Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-26


nccr in England and the States, is the self
accredited hero Of the following wonderful
story of successful daring. | will narrate it
as nearly a. can in his own words. | have
heard him tell it often
"Well, gentlemen. say You'll think its
lie, but | can't help that; YOU have asked
ne to tell it and all | can say Is fyou d
been in my place you'd have seen it.
II had been driving the Witch for about
seven months. and and sweet thing she
was. never was half As fond of an engine
as was of her. She was the kind of ma
chine 4 man only gets once in lifetime.
"Shc made her steam quick, was easy on
fuel, started Of lively and went like deer.
Her cylinders were sixteen-inch, her stroke
twentv-two and her drivers seven feet six,
and she was rs kind to handle As baby.
10 see her run off with heavy load &,
light and gay, was enough to shame the
Juno, Venus and Helen, ard other eigh-
teen-inch machines
''Shc never wanted fixing up. Venus
was always going in and out of the shop to
be titiyated, and if there's anything don t
like, its an engine that all the time wants
to be titivated. She was always ready and
willing for work. Why. bless you she was
only washed ont for the sake of cleanliness
she didn't nerd it bit.
.'Shc was the tidicSt thing | ever seen
seemed rs though dirt wouldn't stick to her.
"Well. what | am going to tell came of
wears ago. before left the old country, and
it was one of the best railroads-single track
then, though its got three now, and four in
some spots.
"Well. the Witch and were put on
the malone of the fastest trains and they
went like sixty in them days.
1.-THE engineer was fined shilling for
every minute he lost. He durst not go slow
for fog, unless he wanted to lose his day :
pay. lie had to keep going right along,
and see things before he got in sight of EN-.
I'VE were running north one darkish WIN
try day. and were making our best streaks.
should reckon we were going about fifty
miles an hour.
al was saying to myself, shes going her
prettiest. whenwe suddenly shot ahead, as
il we had been fired out ola cannon.
II knew what that meant, We had broke
loose. we hadn't ear behind Us. The coup
ling had broken between the tender and first
coach
GLOW we flew, to he sure whistled the
guard to break up the train. How we
bounded along
II could make out no objects alongside
We seemed to 20 faster and faster we must
have got as fast as one hundred miles an
| hour.
at was straight piece of track for some
miles. | did not shut off steam directly we
broke, for didn't want the train to run into
US, which might happen if they did not hear
my whistle for brakes.
at was lucky kept her going; for just
as had about enough of such flying man
started out about six hundred yards before
US holding red flag.
There was nothing in the way, so | knew
something must be wrong with the track.
"You might as well have tried to stop a
whirlwind as the Witch in that distance.
Her speed was frightful.
"There wasn't much time to think, and,
as we could not stop, the faster We went the
better 50 gave her what more steam there
was. She seemed to have some go in re-
serve, for we shot past the red flag like a
flash.
81 saw men standing horror-struck.
"Bill,' said, quick Get on the coke,
and see what's ahead
ale looked, and went deadly pale, totter-
ed, and fell back in faint.
''By this time could see plain enough
what was wrong.
'.There was gap in the track where a
bridge had gone down.
"You can't fancy my feelings just then.
Going to death-death, swift and terrible
at about twomiles aminute-getting nearer,
nearer | thought of my wife and child
nearer An instant more-the gap!
"'God have mercy l shrieked.
"Well, would you believe it ? that engine
just cleared that gap!
at was fifteen feet across, and about sixty
feet deep.
''She jumped that gap like stag. and
! what's more, she struck the rails all right on
the other side, and kept right along, just as
If she had not noticed the gap!