Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-04
A Thrilling Incident i'm the Life of a
Locomotive Engineer.

Ia returning from Philadelphia, about the
middle of August, 1858, the cars were very
crowded, and my companion in the same
seat found out to be locomotive engineer,
and in the course of our conversation, he
made the remark he hoped he had run his
last trip upon a locomotive. Upon making
bold to ask his reason, he gave me the follow
ing story. and since then have found 1t out
to be strictly true:
':Five years since, was running upon the
New York Central Railroad. My run was
from B to R. 1t was the tightening
express train, and was what its name denotes.
for it was fast. l have seen her throw her
six foot driver so as to be almost invisible to
the eye. But to my story.
About half a mile from the village Of
there is nice little cottage but few feet
from the track At that time young marri-
ed couple lived there. They had one child.
q little boy about four years old. as bright
black-eyed, curly-headed little chap as you
ever saw. / had taken a great deal of inter-
est in the little fellow. and had thrown candy
and oranges to him from the train, and Twas
sure to see him peeping through the fence
when my train passed.
One fine sunny afternoon we were behind
time and running fast; we did not stop at
B, and l was to make up one hour before
reaching R. We came up at n tremen-
dOus speed, and when sweeping around the
two hundred feet ahead sat the little fellow
playing with kitten which he held inhiS lap.
AT the sound of our approach he looked up
and laughed, clapping his little hands in high
glee at the affrighted kitten as il ran from
the track. Quicker than the tightening that
blasts the tall pine upon the mountain top,
| whistled "down brakes" and reversed my
engines. but knew it was impossible to stop.
NObly did the old engine try to save him.
h., rnf.y
drivers told but too plainly of the terrific
velocity we had attained. | was out of the
cab window and down on the cow-catcher in a
flash. The little fellow stood still. | notion
ed him off and shouted; his little blue eyes
opened wide with astonGhment, and merry
laugh was upon his lips. | held my breath
as we rushed upon him, made a desperate at
tempt to catch him, but missed, aud as his
little body passed | heard the feeble cry of
Mother" and the forward tracks crushed
his body into atoms.
O, God. that moment! ! may live, sir, to
be an old man, but the agony of that moment
can never be erased from my memory. The
cars stopped some rods from the spot, and
ran back soon possible. His mother
saw the train stop, and a fearful fnreboding
flashed upon her at once. She came rushing
frantically to the spot where we stood.
Never shall forget the look she gave me as
would have given my whole existence to have
avoided that moment! | have seen deaths in
all it's forms upon railroads. have seen
men, women and Children, mangied and
killed. have seen all this, but that little
innocent boy, as he looked up in my face,
and was killed almost in my arms, lit umnerved
me, and from that day | made a solemn vow
never to run a locomotive more.
That young mother is now in the Utica
Lunatic Asylum. From the hour her boy
was killed treason had left its throne" He
stopped and wiped the tears from his eyes.
and said You may think it weak in me to
shed tears, but | cannot help it," mo" l
replied, ''but think il noble; and, sir, would
to God every man had a heart as large as
yoursi | have often thought since. how
few are those who give one passing thought
to the man OF strong nerves and stout arm,
who guides them through darkness and
storm, with the speed of the wind, safely to
their journeys end. They do, not, fer a
moment, turn their attention to the iron
monster that is dragging them forward with
fearful velocity to meet friends or relations.
They do not realize that the man who guides
the fiery monster holds all heirprecous lives
at his command, and that the least negligence
upon his part would cause sorrow and
mourning in thousand homes that are now
waiting the return of the absent loved one
CledUeldnd ReUie,o