American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-09-18
A Thrilling Incident.

a POrtIand, New YORK, cores
pondent of the Grand Rapids Eagle
describes the following thrilling
scene: On Tuesday evening about
nine O'Clock, a train consisting of six
oil and two passenger cars reached
the summit Oh its way to the juno
ton. Here, by some unexplained
cause, one of the oil tanks took fire.
The passenger cars were at once de
tached 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 OIL down the road,
the engineer supposing that the
brakeman of the Oil cars would ar
rest the course of them, but what was
his horror.on looking back, to see the
six cars in pursuit of him down the
grade enveloped in flames. They
not only pursued, but overlook him,
striking the box car with inconceiv-
able force. knocking the men and
horses fat upon the floor, aud yet,
almost miraculously not throwing
the engine from the tracE:.'
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,
! at that appalling juncture, one of
the most magnificent spectacles was
witnessed that a man sees in a life
time. A sheet of intensely bright
flame sixty feet high was seen com
ing down that southern slope, appa-
with the speed ofa meteor, and re-
ally with very nearly che speed of a
hurricane eighty miles all hour j. for
pursuer and pursued few over the
course, or rather down it, and
around the curves, at the rate of
seventy five miles an hour, as the en-.
gineer declares, and as every one
can believe who Witnessed the spec
tacle. The whole heavens were il.
Illuminated, and the landscape was lit
up as by the monday light. Onward
and downward flew the engine, and
behind it flew and thundered the
huge fiery demon. Twice its prodig
ious weight was driven against the
fugitive, as if instinct with a purpose
to drive 1t from the track. 1t seemed
as if to the heroic engineer and fire
man there was perfect environment
of peril. The speed of the engine
was such that it ceased to pump
and again the Cincinnati express was
due at that time. The engineer o
the oil train whistled "open switch,
and shaking hands with the fireman
they bade each other fal leweH, know
ing that their lives depended on tn,
opening of the Lake Shore switci
by their friends below, and this wa
to imperi. the express train coming
down from the west with its living
human freight. The engineer of thi
, train saw the fire when it first brok
out at the summit, and supposin.
/. he could clear the junction befOr
t the flaming terror reached it, he to-
, put his engine to it's almost speei
on n level grade. A mile short O
the junction he saw chat the etfOr
was a VAIN one, for the flying conda
grafton had rushed out upon th
Lake Shore track and was roaring
i, on in the direction of Dunkirk. ii
checked the headlong rush of hi
, own train and brought it to a stand
: still.
The case took in another danger
> and it was very imminent. A heav
y freight train was coming up th
Lake Shore road. All l will say G
= the escape of it is that it did escap
= to the side track, and only escape
: by the last minute of possibility
. Running on to- a safe distance froI
y the depot, the engineer of the o
!, train detached his engine and lei
u the six cars to consume. He say
g his situation was fully realized b
him. He expected the engine t
:, leave the track. he knew that b
~ ~ was going at perilous'tate of speet
s but there was no help for it. The d.
mon was behind him, and he declare
. . it looked like a demon. With ths
. fondness, OF real affection for his el
gine, which these men display,
T said, Il thought everything of IN
= engine, and was determined to sta
). by it to the last" The tirema
- ~ made one attempt to escape by juml
~ ing from the tender, but the eng
= neer restrained him. Altogethe
- the occurrence was remarkable OF
= and partly remarkable for this, thu
g no lives were lost.