Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-07-02
Jumping the Gap.


hero of the following wonderful
story of successful daring. will
harrate it aS nearly as can in
his own words. l have heard him
tell it often
swell, gentlemen, I'll say you'll
think it's a lie, but | can't help
that you have asked me to tell
it; and all can say is that if you'd
been in my place you'd seen it.
81 had been driving the witch
for about seven months, and a
sweet thing she was. l never was
halt so fond of an engine as l was
Of her. She was the kind of a
machine man only gets in life.
time.
"She made her steam quick,
was easy on fuel, started of lively,
aud went like deer. Her cylin-
der was sixteen.inch, her stroke
twenty-five and her drivers seven
feet six, and she was as kind to
handle as baby.
"To see her run with a heavy
load, light and gay, was enough to
shame the Juno, Venus and
'Helen,' and other eighteen 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 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, bliss you! shs
was only washed ont for the sake
of cleanlinesS-She didn't need it
bit.
"She was the tidiest thing | ev-
er seen-seemed as though dirt
WOuiuI otICh W ueI.
"Well, what | am going to tell
came off years ago, before | left
the old country. And it Was one
of the best raiIroads-single
track then, though it's got three
now, and four in some spots.
"Well, the Witch and l were
put on the mail-Jne of the fastest
trains and they went like sixty
in them days.
"The engineer was fIed a shil
ling for every minute he lost
He burst not go slow for fog, un-
less he wanted to lose his days
pay. He had to keep going righ:
along, and see things before he
GOT in sight of 'en.
I'VE were running north one
darkish wlntry day. aud were ma
king our best streakS. ! should
reckon We were goiDg about fifty
miles an hour.
81 was saying to myself she's
going her prettieSt, when we sud-
denly shot ahead, as if We had
been fired out of a cannon.
Il knew what that meant we
had broke loose, we hadn't Cur
behind US. The coupling had bro
ken between tender and first
coach.
How we flew, to be sure |
whistled the guard to break up
the rainbow We bounded along!
Il could make out no objects d.
long1ide-we seemed to get faster
and faster; we must have got
as fast as one hundred miles
an hour.
IL was straight piece of track
for some miles. | did not shut
off steam directly we broke, for |
did not want the train to run into
US, which would happen if they
did not hear me whistle for brakes.
1T was lucky | kept going for
Just as | had gnt about enough
OF such flying man started out
about six hundred yards before Us
carving a red flag.
There was nothing in the way,
so knew there must be some-
thing the matter with the track.
You might have as we'll 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 all the steam there was.
She sem I'd to have some a 60 in
reserve, for we shot past the red
flag like flash.
Il saw men standing horrCr'
stricken.
"Bill,' Isaid, quick Get on the
coke, and see what's ahead
He looked, and went deadly
pale, tottered, and fell back in 9
faint.
BY this time could see pIair
enough what was wrong.
''There wasa gap in the tract
where a bridge had gone down.
You can't fancy my feeling
! ;uot thar n i,r . III -