The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-01-14

90 WQlStl6 GOWN DIRk0b, de III 1uStSAAIt6
notice.
Chow far ahead can you see?" I
asked.
ssAbout couple of rods such night
as this, unless strong signal lantern Is
shown; then we can see farther.
1.-TWO rods would be of no real advan-
tage if we were to encounter an obstacle
on the track 1 suggested.
"Well, no; you can't stop an ex-
press train much inside of quarter
of mile with the style of brakes we
now have"
SAY, that's it. You require more
powerful sort of brake; is that what [
understand you to mean e.
Exactly; one that will act With
greater power, and yet not bring train
up all standing, as it were. That
would be almost as bad as to run into
an object dead ahead replied the
engineer.
Something of the sort will be in
vented
ssOh. yes, one of these days I've al
WAYS said So
In the meantime the Lightning Ex-
press was rushing on its way straight
into the intense darkness, which, If pos
sible, was now rendered more apparent
by feecy fall of snow, which was
packed all about us by reason OF the
great speed at which we were running.
I could not but admire the perfect cool
ness of the two men who were my COM
panions, though my own senses were in
a constant state of nervous excitement.
The intense darkness, the binding snow
into which we drove, as it seemed to me
not knowing whittier, kept my senses
on the alert. I could not divest myself
of the feeling that there was perhaps
something in that darkness just ahead
which we were sure to run into and
wreck the train. Finally my excited
brain began to recall all the railroad ac-
cidents of which I had ever read or
heard, until, as L had just arrived at the
height of miserable anticipation, I sud
! denly exclaimed:
"What is that?" on hearing something
like prolonged whistle ahead.
''Your ears are quick said the
engineer calmly. "That is the Rutland
accommodation train it will pass us in
a moment"
Even while he was speaking there ap-
peared in front of US the bright refec-
ting signal lantern upon the other
engine, seeming exactly in front Of us,
and perhaps six or eight rods distant,
but scarcely had the eye settled upon
the dazzling object before it swept past
us on the other track SO quickly as to
seem to have been fash of lightning,
add, for On instant, quite taking away
my breath, though my companions did
not SIS much IA wink an eyelid. In this
instance we had notonly the thirty miles
per hour Roadway of our own train but
also the twenty per hour of the accom-
modation train added to the speed which
so rapidly separated us. It was not a
very pleasant thought which passed
thro Ugh my brain just then, that mis-
placed switch might bring these two
trains upon the same track facing
each other, and, at this frightfu rate
of speed, the result can be easily con-
ceived.
Frank Moore, the engineer, had been
long in the companv's service. He was
man of some thirty-eight or forty years,
intelligent, though not cultivated, and as
watched him standing at his post that
dark and dismal night, I thought how
many lives were trusted to his sole guild
ance. Surprising an accident were to
happen to him, what would become of
the hundred souls and more in the train?
But he stood there as firm as the iron
about him, never for one moment quit
ting his hold upon either the valve
which should signal danger or that which
shut off the motive power in case of
necessity.
Begrimed by long exposure to SCOT
and smoke his features were very dark,
but there was a kindly expression
through all the bronze, and a firm
ness visible in his face which chal-
lenged trust and entire confidence in the
man.
We had stopped twice for wood and
water, at which times I might have
taken my seat iu the passenger cars, but
a sense of wild fascination seemed to at
tach me to the locomotive and I deter
mined to continue upon it at least for
a while longer. And so on we dashed
still through the dense darkness and the
binding snow as we had been doing for