The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1874-07-22
JUMPING THE ear.

it's lie, but cant help that; you
have asked me to tell il; and all
can say is, If you'd been in my place
you'd have seen it.
/ had been driving the witch" for
about seven months. and asweet thing
she was. never was half as fond OF
an engine as | was for her. She was
the kind of machine a man only gets
once in lifetime.
She made her steam quick, was easy
on fuel, started off lively, and went
like deer. Her cylinders we're six-
teen.inch, her stroke twenty two, and
her drivers seven feet six, aud she was
as kind to handle as a baby.
To see her run of with heavy
load, light and gay, was enough to
shame The "Juno," Venus aud
"Helen, and other eighteen.inch ma
chimes.
She never wanted fixing up. I've.
nus" was always going in and out OF
the shop to be titivated, and if there's
anything l don't like, it's 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 out fol the sake of cleanliness
she didn't need it bit.
She was the tidiest thing ever aeen
seemed as though dirt wouldn't
stick to her.
Well, what | am going to tell came
off years ago. before ! left the old
country, and il is ono of the best rail-
roads-single track then, though it's
got three now, and four in some spots.
Well, the witch" and | were put
on the mail--one of the fastest trains !;
and they went like sixty in them days.
The engineer was fined shilling for
every minute he lost. He burst not
go slow for fog, unless he wanted to
lose bis days pay. He had to keep
going right along, and see things be-
fore he got in sight of. 'en.
We were running north one darkish
wintry day, and we're making our best
streaks. reckon we were going about
fifty miles m hour.
was saying to myself, "she's going
her prettiest," when we suddenly shot
ahead, as if we had been fired out of
cannon.
i knew what that meant---we had
broken loose; We hadn't a car behind.
The coupling had broke between the
tender and the first coach.
How We few, to be sure | whistled
the guard to brake up the train. How
we bounded along!
l could make out no objects along.
side-we seemed to go faster and fast.
er; We must have got as fast as one
hundred and forty miles an hour.
1t was straight piece of track for
some miles. | did not shut off steam,
directly we broke, for l didn't want
the train to run into us. which might
happen if they did not hear me whistle
for brakes.
1t was lucky ! kept her going, for
just as l had about enough OF such
flying, n man started out about six
hundred yards before us holding a red
flag.
There was noshing in the way, SO |
knew that something must be wrong
with the track. lal.
You might as we'll have tried to
stop whirlwind as the switch" in
that distance. Her speed vas fright
full.
There wasn't much time to think,
and as We could not stop, the faster
we went the better; so l gave her
what more steam there was. She seem.
ed to have some ego" in reserve, for
we shot past that red flag like fash.
| saw men standing horror struck.
"Bill," l said, "quick get on the
coke. and sec what's ahsad.''
He looked, and went deadly pale,
Iottered an tell back In faint.
by this time i could see plain
enough what was wrcng.
There was gap in the track where
bridge had gone down.
You can't fancy my feelings just
hen. Going to death-death, swift |
md terrible-at about two miles a |
ninute-getting nearer, and nearer
An instant more-the gap!
God have mercy" | shrieked.
Well, would yop believe it ? that en-
,ine just cleqrsa that gapl
it was titleep feet across, and about
'ixty tact dsep.
She jumped that gap like stag,
md what's more, she struck the rails
N right on the other side, and kept
light along, just as if she had not no
iced the gapl
] stirred Bill up, and, with both of
rs at the brake, We managed ut last to
top the "Witch."
She was on tear that day, but /
'eyer dreamed she'd jump the gap