track
timely warning will be given. Still even
then. accidentally or designedly. the line
could be blocked after the passage OF the
pilot engine, and before the arrival Of
the royal train, but that too would be
impossible. for the intervening space, at
distances not exceeding a quarter OF
mile, is guarded by a line Of trackmen
with hand signals. Each man on his
beat carefully examines the track before
the royal train approaches. CThis pre-
caution is not needed in Germany, nor a
pilot train, as the track on all railroads
there is patrolled day and night by men
who are housed in cottages mile dis
.tant and who must salute the conductor,
who sits in an elevated observatory
watching the track independently OF the
engine driver. The salute is the regH4s-
ton military-rlgnt-nahu-to u-to-Cdp-si ieeliIs
by day and lantern swinging by night If
the man is not at his post the train Is
stopped at once9
Each keeps within sight OF his fellow
on either side. This living link Of work
men stretches all the way from London
TO BaIlater, in the Deeside Highlands,
and is quite on the same order as the
precautions taken in Russia for the Gar.
But with all these elaborate precau-