River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-03-13
JUMP FOR LIFE.

Wltit tn'N nave totdptu Npilu hob III
inappropriate.
JUMP FOR LIFE.
Ina the spring Of 1870, when Engineer
Messenger was running the Philadelphia
express he was occasionally detained ut
! Trenton. and was obliged To make up
lost time ON the latter end of his trip.
His train made no stops between Tren-
ton aud Camden, and such freight or
accommodation trains as might be az
rpUtC in either direction were switched
into turnouta, leaving supreme right of
way for the express. One evening when
Messenger train had been delayed long
- than usual, the engineer opened the
throttle-valyc, and left Trenton at the
rate of thirty five miles an hour. \
few miles further ON there was switch.
and as his train approached 1t Mestaycr
SAW that the signals were "all right,
and that freight train. bound for New
York. was waiting on the switch for him
to pass. When within a few rods Of
the switch the watchtul engineer saw
+ that il was open. although the signal
+ light notified him h. keep on lie sell
i ed his lever and used every effort t.
/ bring the train 10 stop. but the dis
! lance was too short The train left the
main track and dashed down the siding
/ 20 the " freight At the last moment
Messenger sprang from his cab, and.
striking ON his feet, witnessed the col
hslun The damage was dreadful.
Both trains we're telescoped and several
lives we're lost among them the cngin-
tcr of the freight tram aud the tiremen
Of both cugiues. Mcstayers assistant
was scalded and burnt to q crisp. and
had not the engineer jumped when he
did his fate would doubtless have been
/ the same.
The engineers of both colliding trains
/ an more recent disaster on the New
/ York and Oswego Midland RAILWAY es-
capped death IN "A similar manner. Both
+ their tircmen were killed.
SAVED PROM DISGRACE.
David Van Buskirk. who Is now the
+ master mechanic Of the New York. Boss
i ton aud Montreal Railway. tells Of an
interesting incident that occurred while
+ he was an engineer ON Western rail
road lie had cullided with passcn-
ger train. through mismanagcmont ON
+ the part of the engineer ol the passen.
ger train, and one or two Of the coach
rs were smashed and his own engine
injured 10 a great extent. tie feared
+ the displcasure If his superintendent.
Huul was hruuding over his misfortune
As hc ucar,d the end Of his trip. when
4 singular opportunity to retrieve his
rcputationprcscnted itself. The round
i house M Wiuona. Mimi. whittier he
WAS bound. took fire IN the roof. and
when Van lluskirk arrived with his en-
giuc he found that the efforts which had
+ been cNcuCd towards uuruchng the
I flames had been Of but little avail, and
+ the fire hado fair 10 burn down the
+ building and destroy "a number Of new
engines winch were nearly ready for
+ service Without second Thought
f Van liuskirk ran his engine into the
/ burning house, and. pulling down the
escape valve with all his strength. let
/ the steam, at one hundred pounds pres
,urv, escape iu rushing, screaming
volume whose force carried Il up 10
+ the burning roof The effect was in
Simultaneous and wonderful. for in less
than five minutes the fire WIS cXtin-
guishcd Van Buskirk was carried ont
of his cab i'm au almost suilocated con-
ditiou, but hc had the satisfaction of
gaining not ouly approval hut ,mmcdi-
tc promotion.
An engineer ON the Hudson River
railroad told the writer " narrow
escape hc experienced 1nlya short time