The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-08-05
No. 81.
tFrom Tnylor's Modern Highways.]
"GOHNG HEIR PRETTHEST."
TOM POTTS, THE ENGLISH ENGINEER,
TELLS HOW HIS LOCOMOTIVE JUMP
ED A GAP.

motive engineer in England and
tho States, is tho selfaccrcdited
hego Of tho following wonderful
story Of successful daring. will
narrato it rs nearly rs 1 can in his
own words. | havo hoard him tell
it often:
"Woll, gentlemen, l say you'll
think it's lie, but | can't help
that; you have asked mo to tell it,
and all | can say is, if you'd been
in my place you'd havo soon it.
"l had beon driving tho Witch
for about seven months, and
sweet thing sho was. 1 mover was
ncvor half so fond Of m engine as
| was Of hor. Sho was tho kind
of machine man ouly gots once
in a lifetime.
"Sho made her steam quick, was
easy on fuel, started off lively, and
went like deer. Hcr cylinders
wore lG-inch, her stroke 80, and
her drivers 7 feet G, and she was
rs kind to handle as II baby.
"Io SEQ hcr run off with heavy
load, light and gay, was enough to
shame tho Juno, Venus and Holen,
and other 19-inch machines.
"Sho mover wanted fixing up
Venus was always going in and
out of tho shop to be titivated,
and ifthoro's anything don't like
it's al engine that all tho timo
wants to 10 titivatod. Sho was
always ready and willing for work.
Why, bless you! sho was only
washed out for the sake Of clcan-
lincss-sho didn't need it bit.
"Sho was the tidiost thing cvor
soon-sccmcd rs th ough dirt
wouldn't stick to hor.
"Woll, what | am going to toll
cHmo off years ago, before left
tho old country, and it was one
OF tho best rairoads-singlo track
thon, though it's got thrco now,
and four in somo spots.
"Well, tho Witch and l woro
put on tho mail, ono Of tho fastest
'""'"e ""d th"r ,"ont Iiirn e;vt,-
in them days.
"Thc cngiuccr was fined n shil-
ling for overy minute ho lost. lie
dared not go slow for fog, unless
he wanted to lose his days pay
Ho had to keep going right along,
and 500 things before he got in
sight Of 'cm.
"Wo woro running north one
dark wintry day, and were making
our best sLreaks. | should reckon
wo woro going about fifty milos ar
hour.
IL was saying to myself, 'sho's
going hor prottiost,' whom wo sud
denly shot ahead, rs if wo haC
been firod out Of n cannon.
III knew what that meant. W.
had broke loose, we hadn't car be
hind us. Tho coupling had broker
between tho tcndor and tho frs
coach.
allow wo flew; to bo sure
whistIcd the guard to break ur
tho train. How wo bounded along
IL could mako out no objects
alongside; wo scomod to 60 faster
and faster, wo must havo got n,
fast as ono hundred miles an hour
at was straight piece Of tract
for somo miles. I did not shut OF
stoam directly We broke, for
didn't want tho train to run int
us which might happon it they
did not hear mo whistle for breaks
"lt was lucky kept hor going
, for just rs | had had about enough
such flying, Il man started on
about six hundred yards before us
} holding rcd flag.
"Thero was nothing in tho way
80 | know something must b.
+ wrong with tho track.
"You might rs well havo tried t.
, stop whirlwind as tho Witch il
that distance. Her speod wa
! frightful.
"Thcro wasn't much timo t.
, think, and as we could not stor
= the faster wo won't tho better; 81
8 l gave what steam moro thor.
! was. She seomod to have som
1 'go' in resorvo, for wo shot pas
v the rod flag like q flash.
81 saw mon standing horror
4 struck.
"'Bill,' said, quick Got OF
v the coke and SEQ what's ahead.
= "Ho looked and won't deadly
v palo, tottcrod, and foil back in ;
: faint.
l. "By this time l could sec plail
r enough what was wrong. ,,..
t "Thoro was q gap in tho tract
: whore a bridge had gone down.
y "You can't imagine my feoling