The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-21
Miscellany.
A Race For Life.

AN ENGINEER CHASED BY FIRE AT SEVEN
TY MILES AN HoUR-A THkILLING MAX
RATIvE.
Correspondence Grand Rapids (Mich.) Eagle
To make it an ineligible matter to the
reader, let me say that the Buffalo, Cory aud
PITTSBURGH road intersects the Lake Shore
road at this place. The station at the june
tion is named Brocton. Now let it be I'M
Ierstood that from this point to Nav
ville at the head OF Chautauqua Lake, a dis
tapce OF only about ten miles a train is car
ried over an elevation Of 700 leet. From The
station to the summit the grade is about 50
feet to the mile, with curves which increase
the distance 10y four miles. 1t is over this
road that the immense quantities of petroleum
are brought.
On Tuesday evening about nine o'clock
train consisting OF six oil cars and two pas
senger cars reached the summit on It's way
10 the junction. Here, by some cause as yet
unexplained. one OF the oil tanks took fire.
The passenger cars were at once detached
aud 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 down the road, the en-
sineer supposDg that the brakemen 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 IF him down the
grade, enveioped in flames. They not only
pursued, but overlook him, striking the box
car with lnconceivable force, knocking the
horses and men fiat upon the floor, and yet
almost miraculously not throwing the engine
from the track
1t was now with the engineer race for
lite, and he gave the engine every ounce OF
steam. Looking south rom the place OF my
residence at that terrible juncture, Que of the
most magnificent spectaceS was witnessed
that a man sees in lifetime. sheet OF it,
tensey bright flame sixty feet high, was seen
coming down that southern slope, apparently
with the speed of meteor and really very
nearly the speed vi a hurricane (eiohty miles
an hour); for pursued and pursuer flew over
tue course, Or aber down it, and around tue
curvee. at tle rae o mole than sevvnt miles
All hou a. TIE eu9iner declares, nd as
erybody can believe who witnessed The spec
tacie. Ine Whole heavens we're illuminated,
and the Landscape was lit up as by The noon
day light. Onward and downward few the
engine, and behind it flew and Numbered the
huge fiery demon.
Twice its prodisious weight was driven
against the fugitive, as il instinct with pur-
pose TO drive 1t from the track. 1t seemed as
.t il to the heroic engineer and firemen there
was perfect environment of peril. The
speed OF the engine was such that il ceased
to pump; then again, the Cincinnati express
was due at the junction at this time. The
engineer OF The oil train whlstied "open
switch" and shaking hands with the firemen,
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 impell the express train COM
ing down from the west with its Ii ing hui
man freight. The engineer on this train saw
the fire when it broke out at the summit and
supposed he could clear the junction before
the flaming terror reached it, he, too, put his
engine to the utmost speed on le eel grade.
A mile short of the junction he saw that the
effort was vain one, for the flying confa-
grafton had rushed out upon the Lake Shore
track,and was roaring onward in the direction
OF Dunk:rk. He checked the headlong rush
OF bis own train and brought it to a stand
still. 1t did not proceed until three O'Clock
in the morning.
The case took in another danger, and it was
imminent. heavy freight train was COM
ia ing up the Lake Shore road. All will say
OF the escape OF this is that it did escape t.,
the side track, and only escaped by the last
minute of possibility.
Running on to a safe distance from the de-
pot, the engineer of the oil train detached
his engine and left the six cars to consume
He says the situation was fully realized by
him. He expected to lose his life. At every
moment he expected to leave the track. He
saw he was going at a perilous rate of speed,
but there was no help for it. The demon was
behind him, and he declares that it looked
like demon. With that fondness, or real
affection Tor his engine which these men dis
play, lie 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 oc-
currence was remarkable one, and in part
remarkable tor 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 in.
mates would have been burned to death.