The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-04-06
Fhe Hsrs.s OF the Losonestys.


Fhe Heress OF the Loeonestys.
The Independent gives some interesting
sketches of the engineers on our railroads.
We quote from it a few instances of personal
6deli,y and bravery
A few years ago my friend Osborne, who
has driven the locomotive for the main train
on the Morris and Essex Railroad for twenty
years al least, with fsultless faithiulness, waa
once delayed by snow on the track for several
hours, but received explicit orders from the
MISUNDERSTANDING that splendid officer who
has lately resigned his Office on the road
to Ego ahead. for the road was clear, and
no other train was ON the track. After sat
isiyiug himself that he ad not misunderstood
the order, he left The summit on steep down
grade ssd IN rounding sharp curve came
bp d train ipat was ascending the same grade
Under full head Of steam. In an instant be
Hhis,led down the brakes and reversed bic
engine. The noble thing, under such ire
nendous strain, as if fully aware of the dan
er, obeyed, and threw itself back to avert
be danger.
Meanwhile the her engineer had done
he s. me thing h his locomotive, but it
Us N ossi. 10 only to modify the shock
ogether rushed those two painting and TO-
ictant giants, their joint weight not less than
KY tuns, with the gath. rel momentum OF
leir following trains They rose like two
rious animals in fight standing on end, and
d tree the two splendid machines were a
reek. The cars behind them were also
kdiy crushed Orsborne did not leap ftom
engine. bat never moving his hands from
c levers which controlled il. be stood as
soluie as II rock at his post until the shock
me, and then quick rs thought, adjusted
valves TO allow the steam to escape with
an explosion Our war can furnish no
(arer proof of the finest courage than that
AT the crossing of the Morrs aud Essex
ilway and the Orange turnpike may be
n nagmau with one leg; the other he lost
he wreck have Just described. Had be
Orsbone's nerve to face danger he would
|e escaped also unhurt. Poor fellow the
d who issued the presumptuous binnder
day tried to buy him of from prescott
the company for the sum of one hundred
IRIS, an offer which poor "bob's" wife
With this query; "Mr. -, would you
one Of your legs FOR hundred dollars p
airing the war an incident occurred on
Pennsylvania Central which was related
pc by an eye witness. Ny informant was
a regiment OF soldiers going from Pitts
< TO Harrisburg in a special train. BE-
4Seen JobLstown and the summit they were
delayed by a freight train of the track, or
part Of its cars off. This they learned at one
Of the stations, and remained there until they
should be informed that the track was clear.
Il was in the night, and most OF the thousand
men on the train were asleen, unconscious of
their danger -Four heavily loaded coal cars
belonging to the train ahead had, by acci-
dent become detached, and began the de-
scent OF the heavy grade at speed which
soon became terrible. The engineer of the
special train heard the roar OF the descending
cars aud surnised what was the matter. In
an instant lie ordered his engine TO be d.
tached from the train, and put on steam 0
meet he runaway cars If possible, to break
their force and gave his train.
His locomotive was 4 large freight, and he
had moved several rods ahead when the coal
cars struck him ike thunderbolt, and
crushed his engine pa X on the train; but
his heroic courage had saved many lives.
His engine was utterly demolished. and many
OF his cars were also crushed bat so had he
broken the force of the shock that no lives
were lost The man name was Story, and
his grateful benehc aries presented him some
elegant silyer>plate, with the deed itself and
their names engraved on them. When asked
"Qaiek as lightning, | thought had better
die than TO have those runaway cars rrt slssL
,.to4sh aly lra,n, destroying hundreds T
Il was a heroic answer.
Let me relate one more incident in the
same line Fha, part Of the Marietta and
Cincinnati Railroad between Athens and the
OHIO river was formerly made famous by the
number OF lis long and high trsstle bridges.
With iss exceptions these are now hlied up,
and the road IS becoming one OF the best
Al one time the company we're IN great
straits, and many of their employees were un'
paid Some OF the men were desperate and,
a. the fact proved, dangerous On certain
evening train was approaching one OF thess
high reste bridges. II was knosa that the
directors of the roai we're aboard, and some
villain has determined 10 throw the whole
train from that bridge.
/ e engineer, lettus his train tpoye at th'
Ordinary speed, suddenly discovered that a
rail bad been displaced on the bridge ht
seemed 10 know insIinctiyesy that the mo
mentum WAS too great TO save the Who'll,
train aud he siguaied the brakes down and
reversed his engine. to stop if possible, the
cars before reaching the chasm. Then open
ing tho throttle valve, has engine sprsng Tor
ward SO violently as To break the connection
with the train, and dashed to the awful leap
The bold man, rs this was going on, ran gu
of his window on the engine and opened BIZ
escape valve.
Whilst standing there the engine went owe
with him, and marvellous to relate, he, falllnl
under the huge weight was preserved frou
being crushed by the engine bell at his side
The train, for the rescue of which he bad ex
hibited such incredible pluck, stopped JUS
soon enough to escape the horrible leap al
ter the engine This bold mans name
have not heard; but he recovered from hi
wounds, ard is still an honored employee c
the company.