The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-27

A Race for Life OF, a Naffroad--An En-
vineer Chased by Fire ut Seventy
Miles an Hsour---A Thrilling Nara
tive.
Correspondence Grand Rapids (Mich.l Eagle.
To make it an intclligibie mat
ter TO the reader, let me say that the Bur
falo, Cory and Pittshurg ROAD lntcrscc's
the Lake Shore at this place. The station
of the road is called Brocton. Now, let II
he understood that from this point to May
Vile, Mt the head Of Cautauqua Lake, q
distance of only about ten miles, tram Is
carriod over an elevation of 700 feet. From
tho station TO the summit the grade Is about
eighty feet to the mile, with curves which
increase the distance by four miles. 1t Is
over this road that the immense quantities
of petroleum. are brought.
On Tuesday evening about O'Clock
train consisting Of six oil cars and two pas
scncer cars reached the summit on its way
n the Junction. Here, by some cause as
vet unexplained, one Of the oil tanks took
frc. The passenger cars were at once de-
t,cbed and the brakes stopped them.
Ecxt the oil cars were cut off, and the To-
comotivc, tender, and box car, containing
down the road, the engineer surprising that
the brakcmcn on the oil cars would arrest
the course Of those but what was his nor
ror on looking back to sec the SIX cars IN
pursuit Of him down the grade, cnVelopeo
in flames. They not only pursued, but
overlook him, striking the box car with IN,
conceivable force, knocking the horses ana
men fat upon the floor. and yet, almost MI
raculously, not throwing the engine from
the track.
1t was now with the engineer race Tor
l:fc, and he gave the engine every ounce Oh
steam. Looking south from the place OF
nv residence at that terrible juncture, ono
of the most magnificent spcctaclcs was wit
messed that n man sees in lifetime. A
sheet of intensely bright flame, sixty feet
hirh. was seen coming down that southern
slope apparently with the speed OF me-
teor. and really very nearly the speed of
hurricane eighty miles an hour, for pur-
sued and pursuer 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 as every
BODY can believe who witnessed the specta-
Gle.
The whole heavens were Illuminated, and
the landscape was lit up as by the MONDAY
light. Onward and downward few the
engine, and behind it few and Numbered
the huge fiery demon. Twice its prodlglous
weight was driven against the fugitive as
If instinct with purpose to drive It from
the track. 1t seemed as if to The heroic
engineer and fireman there was perfect
environment of peril. The speed OF the
engine was such that it ceased to pump;
then, again, the Cincinnati express was due
ut the Junction at this time. The engineer
Of the oil train whistled "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, and this was to impcril the ex-
press train coming down from the West
with its living, human freight. The engl-
ncer on this train saw the fire when it first
broke out at the summit, and, supposlng nc
could clear the junction before the flaming
terror reached it, he, too, put his engine TO
the utmost speed on level grade.
4 mile short of the junction, he saw that
the effort was a vain one, for the flying con-
tlagration had rushed out upon the Lake
Shore track and was roaring onward In the
direction of Dunkirk. lie checked the on
ward course Of his own train, and brought
i; to stand-stil. 1t did not proceed till 3
o'clock in the morning.
The case took i'll another danger, and II
was imminent A heavy freight train was
coming us the Lake Shore road. All | will
say Of this escape is that it did escape to
the side track, and only escaped By the last
minnie of possibility.
Running on to q safe distance from the
,!cI0t, the engineer of the oil train de-
tachcd his engine and left the six cars TO
consume. lie says his situation was fully
realized by him. He expected to lose his
life At every moment he expected the en-
cine 70 leave the track. lie saw that he
was going at u perilous rate OF speed, but
there was no help for it.
The demon was behind him, and he de-
clares that it looked like demon. With
that fondncss or real affection for his en-
CINE which these men display, he said 81
thought everything Of my engine, and was
determined to stay by it to the last" The
fireman made one attempt to escape by
jumping from the tender, but the engineer
restrained him. Altogether, the occurrence
was remarkable one, and in part remark
able for this, that no lives were lost. The
brakemen on the oil cars had gone back to
the passenger cars when the oil cars start
ed. 1t was we'll they did. Unless those
rear cars had been detached and stopped
their inmates would have been burned to
death.