Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 143, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1913 — KEEP OFF THE TRACKS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

KEEP OFF THE TRACKS

ONLY SAFE RULE IF ACCIDENTS ARE TO BE AVOIDED. Various Reasons Why sn Approaching Train Cannot Always Be HoardRules That, at Least, Should Be Observed. In England and Germany and some other countries, no one thinks of walk-

ing on the railroad tracks. They would no more do that than they would walk into a man’s private garden or bathe in his fountains. Any one caught walking on the tracks in those countries is promptly arrested and fined heavily

for the offense. Do not believe that a train can always be heard. It cannot. For. this reason people are killed. People think they can hear the noise of a train when it is far away. A lot of these people have been struck by locomotives when an instant before they would have taken their oath there was not a train within half a mile of them.

The noise made by a fast railway train is chiefly directed away from the train at the side. Comparatively a small portion of the noise is projected along tfce track in front of the train. Any other unusual noise at the same time may divert a person’s attention from the noise made by an approaching train. Another reason why trains may come upon a person walking on the track before he realizes their approach is a quality that sound possesses in common with other wave phenomena, although to a less degree, of traveling Jn straight lines. Thus a fast train approaching a sharp curve on the concave side of which there is high ground and on the convex side a broad plain will give a person on the curve almost no warning of its approach until it swings into view, a short distant away.

Walking on a road with two or more tracks is particularly dangerous. A large portion of accidents to trespassers occur on double-track roads where a man in getting out of the way of one train steps onto the other track in front of another train which he has not seen or heard.

It seems worth while, therefore, to set dowfi the following rules which should be observed by every one who walks on the railway track, as follows: (1) Keep constant watch of the track, both in front and behind; (2) watch and listen with particular care when approaching a curve, while on the curve, and after passing the curve; (3) when walking on a double-track road, keep on the left-hand track and do not fail to keep watch also in the rear, since reverse movements are sometimes made on this track; (4) it is better to walk beside the track than to walk the ties; (5) when tempted to walk on the track, remember that you are placing yourself in greater danger than exists in the most hazardous class of railway employment, and choose some other path! , Above all, remember it is much better to take a little more time and walk around by the road, rather than walk on the track and have your friends says (as they attend the services): "I wonder what he was thinking about that occupied his minds to such an er tent he*couldn’t hear the train!”