Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-12

George Ellis Observing Orders to Hreck his Loco-
i''oftre-A Nights Ride Through Fog dd n Gis
10 The BOtOld Brook Bo.f,e field EtSsiiag Past
Oos'T1tcttOF's, ami Riding Orer Rdi,les. Ties.
IL is late at night In the little depot Of Fast
~ llstone, on the Pennsylvania rsi iroaf, ant,
cupant. is taking dispatches. ClIcksty-clIc x
sings the electrical instrument, and all the
messages tell of excitement all along the
font al the Bound Brook crossing. Both
sides are face TO face In hostile attitude The
men Of tie Pennsylvania railroad company,
few in number at the point of attack, stand
strictly OF the defensive, and the Bound
Brock and Delaware men watch for an OMEN
ing for An offensive movement.
Clickety-click still clicks the instrument.
and ~ says that there are 100 Italians at the
crossing, armed to the teeth with knives and
reyolvers, and that the road is thronged with
Irisbmen, who carry stones and shilialahs.
FOR instant action, for 1t says that the Bound
BOOK men are tearing up the rails, and that
they have partially fixeo the frog in position.
I'm few hours they will be running their
track right across Pennsylvania's road, I'M
less something is done at once. That some
thing will be done, am thinking" said the
operator, and ere he finished the sentence the
clicking is heard again; and the message that
1t brings has the sharp and decisive ring OF
authority. The words are from the supsrin-
tendent OF the Pennsylvania company, and
"Send George Ellis ST orce with 1855. and
tell him to break down distractions on the
road and drive his engine Irto the frog"
"GeOrge Ellis, stout, swarthy and dark
eyed and black bearded is pacing up and
down the dusky room. His engine is at the
door. Outside the rain is falling drearily
and the night is pitch dark. He Is one of the
eldest and most trusted drivers on the road,
and TO him was assigned desperate and
periious undertaking; but he does not finch.
He buttons his smutty blouse TO his Chin,
steps upon the platform of the engine. and
pulls the lever. The steam goes kissing aud
whizziDg through the iron limbs, the wheels
begin 10 move, and then with shrek the
great, thirty-tOn monster springs forward,
sDorting, into the darkness. The road is ali
clear thirteen miles to Bopewell, and the To-
connective thunders on, burning and flaming
across the Jersey plains and meadows. By
the side of Ellis stands MS brave fireman,
sam Granger, and both peer ahead upon
the uncertain path, dimly illumined by the
headlight. Everywhere is iinpenetrable
darkness, save the gray vista ahead over
which dance spectral and bewildering sha pes.
Still the two men in the flying monster look
silently ahead; and still the engine thunders
on. The rain drops plash and siz upon the
heated boiler and stand in beads upon the
paDes OF the windows. Tire wet rails glis-
ten In the light and seem long, cleaning ser
penis OF steel that curve and trail away into
the dark. But Ellis and Granger do not
mind them or the beating rain, for they are
looking out for breakers and for Italians
At length the speed Is gradually reduced,
for the neighbOrhOOd Of the enemy is nearly
reached, and there is light shining ahead.
III.
not three quarters of q mile from the frog,
Ellis checks the locomotive, for it Is time to
be cautious and watchful. A man running to
are Instructions just below, and the enemy
are guarding the switches" The man gets
upon the engine box, and again they are off
into the fog and rain. Not SO fast as before,
however. for there are men with clubs on
either side, and what they have done TO the
track can only be guessed at. First, glow
ing red light, tossing and whirling In the air,
a IN audi hah hoo fOrf MI.
dark outlines OF q man; but there is no stop
to- night for the signal of warning, for it is
In the hands of foes as ruse. Then another
light red glowing CLEANS from the track. 1t
is silent command for instant halt. But
Ellis knows what it means, and with
dash the engine is upon il, and the lantern
is sent whiriing in thousand pieces in
every direction. Slower and slower the
engine runs, for The distractions are near.
The engineer and fireman watch intently.
Suddenly slimmering ard Pickering that is
not the reflection upon The road, a dark wall
rises up as the light flashes down the rails;
there l. crash, the noise of cracking tim
bers, and then the air is full of flying ties and
rails. Old $50 losses them Off her prov a :
though they were wheat straws, and onward
PUSHES straight for the frog and the expected
crash. In al instant almost another black
pile grows ont OF the rOad-bed: the engine is
upon them; there is another cracking of wood
and the Kissing engine, blowing showers of
hame from her stack, uprears into the air.
There is a grinding noise, a horrible sway
then Ellis, throwing wide open the valves,
strives 10 pass the sixty feet OF Intervening
space between the distractions and the frog,
rom which the rails have been removed.
The engine strains and tugs; sand and gravel
and mud fly In showers; the machine rolls
and pitches, and at last, with an unearthly
roar, rears and plunges into q pit, and falls
upon the timbers Of the frog, blowing deep
into the ground. She has reached her goal,
and Ellis and Granger have obeyed their
orders.
Mr.. George Ellis sat In the little depot at
Somerset Junction, on the Delaware, yester-
day, and laughed derisively at the thought
that any one should think that he had done
anything unusual. "Those fellows, you
know" said he, "after they had piled up the
first ties and rails distance Of about 16O
yards from the frog, constructed another OBJ
struction few rods Oh, and against this
they placed iron rails, 80 that the engine
would run upon them. These were crushed
as we mounted Them, and then things few
pretty lively till we went into the pit. We
were going about twenty five miles an hour,
and as the prov went down the rear went u %,
and the hind wheels were revolving about a
million times second for q few minutes.
Fire flew out of the smoke stack, and one Old
farmer who had come down to see the fun
cried out, Il knew she'd bust and ne ma !e
lively time over the hills hOlne."-[ Col,latJiQ
Us. C.) 6dresnl07a.