Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1915-05-07
Hard-Headed Scotchman Who
Became Famous in the Rail-
road World.
AUTHORITY ON ACCIDENTS
Many Years Of Keen Observation
Gave Him Practical knowledge on
subject and Then He Wrote
Books About n.
by OSBORN MARSHALL.


ner Syndicate)
II was a warm evening IN June: still
there was breeze blowing in the sig
nal tower at the railroad station at
West Cambridge. Mass. and Fagan.
the leanfaced. eagle.eyed signalman
stationed there, was about the only
man In West Cambridge who wasn't
kicking about the heat. Maybe this
was because Pagan was 40 thin he
didn't mind high temperature or per.
haps n was because no was no inter.
ested In his little t2.b0a-day Job that
he didn't have time TO think OF his
own comfort.
Az Pagan looked up the rails his
trained eye caught sight OF the east.
bound freight train running toward
the signal tower Al tho same time
Pagan was aware that from the op-
posite direction there was coming an
express passenger train. The freight
train was running along NJ 20 miles
and hour and tho passenger train was
coming at full speed Both trains
were on time and both had n clear
right OF way. stIli Pagan kept his
keen eyes open. Then half mile
west OF the tower Fagan aplcd another
eastbound freight train running par.
allel with tho FIRST freighter. and Ia.
gan'a pulse beat faster m he noticed
that this train was enveloped In a
mist OF smoke.
"Hot box" thought Pagan. his eyes
intent on tho train. Wonder n tho
crew knows1"
There was no longer need OF asking
this question. for. az Pagan watched
he could see that n brakeman was on
top OF tho car watching tho trouble.
The brakeman knew and the conduc.
tor know. and OF course the engineer
know.
but why didn't tho engineer stop,
Why didn't ho throw on the throttle
that would bring HIS train to n stand
atiilf Pagan was an experienced sig
mailman and knew the answer 60 the
question. The freight train was near.
Ing It's terminal On the parallel east.
bound track was the other freight
aaih uHuf Win tliN tONt toT FhCt
that IL deep rooted IN every man
OF HIS trade. that locomotive engineer
was intent on jumping" tho other
freight train.
Horror Narrowly Avertsd.
II was a terrific risk 10 run with a
hot box. but apparently all hands
were eager 10 take the risk, eager 10
run the frightful race against appall.
Ing odds for the sake OF the sport that
vua In II. 30 the engineer had thrown
his engine wide open. held his breath
and let her go.
Fagan also held his breath and his
usually steady gray eyes were fred
with rage. for from his tower he could
see the westbound train bearing stead
fly down upon tho eastbound freight
trains. and he knew that tho paAsen.
ger train was crowded with men and
women and children who weren't 80
eager 10 run n race with hot box
as that crew OF the freight train was.
Fagan saw II all. but his hands were
tied. There was nothing under heaven
for him 10 do but walt. In few sec.
onds he would know tho outcome.
Az he watched eagerly. angrily even.
no could see tho chips flying from the
ties. showing that the melted journal
of the hot axle box had snapped In
two. Fagan shuddered as no knew
that Il was only question OF seconds
before tie burning freight car would
be derailed and the smash would
come. Still the passenger train was
bearing toward the racing freight
trains.
Then came the smashup. There was
n terrific crash. followed by n binding
smoke. and both eastbound and west.
bound tracks were blocked with twist.
cd rails. broken ties and derailed cars.
Pagan clenched his hands and looked
the smoke.
Thank Cod" he murmured. The
passenger train crowded with passen-
ger coaches and sleepera was Just It's
own length from the gruesome wreck
Il had covered tho distance and passed
the freight trains before the general
smashup came. only through a mir.
icle OF narrow escape,
This time the passenger train did
escape. but In other cases-eases
which Pagan had watched from his
iower-the passenger train hadn't es-
capped and men and women aud chill
iren hcd been sacrificed. Some OF the |
men considered such accl-
tents simply inevitable. Others ad.
nitted that they were due TO stupid
~. others TO negligence. others to the
mperfectlon OF rails. locone.s -SA and
AR structure. These were the highly
paid railroad men who were supposed
% know all about such thingA
Pagan Knew the Cause.
But Pagan. who drew his two dol.
airs and half a day and who watched
he trains from his watch tower and
studied tho human nature OF railroad
engineers and onduetors--Fagan
knew that these accidents we're avoid
lbla that they were due to lack OF