Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-09-07
tuesday Morning, september :, 1850.
Correspondence Grand Rapids tMich.o Eag.el
A Race for Life on Railroad,


the reader. let me say that the Buffalo, Cory
and Pittsburg road intersects the Lake Shore
road at this place. The station at the junction
is called Brocton. Now let it he understood
that from this point to Mayville, at the head
of Chautauqua Lake, a distance of only about
ten miles, train is carried over an elevation
OF 700 feet. From the station to the summit
the grade is about so 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 about9 o'clock, a train
consisting of six oil cars and two passenger
cars reached the summit on It's way to the
Junction. Here, by some. cause as yet un-
explained, 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 of, and the locomotive, tender, and
box car containing two valuable horses and
two men passed down the road, the engineer
supposing that the brakesmen on the oil cars
would arrest the course of those; but what
was his horror on looking back, to see the six
cars in pursuit of him down the grade en-
veloped in flames. They not only pursued
but overlook him, striking the box car with
inconceivabie force. knocking the horses and
men fiat upon the floor, and yet almost mirac-
ulously 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
at that terrible juncture one of the most mag
nifcent spectaces was witnessed that man
sees in a lifetime. A sheet of intensely bright
fame. sixty feet high, was seen coming down
that southern slope apparently with the speed
of nd " ba
of hurricane, eighty miles an hour,) for
pursued and pursuers 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 everybody can
believe who witnessed the spectacle The
whole heavens we're Illuminated, and the land
scape was lit up as by the monday light
Onward and downward few the engine, and
behind few and thuudered the huge fiery
demon. Twice its prodgiGus weight was
driven against the fugitive. as if instinct with
a purpose to drive it from the track It seemed
as if to the heroic engineer and fireman there
was a perfect environment of peril. The
speed of the engine was such that it ceased
to pump !; then again, the Cincinnati express
was due at the junction at this time. The en-
gineer of the oil train whistled 'sopen 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
imperil the express train coming down from
the West with its living human freight. The
engineer on this train saw the fire when it
first broke out at the summit and supposing
he could clear the junction before the flaming
terror reached it, he, too. put his engine to
the utmost speed on level grade. a mile
short of the junction he saw that the effort
was a vain one. for the flying confagration
had rushed out upon the Lake Shore track
and Uas roaring onward in the direction of
Dunkirk He checked the onward course of
his own train and brought it to a standstill.
1t did not proceed until 3 o'clock in the morn
ing.
The case took in another danger. and it was
imminent \ heavy freight train was coming
up the Lake Shore road. All | will say of
the escape of this is that it did escape to the
side track, and only escaped by the last minute
of possibility.
Running on to safe distance from the
depot, the engineer of the oil train detached
his engine and left the cars to consume. He
says his situation fully realized by him.
lie expected to lose his life At every mos
ment he was going at pcrlous rate of speed,
but there was no help for it. The demon was
behind, aud he declares that it looked like
demon. With that fondness or real affection
for his engine which these men display he
said, Il 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 for this, that no lives were
lost. The hrakesmen on the oil cars had gone
back to the passenger cars, when the oil cars
started 1t was well they did. Unless those
rear cars had been detached and stopped, their
inmates would have been burned to death.