The Grange advance., 1874-07-29
JuMp|A6 the 6AP.'
Tom Potts, the English Engineer,
Tells How the Witch Went Her
PrettieSt.

(From Taylor's Modern Highways.]
Tom Potts, a well-known locomotive
engineer in England and the States, is
the self-accredited hero Of the following
wonderful story Of successful daring.
| will narrate it as nearly as I can in
his own words. l have heard him tell
it often:
swell, gentlemen, say you'll think
it's lie, but I can't help that; you
have asked me to tell it, and all can
say is, if you'd been in my place you'd
have seen it.
II had been driving the Witch for
about seven months, and sweet thing
she was. l never was half so fond Of
an engine as was Of her. She was the
kind Of machine man only gets once
in a lifetime.
''She made her steam quick, was easy
On fuel, started off lively, and went like
a deer: Her cylinders were Is inch,
her stroke %. and her drivers feet 6,
and she was as kind to handle as a
baby.
$40 see her run off with heavy load,
light and gay, was enough to shame the
Juno, Venus and Helen, and other
18-inch machines.
''She never wanted fixing up. Venus
was always going in and out of the shop
to be titivated, and if there's anything
| don't like it's an engine that all the
time wants to be titivated. She was
always ready and willing to work.
Why, bless you! she was only washed
out for the sake of cleanliness--she
didn't need it bit.
':She was the tidiest thing ever seen:
seemed as though dirt wouldn't stick to
her.
Swell, what am going to tell came
off years ago, before lclt the old coun-
try, and it was one of the best railroads
single track then, though it's got
three now, and four in some spots.
''Well, the Witch and I were put on
the mail, one Of the fastest trains. and
they went like sixty in them days.
''The engineer was fined a shilling for
every minute he lost. He dared not 20
slow for fog, unless he wanted to lose
his days pay. He had to keep going
right along, and see things before he
got in sight of 'em.
eve were running north one darkish,
wintry day, and were making our best
streaks. / should reckon we were going
about fifty miles an hour.
II was saying to myself, She's going
her prettiest,' when we suddenly shot
ahead as if we had been fired out of a
cannon.
II knew what that meant. We had
broke loose we hadn't car behind us.
The coupling had broke between the
tender and the first coach.
<'How we few, to be sure! whis-
tied the guard to break up the train.
How we bounded along!
II could make out nothing alongside
we seemed to 60 faster and faster; we
must have got as fast as 100 miles per
hour.
''It was straight piece of track for
some miles. I did not shut off steam
directly we broke, for didn't want the
train to run into US, which might hap
pen, if they did not hear me whistle for
brakes. :'=G.
"1t.was lucky I kept her going, for
just as had had about enough of such
flying, q man started out about six
hundred yards before us holding red
flag. FL
"There was nothing in the way, so I
knew something must be wrong with
the, track. e: ., 80 :
"You might as we'll have tried. to
stop whirlWind as the Witch in that
distance. Her speed was frightful. =
''There wasn't much time to think,
a2 as we could not stop, the faster we
went the better; so I gave what more
steam there was. She seemed to have
some go in reserve, for we shot past
the red flag like fash.
Il saw men standing horror struck.
'*Bin, said I, 'quick!- Get on the
coke, and see what's ahead
ssHe looked, and went deadly pale,
tottered, and fell back in a faint.
"By this time I could see plain
enoug h what was wrong.
''There was . gap in the track where
bridge had gone down. s..>.-.: :r..
''You can't imagine my feelings just
then. Going to death--death, swift
and terrible, at about two, miles min
ute getting nearer. nearer! Thought
Of my wife and child d-nearer! An in
slant more-the gap.