Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-09-03
A Race for Lffe-A Railroad Engineer
Chased by Ffre-A Thrilling Mar.
raliYe. =.

Cor. Grand Rapids tMich.) Eagle.l rf
- To make it an intelli.
gible matter to the reader, let me say
that the Buffalo, Cory and Pittsburgh
road intersects the Lake Shore road st
this place. The station at the junction
is named Brocton. Now let it be under.
stood, that from that point to Msyville,
at the head of Chautouqua lake IA dis
lance of only ten miles), train is car
ried over an elevation OF 700 feet. From
the station to the summit the grade is
about 80 feet to the mile, with curves
which increase the distance four miles.
1t is over this road that immense guam
titles if petroleum are brought.
On Tuesday evening about nine o clock,
a train, consisting of six oil cars and two
passenger cars, reached the summit, 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 ence detached and the brakes stopped
them. Next the oil cars we're cut of,
and the locomotive, tender and bog
car, containing two valuable horses and
two men, passed down the road, the engi-
neer supposing that the bFskemen on the
oil car would arrest the course of these !;
but what was his horror on looking back,
to see the six cars in pursuit Of him down
the grade, eRveloped in flames. They
not only pursued, but overlook him,
striking the box car with Uncomfortable
force, knocking tas horses and men fat
upon the floor, and yet, almost miracu-
lousy, not throwing the engine from the
track.
1t was now, with ihe engineer, a race
Scr lilo, sHd ne gave the engine every
ounce Of steam. Looking south from the
place of my residence at that terrible
juncture, one of the most magnificent
spectacles gss Witnessed that q msn sees
in lifetime. A sheet Of intensely bright
fame, sixty feet high, was seen coming
down that southern slopa, apparently
vita the speed or hurricane (eighty
miles an hour); for pursued and pur-
suer few 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 % eyerYboaY eaa
believe xho WITNESSED the spectacle. The
whole heavens were illuminated, and the
landscape was lit up as by the noon-dssy
light Onward and dSwaward few the
engine, and behind it few atd Numbered
the huge fiery demon. Tsipe its psos
digiong weigh, vas driven against the
fugitive, as if instinct, with q purpose to
drive it from the track. 1t seemed
as if to the heroic engineer and
fireman there was q perfect environ
ment of peril. The speed of the en-.
CINE was such that it ceased to pump;
then, again, the Cincinnati e9press was
due at the junction at thia time. The
engineer of the oil train vhistled open
switch" and shaking hands with the
fireman they babe each other farewell,
knowing that their lives depended on the
opening Of the Lake Shore switch by
their friends below, aud this was 10 i'm
peril the express train coming down
from the West with its living humsn
freight The engineer 90 this tysin saw
the IRE when it FIRST broke ont at the
summit, sRd supposiug be could clear
the junction before the flaming terror
reached il, he, too, put ia engine to tie
utmost speed on q level grade. A nile
short Of the junction be cav the effort
vas FAia oEs, Tor the flying couhsgra-
ton bad rushed out upon the Lake Shore
track, and was roaring onward 10 he