The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-27
WONDERFUL RAILROAD.
How one Train Passed Another on 0
Single Track OIL the Union Pacific.
From, the Beloit Free Press.


DR.. 81. P. Strong, brother of the Cen
eral Superintendent of the Chicago, Bur-
lington and Quincy Railroad, who has
recently returned from Colorado, tells the
following exciting story:
Last Saturday our train was running
from Denver to Cheyenne to connect with
the Union Pacific at Cheyenne. When
within eighteen miles of Cheyenne and
about thirty.fve miles of Greeley, and
while running up a ten-mile grade, one
of the axles of the tender broke, and the
whole train with the exception Of our
car was thrown from the track and badly
iammed up. The Assistant Superintend-
ent of the road happened to be on board,
and, as we surveyed the ruins, he told us
that there was no engine at Cheyenne
that could be sent to our assistance, and
we must look TO Greeley, and that we
were probably booked for an ighteen
mile walk to Cheyenne, where we would
have to remain over Saturday. This was
decidedly disagreeable to all of US, as we
had been informed that during the sum-
mer the Cheyenne preachers are 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 a long distance, and
at the same time 1 remembered that
about fifteen minutes before we had
jumped the track we met train on
side track going to Denver A thought
struck me that there was way out of the
dilemma. I 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 crowbars instantly, and two
or three train men ran out thirty or forty
rods on to the prairie and dug up the
bars. You see the railroad company
have coupling-irons, crowbars and such
things "catched" in the ground all along
the road, so as to have them ready for
use at any time. They have to keep
them under the ground, because the air
is so rari6ed that iron and all the
coarses 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 l ex-
planned To our party that believed we
could pry our car loose from the coup
ling with the train, and, having down
grade, we could catch the train We had
met. We soon had the car uncoupled
with the aid of crowbars, and dozen or
more of us started on the car. She glided
along faster and faster, gathering speed
every second. 49, - s-'~,"' - -
Not being familiar with the grades, the
only fear I had was that our Car would
not gain sufficient momentum to over
come the upgrade, though, of course, l
hoped it would. We very soon struck it,
and I assure you 1 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
FIVE mile down-grade. I looked ahead,
and several miles off could easily see the
train we were after, but it was almost in
stantly shut out from sight by our sud.
denly running into dense mass of flying
grasshoppers, evidently seeking to alight
on the ground. We had all been stand
ing on the platform up to this time, but
when we met these grasshoppers we were
driven into the car, as they struck our
faces with the force of hail stones. Look
ing through the windows, we could see
nothing but grasshoppers, so thick were
they, and only now and then could we
get glimpse of the ground even. After
minute or two, became a little anx-
ious, as I knew we were going very fast,
and, as I had engineered the brake, l
started up from my seat, and tying
heavy handkerchief about my face, went
out to the platform and seized the brake.
For minute it wasn't clear in my mind
whether I could hold. out against the
pelting of the 'hoppers or not, but sud-
denly, when I was about whipped, our
car emerged from the swarm, and as soon
as I 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. felt queer
when, in looking, l couldn't see that
train, and when ] took one. look around.
and saw that .onri car ! was running on!
bare ground, with the track about twenty
five rods off to my left, l tell you the cold
shivers ran up and down my back to q
very considerable extent. 1fa 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 stepped, and as I turned to open the
car~door to call to the crowd, heard an
engine whistle "down brakes" Jumped
off the ground, and, looking backward
toward the sound, SAW that engine slow
ing up behind US on the track.
l 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 as was. We started for the train,
which had now come to a standstill, the
conductor shouting as we came up,
"Well, boys, you old tnat Pretty WELL
Says I "See here, mister, we're strangers
in this country, and though we've had
some experience in the East, we'll be
blamed if we know what you mean when
you say that we did that pretty we'll"
"Why, taking your car past us, of course.
We were afraid some greenhorn was
managing your car when we saw it COM
ing down the grade before the 'hoppers
struck us. We knew, however, that we
were leaving you hard hopper bed to
do the trick on" Well, to come to the
point, the train ahead of US had mashed
so many dead 'hoppers on to the road bed
that it was filled up full, even with the
rails, so that when ourSar got along it
slid right off the rails, and the ground
was so hard and even that it ran close on
four miles before l put on the breaks and
stopped her, and while she was running
those four miles we passed the train we
were trying to overtake, the dense mass
of flying 'hoppers preventing us from see-
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