Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-07-10
Jumping the Gan.

Tom PoTTs, a well-known locomotive |
engineer in England and the States, is |
the self-accredited hero of the following
wonderful story of successful daring. ]
will narrate IL as nearly as l can in his
own words ] have heard him tell II
often:
"Well, gentlemen, 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,
If you'd been in my place you'd have
seen IL.
al had been driving the witch for
about seven months, and 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
a lifetime.
"She made her stnem quick, was easy
on fuel, started of lively, and went like
IA deer Her cylinders were sixteen
inch, her stroke twenty-five, and her
drivers seven feet six, and she was as
kind to handle as a baby.
ITO see her run off with heavy load,
light and gay, was enough to shame the
Juno, Venus and Helen and other
eighteen-inch machines.
"Shc 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 for work. Why, bless
you she was only washed out for the
sake of cleanliness-she didn't need ii q
bit.
"She was the tidcst thing ever seen
seemed as though dirt wouldn't stick
to her.
"Well, what / am going to tell came
off years ago, before I left the old coun-
try, and it was one of the best railroads
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 dared not go
slow for fog, unless he wanted to lose his
days pay. He had to keep going right
along and see things before he got in
sight of 'em.
awe were running north one darkish,
wintry day, and were making our best
streaks. ] should reckon we were going
about fifty miles an hour.
g was saying to myself, she's going
her prettiest,' when we suddenly shot
ahead as if we had been fired out of a
cannon.
| hucW Wldb llldI UlcnJ we Hdu
broke loose; we hadn't car behind us.
The coupling had broken between the
tender and the first coach.
"IIow we flew, to he surel / whistled
the guard to brake up the train. How we
bounded along!
" | could make out no objects along
side-we seemed to 60 faster and faster
we must have got as fast as 100 miles an
hour.
ut was straight piece of track for
some miles. / did not shut off steam di-
rectly we broke, for / 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 had had enough of such flying a
man started out about 600 yards before
us, holding a 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
whirlwind as the Witch in that dis
tance. Her speed was fearful.
There wasn't time to think as We
, could not stop; the faster we went the
, better; so / gave her what more steam
there was. She seemed to have som,
, go in reserve, for we shot past the rec
flag like flash.
/ saw men standing horror struck
Bill l said, quick! Get on til,
coke, and see what's ahead
, He looked and went deadly pale
tottered, and fell back in faint.
r by this time could see plain enougl
r what was wrong.
There was gap in the track wher,
a bridge had gone down.
l You can't imagine my feelings jus
5 then. Going to death-death, swift anC
i terrible-at about two miles minute
Q getting nearer and nearer! thought o
my wife and child-nearer! An instan
more-the gap
"'God have mercy l shrieked
"Well, would you believe it? that en-
: gine just cleared that gap
f 1t was fifteen feet across and abou
e sixty feet deep.
She jumped that gap like stag, and
G what's more, she struck the rails all righ
n on the other side, and kept right along
: just as if she had not noticed the gap!
= :" | stirred Bill up, and with both of u
e at the brake we managed at last to sto
n the Witch.
y She was on tear that day, but
|. never dreamed she'd jump the gap-that'
: a fact "-ToylOr's Fast Life on the Mode,
= Highiody.