The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-09-10
n Race for Life.

n Race for Life.
4 Railroad Engineer Chased BY Fy,e-A
Thrilling Narrated.
cs.sspssdsnse u The 0ssud Rapids 0aieh ) Esc,e
To make II IN ineligible mat
tee TO tia reader. let me say that the Duf'
1slO. Cory and Pittsburgh road intcrsect.
the Lake Shore road 1t this place. The Sta
ton Ut the Junction 10 named Broncton
Now lct u bc understood, that from that
point To Mayvillc, ut the hcsd of Cl,autnu.
qua Lake, q distance Of only ten miles,. q
train 10 carried over an elevation Of 700 feet
From the station 10 the summit, the grade
u about 80 feet to the mile, with curves
which increase the distance four miles. II
IL over this rOall that immense quantities Of
petroleum art brought.
On Tuesday evening, about nine O'Clock,
Q train, consisting Of six oil cars and two
passenger cars, reached the summit on its
way to the junction. Here. by some cause
~ yet unexplained, one Of tho oil tanks took
fire. The passenger cars were at once de-.
tached and the brakes stopped them Next
the oil cars were cut of, and the locomotive,
tender md tnDx car, containing two vslu-
able hDrses and two mem. passed down the
road, the engineer surprising that the brake
men On tho oil cars would arrest the course
Of these, but what was his horror. on look.
ing hack. " Sc the six cars in pursuit Ut
him down tho grade, cnveloped IN flames.
They not only pursued but overlook him.
force. knocking the horses and men Aa. upon
the hoOr, ard yet, almost miracul0usly, not
throwing the engine frOm the track.
II MAS now, will, the engineer, = mce for
life. ana he gave the engine every ounce of
steam. L,tking south from the place of my
residence Mt that terrible juncture, one If
the most magnificent spcctscles was witness.
I'd that maj, secs in u lifetime. A sheet of
intensely bright flame, sixty feet high, was
seen coming down that southern slope, ap.
parently with tho speed Of . hurricane 80
miles m hOur) for pursued and pursuer
few over the course. or rather down it. and
around the curves, ut the rete Of more than
20 miles mn hour. a. the engineer declares,
md ~ everybody can believe who witnessed
the spectacle. The whsle heavens were IL.
DIMINISHED, and the landscape was lit up as
IL by monday light Onward and down.
ward ncw the engine. and behind it flew and
thWndcred the huge fiery demon. Twice its
pr'digious weight was driven against the
fugitive. ~ Il intent with purpose to
drive 1t from tho truck. It seemed Is il TO
the heroic engineer and fireman there was
perfect environment IF peril. The speed Of
Shs engine VA such that il ceased 10 pump:
shen, again, The Cincinnati Express was due
q the Junction ut this iimc Tho engineer
Of the oil train whist'cd ''open switch" add
shaking hands with the Truman they l,a.lc
Zach other farewell. knowing that their lives
depended on tho opening of the Lake Shore
switch by their friends below. and this was
10 imperil the express train cOmlng down
fTou, the West with its living human freight.
The engineer on this train saw the dr: when
i 0rst broke out ut the summit. and suppOs.
Ing he could clear the junction before the
flaming terror rachel It, he, ton, put his en-.
CINE To ito utmost speed on q level grade.
A mile short Of the junction he saw the e.
fort WAS vain one. for the flying con6sgrs.
ton had rushed out upOa the Lake Shore
track, and was roaring onward in the direc-
tiOu Of Dunkirk. Lie checked the headlong
xush Of his train and brought Il IL stand.
still. 1t did not proceed until three O'Clock
Ia the morning.
The case took in smother danger, and II
was imminent A heavy freight train was
coming up the Lake Shore road. All will
say 1T the escape of this u that It did escape
to tue side track, and only escaped by the
hist minute Of possibility.
4suu"s"8 W :" oSSC WSesouCc AIOuS tug
depot, the engineer Of the oil train dct schctl
his cpgine, and left the six cars u consume
ne aays bis situation was fully realized hy
him. lie expected 70 lose his life At every
moment he expected his engine to leave the
track lIe saw he was going at u perilous
rite of speed, but there was no help for 1t.
The demon was behind him, and H. declares
tAes Il Tucked like demon. With that
lUudncss, or real affection, for his engine
which these men display. hc said, II thought
everything Of my engine. and was deter
mined to stay by It 70 the last. The fire.
man made one attempt to escape Ivy jumping
from the tendss, but the engineer restrained
him. Altogether the occurrence was re-.
masksble one. and In part remarkable for
this. no lives we're lost.