The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-23
JUMPING THE GAP.
Tom Potts. the English Engineer,
Tells How the Witch Went Her
Prettiest.
From Taylor's Modern Highways

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From Taylor's Modern Highways.]
Tom Potts, well-known locomotive
engineer in England and the States, is
the self-accredited hero of the following
wonderful story of successful daring.
l will narrate it as nearly as l can in
his own words. | have heard him tell
it often:
''Well, gentlemen, l say you'll think
it's lie, but | can't help that; you
have asked me to tell it, and all | can
say is, if you'd been in my place you
have seen it.
Il had been driving the Witch for
about seven months, and a sweet thing
she was. | never was half so fond of
an engine as | was of her. She was the
kind of machine man only gets once
in lifetime.
She made her steam quick, was easy
on fuel, started off lively, and went like
deer. Her cylinders were l6 inch,
her stroke %. and her drivers I feet 6,
and she was as kind to handle as a
baby.
10 see her run off with heavy load,
light and gay, was enough to shame the
Juno, Venus and Helen, and other
l8-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 tt
her.
"Well, what | am going to tell came
off years ago, before lett the old coun
try, and it was one of the best railroad!
single track then, though it's go
three now, and four in some spots.
"Well, the Witch and l were put OF
the mail, one of the fastest trains. ant
they went like sixty in them days.
1.-The engineer was fined a shilling fo1
every minute he lost. He dared not g,
slow for fog, unless he wanted to los
his days pay. He had to keep goin,
right along, and see things before h
got in sight of 'em.
1--WE we're running north one darkish
wintry day, and were making our bes
streaks. | should reckon we were goin
about fifty miles an hour.
Il was saying to myself, She's goin
her prettiest,' when we suddenly sho
ahead as if we had been fired out of
, cannon.
II L-...itw what that meant. We ha
broke loose we hadn't car behind Us
; The coupling had broke between tn
tender and the first coach.
''How we flew, to be sure! | viii.
, tied the guard to break up the trair
How we bounded along!
Il could make out nothing alongside
we seemed to 60 faster and faster; "
must have got as fast as 100 miles pe
e hour.
| 1T was straight piece of track #
e some miles. did not shut off stea
a directly we broke, for l didn't want IL
e train to run into us, which might ha
n pen, if they did not hear me whistle Fl
e brakes.
y ut was lucky I kept her going, Fl
r just as had had about enough of sui
e flying, a man started out about S
n hundred yards before US holding +,
d flag.
r There was nothing in the way, So
e knew something must be wrong wi
d the track.
h ''You might as we'll have tried
Il stop whirlwind as the Witch in til
h distance. Her speed was frightful.
e There wasn't much time to thin
h and as we could not stop, the faster
e went the better; SO | gave what me
.e steam there was She seemed to ha
lie some go in reserve, for we shot ps
lie the red flag like fash.
s. Il saw men standing horror strut
n "Bin. said /, quick! Get ON t
in coke, and see what's ahead
a. HE looked, and went deadly pa
f. tottered, and fell back in a faint.
lg by this time could see pl.
so enough what was wrong.
s There was a gap in the track VII,
is a bridge had gone down.
st You can't imagine my feelings j,
ID then. Going to death-death, sw
e. and terrible, at about two miles m
e. ute getting nearer. nearer! Ithoue
at of my wife and child-nearer! An
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