The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-06-06
A MODEST HERO.
HOW JACK EVANS SAVED TlIk
BABY--ROMANTIC STORY OF
AN INTREPID RAILROAD
ENGLNEER.

From the burlington iowa IiiWk'Nc'J
j Is. Evans, Jack Evans, ne ne Is bet
tor known among "the boys, isa young
man about twenty.eight yeats old, aid
certainly not over thirty, md great Ia
vorite among his associates, and clover
generous hearted man In his oveptful
life, before ho adopted ralrosding for y
business, he Travelled with "ths circus
and was star performer on the lying
trspezo Doubtless some of the gorge
ously colorcd poster cuts of handsome,
! symmetrical men, in glove-iittng tights
and scarlet small clothes, sailing through
| tbs nir with Tho sroatost VI CASE
woro originally executed for Senior Juan
del Evanne, but this has nothing TO de-
with our story. Mr.. Evans quit "star
ring" throw up all his engagements, and
SSSSaar"d Ia KS at III sRo eYyss nSi
desert him. and his skill remained with
him. Often when he il did OUT on the
side track ho gives the boys impromptu
exhibitions of "liio in the ring with grace
skill and ability, and fills that part OF the
country so full of double somersaults
handsprings, and dying leaps that he air
has flavor of circus about it for "A month.
But the greatest and noblest feat our hero
ever performed in his life was ono that
was not down on tho bills, and called out
very unexpectedly at little matinee
Friday afternoon.
Evans, who is in the employ Of the G.
| b. Il q railway, was running an extra,
we believe, on tho Rcd OAK branch.
| When about squarter of mile east OF
| Farragut, tho train then running at the
ratio OF twenty miles an hour, the engineer
saw, hardly seventy yards ahead OF him,
n little child, about eighteen months
old, playing in the middle OF the track.
Quicker than thought he squealed for
brakes, and without ever touching the
throttle, leaving t wide open, he seized
the lever and throw il clear over, revers-
| ing his engine with full hGad of steam
on. Bat the heavy freight train had ac-
| CURED powerful mo nentum that could
not bs overcome, and by the time short
as it was, that Evans could hurry around
and take his station on the pilot, the
engine WAS irightlully near the child,
who apparently UNCONSCIOUS of
danger remained where 1t was when
first discovered. Evans saw there was
no chance OF hi, STOPPING to seize the
child as the train swept down upon i,
from his place on the pilot, and now his
old athletic mplishnents and training,
|
ness, and the ability so characteristic o'
engine men to think rapidly and clearly
in moments of great danger, came il
good play. Measuring his distance a
carefully and sccurItely as ever he hRC
when making mid-air leap from a fyinf
trapeze, he summoned all his strength
and making splendid leap caught th'
chip in hls arms and without attem pting
to regain his feet through himself oveI
the rail with the agility OF cat. 1t wa
. close call Before he had quito closreC
the track the pilot struck bis foot, but he
, rolled safely ont Of the way for severs
yards. still holding the child in his arms
The rate at which the tain was run.
ming may be judged when it is known
that it moved fvo csr-lengths past where
| Evans was lying before il could be stop
, ped. The mother of the child, WHO wit
l messed the affair, was on the spot in
v fash, trembling, weeping, and almos
), speechless with excitement. Jack rose t
u his feet and handed her the baby as COOL,
as though he had just taken it out Of 1t
cradle. MADAM" he said, ''you had bet
. ter take better caro- of that Young on
hereafter" And no climbed into the CO
and went ahead more unconcerned an
/, less excited than any one of the gentle
men who were back aft, serving thei
y country by twisting brakes. II wAs q ga
i liant deed, and we'll performed, an
among the many thrilling legends whiC
& already I'LL the pages of the Romance
=. the Road" railroad men will have OF
moro to relate in the intervals Of dut
and that, too, one whose chief valuo
A that there is naught of invention or era,
goration in the details-"How JAG
$ Evans Saved the Baby"