St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-08-27
Terrible Race Uith a Burning oil
Train.

lCfTfOtC Atet' " 1870 '''''3
Train.
The Grand Rapids (NIichisan) Eagle
tells the following exciting story of ter
rible race with a burning oil train which
took place on the Buffalo, Cory and
Pittsburg Railroad. From the BrOckton
station Mayville, at the head of Chautau
uua Lake, distance of only about ten
miles, a train is carried over an elevation
OF 700 feet From the station to the
summit the grade is about eighty feet to
the mile, with curves which increase
the distance by four miles. It is over
this road that the immense quantities of
petroleum are brought:
son Tuesday evening about 9 O'Clock
a train consisting of six oil cars and
two passenger cars reached the sum-
NIT on its way to the junction. Here, by
some cause as yet unexplained, one OF
the oil tanks took fire. The passenger
cars were at once detached, and the
brakes stopped them. Next the oil cars
were cut off, and the locomotive, tender
and boX-car, containing two valuable
horses and two men, passed down the road,
the engineer surprising that the brakemen
on the oil cars would arrest the course of
those but what was his horror. on look
ing back, to ,-e the six cars in pursuit OF
him down the grade i'll flames. They
not only pursued, bu- overlook him.
striking the boX-car with inconceiveabie
force, knocking the horses and men fiat
upon the floor, and yet, almost mlracu-
lousy, not throwing the engine from the
track.
1t was now with the engineer a race
for life, and he gave the engine every
ounce of steam. Looking south from the
place of my residence ut that terrible
luncture, one OF the most magnificent
spectacles was witnessed that q man sees
in lifetime 4 sheet of intensely bright
flame, sixty feet high, was seen coming
down that southern slope, apparently
with the speed OF meteor, and really
very near the speed of hurricane
eighty miles an hOur); for pursued and
pursuer flew over the course, or rather
down it, and around the curves, at the
rate of more than seventy miles an hour,
AS the engineer declares, and as every
body can believe who witnessed the spec
taclc The whole heavens were illumir-
ated, and the landscape was Int up a. by
the MONDAY light. Onward and down
ward flew the engine, and behind it flew
and Numbered the huge fiery demon.
r,rnli,yfAt- ,H-.i,rIt L
against the fugitive, as if instinct with Il
purpose to drive il from the track 1t
seemed rs ii 10 the heroic engineer and
fireman there was 4 perfect environment
of peril. The speed ot the engine WIS
such that 1t ceased to pump then again
the Cincinnati express was due III the
junction at this time. The engineer OF
the oil tram whistlcd open Switch and.
shaking hands with the fireman. they
babe each other farewell, knowing tlat
their lives depended an tie openinL q, +
the Lake Shore switch hv their friends
below. and tins was 10 impertI the eN-
press tram coming down from the west
with lis living human irriy!t. The en-
giueer on thI~ tram saw the ire when II
first Lr,L. nm, -, rb.. .,,,,,;t .rI .r,
n,.iro he c,uIJ rIrar rL,. ;nnr,;on ,,t,r.
the flaming terror reached II, ne. too. put
~. ..,,,;r., IN ,l,.. r,,nn.t .,,,'.i -, , Ia,..,
.,r,L.. 4 mil. .Lnrt nf Tho ;rr,,,,n ~.
-,,,. ,L.. ,I'.' ..i,r, u.,s Vim ~. 49,,
,I,.. .i,,,,., ,,,ti.,.,.,,;,,, I,I ru-l,,I 1870,
mon tine LAX, obor. tr,rb anI wa.
IL I
A,rh. re cnccKcn the ncarionc rush ~
hi, own train ana brought it to Il stand
-;iU