The Railway Employee from Parsons, Kansas • 3

His Nerves Shattered. Familiar Spirits. The Pecos River Bridge. Speakln' of Liars. "Speakin gliosis," said an old time One of the two or three highest bridges ''Talking- of liars who invent their tales When I was with the Missouri Pacific some years ago there was in our employ K.

T. fireman, as he moved a little in tins world is ilin nw.r iim Vira on what they suppose lo be the truth, an engineer named Wes Haley, who was one of the best men I ever saw in a cab. reminds me of an old plug puller on our road'', said General Foreman Brehm, of closer to the round house stove, "speakin' lliyer, Texas, winch was completed last o' spirits reminds me of a soak we put up year. It is on the line of the Southern on Terranco Costhello, out at the front- Pacific Railway, and its construction which incidentally, gentlemen, are the shortens the former line of the road by lie was a earful man and conscientious the M. K.

T. as ho changed his geat lo to a fault far as his work was concern' tret awav from tho dazzln of Will Mad- i i. i ji -1. i j. i uu; uui ior an mat ne seemeu to nave no 00Tfr nin thn amou m- place to see life.

11:2 miles, besides some heavy saving "Old ted was night wiper in the round- grades and avoiding 1, ad curves. The conception oi tne meaning ox me wom QjHig' cheap ci'ar .1 il. It-)' icar, ana was iuiowu as mu lasiusi ruiiuur pffv OTUi th atnvn house the biggest one on earth, had the bridge is lo9 ftct longer than the famous UU IIIUIIHU. XU1 UHH I ViloVU put mill (J argument about th(J wdgllt of ft hull sky for a roof and every time the lunzua viaduct, built in 1882, and 18 feci, pay car came in the old o' the moon Ted higher, while its longest span is 185 feet on me last man ueiwcen ivansas anu lint pn tft II I I I A I 4-. I aeuana, anu ior more man a year juu iook scajes it 1 I il saturated his hide with sheep-dip and was against a span of only Gl feet, as the amon? the missin' for about fortv-eiirht longest in the ivinzua structure.

A me tram mrougu on time, icannot recau Tm a dlm, sa-1 a mj an instance during that time when he was a somewhat higher and similar bridge hours. is the Loa viaduct, erected iu Uolivia tiki 1 i- 1, I "Ai last, nowever, misioriune ovuiiook wc5die(i Whv here some vears aso au 1889, but the longest span of the Loa him. He had been engaged to be married didn't weigh over seventeen ton, a It 1.1" .1.1 .11 I -J 6 structure is only 80 feet, and its total "Ted owned a small slianty and a large wife who, the wife, I mean always hunted him when he was burdened by a 'jag' and invariably wept on finding him, declaring that be had her heart scalded. 10 a young lauy wno nveu ai a smau sia- length but 800 feet, the height being 35JO feet. nuutiiuug inc hub, uui, nb ivu nn.tho north rlivisinti? Wll slinnlfl sometimes they quarreled, ana es leu The Pecos Fuvcr bridge is 2,180 feet.

"Well, me and iialdy Ilootcn, Flat- lnnff nlmfownt. Wfillu niwl it iu i xivvv, uuyo. uuu i jvuwvv muiu, ami wheel Davis an' Stutterin' Jim, we went back, but he was obstinate ana maae no llpnr tn1(1 hut whm built oi plate and lattice girders resting to the old woman and 'lowed we'd help reply. After a few days he reconsidered on steel towers. There are 84 tower plate girder spans, each 85 feet long; one iuo mitci umvuu j.ui a lajr-uii, knQW on(J time wh WRg Qn i.

i m44.i rtf I her to scare Ted so's he forgit to drink enny more, Ted war powerful mg 10 go out aim buaiguiuu up luunuis a. Rt Tnnrl.nnip. -m -w a. .1 1 I once, lie sent no wora, mienamg plate girder span 54 feet long; eight latticed spans G5 feet long; two cantilevers 'We got the old woman to dress up in surprise her, and that very night she threw engine, the hub was 102 feet inches long each; two canti- sheets, like a made-a-purpose ghost nerse.i in iront oi uiigiuu uuu orever Mlti nff hot. I contendin' that she lnvp.rs 70 fW't lnnr nnp.1i nml nnt -siw- iiir ii.

i-i riding Kiueu. vv es was uu uiu nam, uui got hot when the engin' was working hard only she was sorter a bad build for spookin pcndcd span 80 feet lonr. The height and stand in a dark cornet of the and cooled off when running down hill on the rear coach, an extra man being in his place in the cab. I never saw a man frnm tlin lmr nf tlio rnila tr tlin surface At. 1 PlIUUV J.

