The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-05-15
NEW SERIES---VOLUME O. NO. Al
heroes OF the Locomotive.

heroes OF the Locomotive
= The Independent contains some intc rest
ing sketches Of the engineers on our rail
! roads We quote from it few insta nee
of personal fidelity and bravesy:
"A few years ago my friend Osborne
: who has driven the locomotive For the mai
train on the Morris and Essex railroad fol
twenty yelTs at least, with fault!ess faith
= tulness, was once delayed by snow Oh tn,
tack for several hours, but received explic
5 1t orders from the uperintendent-n thai
spl ndid officer who has lately resigned his
Office on the road-''to go ahead, for the
road was clear, no other train was on the
track. After satisfying himself that he
had not misunderstood the order, he lett
the summit on steep down grade, and ia
rousldin3 sharp curve catie on a train
that was ascending the same grade under
full head eff steam. Insan instant he whis-
tied down brakes and reversed his engine.
The noble thing under such tremendous
strain, as If fully aware Of. the danger,
obeyed and threw itself back to avert the
danger. e-se .r.s
Meanwhile the other engineer had done
the same thing with his locomotive, but il
was possible only to modify the shock. To.
gether rushed these two painting and reluc-
tant giants, their joint weight not less than
sixty tons, with the gathered momentum of
their following trains. They rose like two
furious animals in fight, standing on end;
and in trice' the two splendid machines
were wreck. The cars behind them we re
also badly crushed. Osborne did not leap
from his engine, but, never moving his
hands from the levers which controlled it,
he stood as resolute as rock at his nost
until the shock came; aud then, quick as
thought, adjusted his valves to allow the
steam to e. sape without an explosion. Our
war can furnish no clearer proof 6f the fn-
est courage than that.
At the crossing of the Morris and Essex
| Railway and the Orange turnpike may be
seen a hagman with one leg, the other he
lost in the wreck | have just described:
Had he had Osborne's nerve to face dan
ger, he would have escaped also unhurt.
Poor fellow! the man who issued the pre-
sumptuous blupder that day tried to buy
him off from prosecuting the company for
the sum Of one hundred dollars, an offer
which poor "Bob's wife met with this
query: Mir, would you sell one of
your legs for a hundred dollars2' 7."'
During the war an incident occurred on
the Pennsylvania Central, which Ras relat-
ed to me by an eye wstness. My inform
dhI was Win d regiment VI soiuieFs RolnS
from Pittsburgh to Harrlsburgh in special
train. Between Johnstown and the SUM
nit they we're delayed by a freight train off
they learned at one of the stations, and re-
mained there until they should be informed
that the track was clear. 1t was in the
night and most of the thousand man on the
the train were asleep, uRconcious of their
danger. Four heavily loaded cars belong.
to the train ahead, had, by accident, became
detached and began the decent Of the heavy
grade at q speed which SOON became terri
BILE. The engineer of the special train
heard the roar Of the descending cars, and
surmised what was the MATES. In an In
slant he ordered his engine to be detached
from the train, and put on steam t. meet
tho runaway cars, if possible, to break their
force and save his train.
His locomotive was large freight, and
he had moved seveal rods ahead when the
coal cars struck, him, like a thunderbolt,
and crushed his engine back on the train;
but his heroic courage had saved many
lives. His engine was utterly demolished,
and many of his oars were also crushed; but
be had so broken the force Of the shook
that no lives were lost. That mans name
was Story. and his grateful benefciaries
presented him some elegant silver plate,
with the deed itself and their names en-
graved on them. When asked why he did
not abandon his train, he replied, Quick
as lightning, | thought had better die
than to have those runaway cars cut clean
through my train, destroying hundreds!"--
1t was heroic answer: .r-.. 80.
Let Inc relate one more incident in the
same line. That part of the Marietta and
Cincinnati railroad between Athens and the
Ohio river was formerly made famous by
the number of its long and high trestle
bridges. With few exceptions these are
now filed up, and the road is becoming one
of the best. At one time the company were
in great straits, and many OF their employ
els were unpaid Some Of the men were
desperate, and, as the fact proved, danger
ous On certain evening a train was ap-
one of these high trestle bridges.
1t wasaknown that the directors were aboard,
and sone Williams had determined to throw
the whole train from that bridge.
The engineer, letting his train move at
the ordinary speed, suddenly discovered
that rail had been displaced on the bridge.
He seemed to know instinctively that the
momentum was to great to save the whole
train; and he signalled the brakes down
ard reversed his engine, to stop, if possibles
the cars before reaching the chasm. Then
opening the throttle valve, his engine sprang
forward SO violently as to break the connec-
ton with the train, and dashed to the aw-
full leap. The bold man, as this vas going
on, ran out Of bis window on tM engine
and opened the escape valve.
While standing there the engine went
over with him, and, marvellous to relate, be
falling under the huge weight, was preservi
ed from being crushed by the engine bell at
his side. The train, for the reseuH of which
he had exhibited such incredible pluck,
stopped just soon enough to escape the hor-
riblo leap after the engine. This bold mans
name have not heard; but he recovered
from his wounds and is still an honored
employee Of the company.