The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-27
WONDERFUL RAILROAD.
How one Train Passed Another on 9
Single Track OH the Union Pacific.
F}mm he Beioi Free Pres.


following exciting story
Last Saturday our train was running
from Denver 20 Cheyenne to connect with
the Union Pacific at Cheyenne. When
within eighteen miles of Cheyenne and
about thirty miles Of Greeley, and
while running up ten- mile grade, one
Of the axles Of the tender broke, and the
Whole train with the exception Of our
cur was thrown from the track and badly
jammed up. The Assistan;I;uperintend
ent Of the road happened to be on board,
and as we surveyed the ruins, he told us
that there was no engine 90 Cheyenne
that could be sent to our aysistance, asJ
we must lock to Greeley. and that we
were probably booked for all eighteen
mile walk to Cheyenne, where we would
have to remain over Saturday. This was
decidedly disngreeab' 20 all Of us, as we
had been informed that during the sum-
mcr the Cheyenne preachers ere all off
on vacation, and consequently there are
no religious services TO attend.
While thinking of our hard luck I
happened To look back over the road,
and observed that We had been running
on an upgrade for long distance, and
at tho same time / remembered that
about fifteen minutes before we had
jumped the track we met train on a
siio track going to Denver. A thought
struck me that there was way out of the
dilemma. l turned TO the engineer and
asked him if there was any upgrade to.
ward Greeley He said that there was
only one-a heavy one about eight miles
back. After that it was all down-grade.
/ called for crowba:s instantly, and two
or three train men ran out thirty or forty
rods OH to the prairie and dug up the
bars. You SEQ the railroad company
have coupling-irons, crowbars and such
things "caichcd" in the ground all along
the road, so AZ to have them ready for
use at any time. They have to keep
them under the ground because the air
is so rarified that iron and all the
crarses metals, when exposed to its &C.
ton. very soon lose their density, the
PARTICLES separating, and the metal be-
coming like so much sand, without
strength, and perfectly worthless. While
the boys were after the crOwbars / ex-
plaineh 10 our party that believed we
could pry our car loose from the coup
ling -;*:!h: .hs tEs:T. and having dawn
grade, we could catch tho train we had
met. We soon had the car uncoupIed
with the aid of cFowbars, and dozen or
more of us started on the car. She glided
along faster and faster, gathering speed
every second.
Not being familiar with the grades, the
only fear had was that our car would
not gain sufficient momentum to over
como tho upgrade, though, of course,
hoped it would. We very soon struck it,
and assure you watched the progress
Of the car with good deal of Interest.
And it just made it and that was all.
We jumped Off and pushed her little,
and down we started again on twenty
nve mile down-grade. looked ahead,
and several miles off could easily see the
train we were after, but 1t WAS almost in
stantly shut out from sight by our sud-
denly running into dense mass of flying
grasshoppers, evidently seeking to alight
OH the ground. we had all been stand
ing on the platform up to this time, but
when we met these grasshoppers we were
a-;.e, Into the car, as :hsy struck our
faces with the force of hail stones. Look
ing through the wiudows, we could see
nothing bat grasshoppers, 80 thick were
they, and only now and then could we
get glimpse of the ground even. After
minute or two, became little anx-
iors, "a I knew we were going very fast
and, as had engineered tho brake,
started up from my seat, aud tying
heavy handkerchief about my face, went
out to the platform and neized the brake.
For minute it wasn't clear in my mind
whether I could hold out against .ae
pelting of the 'hoppers or not, but sud
denly, when [ was about whipped, our
car emerged from the swarm, and Us soon
as l realized it tore the handkerchief
from my face and looked out for the
train, with my hands on the brake, ready
to avoid running into it. I felt queer
when, in looking, couldn't see that
train, and when i Etook 61es box hround:
and snw that .oHr car was 'Funtiinx on;
bare ground, with tho tack about swenty-l
five rods off to my left tell you the cold
shivers rau: up and down my back TO
very considerable extent. Ifa man ever
put "down brakes" it was me. laid
right back and frightened that brake.
wheel three more cogs than had ever been
done by the stoutest man on the road
She stopped, and as turned to open the
caF,door to call TO thecrowd, I heard m
engine whistle "down brakes" dumped
of the ground, and, looking backward
toward the sound, saw that engine slow
ing up behind us on tho track.
I hadn't word to say. began TO
think that would like to get out Of that
country right away, and be tucked up in
my little bed at home until I got we'll.
The other fellows were soon jumping out
on the ground, and they were as aston
ished rs was. We started for the train,
which had now como to o standstill, the
conductor shouting as we came up,
We'll. boys. you did that pretty we'll"
Says "See here, mister, we're strangers
in this country, sld though we've had
some experience In tho East, we'll be
blamed if We know what you mean when
you cay that we did that pretty WE'LL"
"Why, taking your car past us, ofcourse.
We were afraid some greenhorn was
managing your Car when we saw it COM
ing down she grade before The 'hoppern
strttck us. We knew, however, ttIat we
were leaving you hard hopper bed to
do the trick on" Well, to come to the
point, the train ahead of ns had mashed
so many dead 'hopPeTs on to the road bed
shat it was filled no full. even With tha
rails, SO that when ouf&ar got along it
slid right of the rails, and the ground
was so hard and even that it ran close on
four mileS before put on tho breaks and
stopped her, and while she was running
trese four miles VIC passed the train va
were trying to oveItake, the dense mass
Of flying 'hoppers preventing rs i.v,-l SEQ
ing it as we went by.
| In conversation with the conductor
afterwards, / learned it was quite regu-
lar trick of the engineers on the Union
| Pacific Road to pass another train. Tbav