I i-M 1IVIDJ L'UU and the master mechanic savin tt was of the water is 820 feet 10f inches, and to then we hunted Ted up, threw a bracer inter him, and started him for home, so completely crushed in my life. ause she was too heavy on her trucks. "lie went back to work in a few days We sneaked around to hear the inter "Well, the long and short of it was he took his old run, his heart was gone. the bed of the river is 880 feet. It has 28 supporting towers, all but the two supporting the cantilevers being built of steel Z-bars.

All of the towers rest on view, Knowin that the oiu woman had said we'd weigh her, and I said he couldn't tell nothing by that, but he kinder sneered For several nights I noticed that his train learned her part well was reported late, and I sent for him. "Ted was a-hummin' 'Wearin 'o the at me." cut stone piers, some of the piers in the I asked him about it, and he broke down and stumblin' along the path, "I ruu her out onto the scales, and she rge being carried down when alter onct he slammed up agin the weighed 96,000 to a "Now, says he, 80 to 40 feet to bed-rock. The anchor and cried like a child. His courage was none, he said, and he dared not rush his engine to the old speed. Tho upshot of ghost.

'just back her drivers off and I'll weigh 'Oi cum, oh damned bibblcr of apiz her trucks." ages for the tower feet carrying the cantilevers were built into the piers; but for the other towers the anchor bolts ened stew, to take away thy carrion I backed her off, put the brake on the it was we were compelled to put mm on a slow train, and he never could be induced says the ghost, with an accent that gave tank, stood the reverse lever in the center were set in Portland cement mortar after to pull a fast train again. He is only one away its nativity. of the number of engineers I have known Ted started as if stabbed, clapped and pulled her wide open. Just slammed the hull boiler pressure right into her valves, and say, they couldn't find weights during my railroad experience to loose his hands to his head, never takin' his the completion of the piers. A wind pressure of 50 pounds per square foot is provided for with the structure unloaded, and 80 pounds when loaded.

their courage, and I never knew one oi eyes off the ghost, that pointed its finger enongh around them scales to weigh them to regain it. at him. Here the president of the club rose It requires nerves of iron to pull one of "Finally he found his blarney spiggot The principal dimensions are as follows: Feet. Inches gravely, cleared his throat, and said: and says I trust our visisor will be the bearer of the modern Uyers, and that nerve once lost by any mishap, an engineer is useless Total length, 2,180 'Who, in the name of the Ilowly a letter to this gifted young amateur -the secretary will please enclose a free mem -r all time as a last runner, his is a Height above surface of water 320 103-4 Mother, are fact known to old railroad men, nearly 'Oi am the Length of longest bent ill 0 3-4 bership. Wereco'nize an artist when we see or hear one, and I trust a little culti all of whom have met with stories similar Width of towers c.

toe. of bents. 35 'The says Ted, kinder thinkin' to that of poor Wes Haley." San Fran Hue, 'the owl divel hisself? Well, sir, Longest span 185 vation of this uncouth engineer will de cisco Call. Width over all 10 velop him into a liar worthy to be at the (advancing an unstiddy step), 'shake hands wid Ted Costhello, I'm married til head of this association. Width c.

-tec. of trusses 10 ToTake Lime or Other Scales out of a sister o' Whose' got a match?" Gauge of railway 4 81-2 an Injector. Weight of iron work 1,820 tons. When an injector becomes sealed up it It would make an American fireman's Batter of posts 2 in of I an does more harm than cood to at Too Much Comfort. heart ache to see how faithfully all hands In erecting the iron work a traveler tempt to remove the deposits with tools Stepping upon an passenger stick to the hand brakes on engine and was employed, which had au arm 124 feet Scale can be removed very thoroughly engine in the Charitig Cross station, Lon- tender in Europe.

The runner rarely 5 inches long, with a wheel base of 57 feet hy immersing the entire injector in a don, says an eastern Journal, we took a liquid compound of one part muriatic survey of the footplate and its attach- "plugs" his engine around tho yard and composed of two main trusses 10 even the switchers wait for the fireman, feet apart, which carried ilu? weight oi acid to eight pans of water. ments, and, with view a of striking up an the screw brake and the wooden block to the overhanging part and rested directly Leave the instrument the bath as acquaintance with the grizzly old runner, do the stopping. ovcr cirdeH 0f the viaduct, and two long as it boils; when the scale is dis- We ventured to remark: 1 1 At 1 I -m 1 The brake staff is generally incased in secondary trusses, 18 feet apart, built solved this boning action wm cease, "That cab would hardly do us a 4 or 5 in cli tube and the handle is not the support. The structure was built timn the acid would injure the brass, but America." unlike a street-car brake except that it is 0f Dine, except the iron tension members ii, will not hurt to leave an injector in It was merely an iron sheet, straight straight. It is generally polished all over nnn nin nlnios.

and a 4 foot-, son ho- oyer night; two hours, ho is usually up, with two hinged glasses set in, and and carefully scoured daily, and oiled lo twecn the inside and the outside trusses long enough so do the work. Should the called the "spectacle plate." prevent rust when the engine is left in was tilled with 50,000 pounds of rails, an scale dissolve too slowly, a rtroner solu- "Thev tell me it's a bit colder there the shed or yard. addition to the counter balance being tion, say one part acid to six of water may than 'ere; they 'ave ye boxed up like, i be used. beside this, the device is almost miiver- mUie bv clamping to 'the top chord of aint that un'andy?" This receipt is worth remembering and sally placed in the way, taking up much hhe supporting girders. "Oh, no, we are as used to it as you are may save lots of trouble where injectors, VcUUllUlU IUUIU.

A Pint, ln nnolmm to being out oi doors, dure say we In some classes of engines theic is a I hecks or other valves and cocks arc par could get used to your cab. but every man screw brake on both sides of the engine, luu i'" UUJ waB tially filled with lime in America would strike if he couldn't bit The acut solution must be kept in a down, Are there no seats at all?" there being no beams across from one to taKen apart and carried a instance oi the other; in this case it is not uncommon 37 miles by rail to reach the place where st glass, or lead vessel "Seat? Sit down! Why, man, I never 'eard of ihe like; don't you get drowsy?" to see botti enginemeu screwing away at ntino wstum nml of iho V-k A 1 1 1 1 1 He will be Rewarded. "No, it rests us." tncm. un some oi tne oiucr tcnucrs structUre. On its working deck were two there are alSO tWO.

Iinllora ennntvinnr ctnnm tn tivn nmrim s. "Scat? Sit down! Well, I just wish The daily papers a short time ago con- rower brakes on train and engine ao ca iavmir four snools Wolking inde- my chief could 'ear you talk. tamed the following telegraphic dispatch: not seem to dimmish tne prestige or tne ncn(ieutl and on the lower chord of the "The wind blew a hurricane on the Pen "Why, do you see 'ow for it is from the deck h'over that wheel cover to the side has in obscot Mountain last night. A heavy arm ran a car supporting an A-crab by hand "sqmuch" iu Europe as it Yankeedom. which all iron was ra'sed and carried out Wen, no man can see Jersey Central Railroad freight train was of the engine? to a point ovcr its intended position the structure.

Some ot the puces A runaway engine on he Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul road, a short time weighed more than ten tons each. In ago caused great consternation near Will iamsburg, Iowa. An engine and caboose colided with a dirt train, aud the engineer erecting the pairs of cantilevers the portions oyer the towers were first erected, the shore cantilevers being then built from the tower, toward the shore, when the traveler was moved back over the towers to creel the suspended span. To comiujr down the mountain.

The vio- h'over it; I step back into tho gangway nee of the wind drove the train ahead. Jo see signals and often stand therefor The engineer could not control it. lie miles. Well, sir, I made a bit of a stool whistled down brakes, but the brakemen like, a board on two blocks, so I could see thought she was running away, and over and at the same time be out of the rumped from their posts. The engineer stok r's way.

Rut one day the Chief followed suit. The firemen, however, comes up and spies it and says he to me, climbed over the tender, and mounting says he. 'Why the blooming 'ell don't box cars, put on the brakes, lie brought you bring your bloody bed h'oa the en- tlie train to a staul-still after running six gine? Take that blasted girl baby play- milcs. The railroad company will prob- thing off the foot-plate h' and stand h'up ably reward to your work like a man fireman, seeing the disaster, reversed the engine and jumped. The reversed engine piled up the cars of ihe dirt train and then started backward wild.

After killing a make the adjustment for connecting the horse and a cow it wassooppedac Conroy, halves of the suspended span a 20 ton ten miles north. was employed..