The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-02
WONDERI'UL R4TLRO4DING.
How One Train Passed Another on a Single
Track ON the Union PaciHe.

FVr, The BsA,d Free Pres.
DR.. II. 2. Strong. brother Of the general
superintendent of the Chicago Burlington and
Quincy Railroad. who has recently returned
from Colorado, tells the following exciting story:
Last Saturday our train was running from
penyer to Cheyenne, to n9nncr with the Union
miles Of Cheyenne and about thirty-ilvc miles OF
Greeley, and while running up n tcn-milc grade.
one OF the aNlcs OF the tender broke. and the
whole train. with the exception Of our car WIS
thrown from the track and badly jammcd up.
The assistant superintendent OF the road hap
p"ncd TO be on board, and. ms we surveyed tho
ruins. he told Us that there was no engine at
Cheyenne that could I've sent 10 our assistance
and we must look to Greeley. and that We wcrc
probably booked for an cightCon-uile walk to
Cheyenne, where we would have TO remain over
Sunday. This was decidedly disngreeablo To-
ali of us M W. had been Informed that during
the summer the Cheyenne preachers are all
off on vacation, and consequently there are no
religious services 10 attend.
While thinking Of our hard luck happened
10 look back over the road. and observed that
we had been running on an up grade for long
distance and at the same time 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
u way out OF our dilemma. turned to the en-
ginccr and asked him IL there was any up grade
toward Greeley. He said thnt there was only
onc-a heavy one. about eight miles back. After
that II was all down grade called for crow
bars instantly aud two or three train men ran
out thirty or forty rods on To- the prairie and
dug W the bars. You see. the. railroad COM
Hany hayo coupling irons. crowlats. and such
lllnEN tueileu III inc ground MI along The
road. 80 ~ 10 have them ready Tor use at any
time. They have to keep them under the
ground because tho air is 50 raritlcd that iron
and All ia" cOarscr metals. when exposed to liz
action, worry soon loose their density. the par
ticlcs separating and the metal becoming like 50
much sand. without strength and perfectly
worthless While the boys W re after the crow
bars explained to our party that believed We
could pry our car lose from the coupling with
The IRAN. and, having a down grade. We could
latch the train We had met We soon had the
tar unroupl"d win the ard of crowhars. and u
dozen or more of US started Oh the car. She
guided along faster ana i1sier gathering speed
every second.
Nj heing familiar with the grades. the only
lear had was that our car would not gain SUM-
cent momentum tu overcome the up grade.
though. " course. hoped IL would. We very
soon struck IT, and | assure You | watched
the progress OF the car with n good deal of u-
lrrnst. And II Just made ii and that was ALL
We jumped on and pushed her little. aud
down grade. | looked ahead and several miles
Of could easily see the train we were after. but
II was almost instantly shut out from sight 10y
our suddenly running into a dense mass Of NY
ing ,erasshoppeI., evidently seeking TO alight
n" platform up 10 this time, hut when We met
these grtsshoppers we werc driven into the ear.
as they sru our faces with the force of hail
stones. Looking through the windows we
could -ee nothing but grass oppers. 50 thick
Were they aud only now and ,heu could W. gct
glimpse oi the ground even. After minute
or two became a little anxious ~ knew we
wer" going very last. and. as | had engineered
the BRAKE. started up from myseat and tyinga
To the plaiiu I'm and seized the brake. For a
minute it wasn't clear ln NY mind whether
could hold oui against the reiting 81 the hop
pcrs or not. Tut suitD niy. when ! wiz about
whipped. our EAR emerged from the swarm. and
" soon as realized il tore. the handkerchief
from my face and looked out FOR the train. with
my HANDS ON the brake ready Co avoid running
into II. | irit queer. when. in looking couldn't
see tha; train. and when took ono look around
and saw That our car was running on bare
ground with TIA" track about twenty five rods
NJ 20 my left. tell you the cold sniyers ran up
I IL a L.
tent. ~ man ever lut Gown braces, y was
me. ! laid ri-.ht back and tight ned that brake
wheel tire. more CO.'S ilan hai ever been done
10y ih" stnuiost man on ~" rond 81" stopped.
aud az turned to open the ear door TO call out
iho crowd heard IN engine whistle down
ing back Yard toward the sound, saw that engine
Al wing NJ behind uH on the track.
hadnta word to say. / began to think that
away, and bs tucked up IN my little bed at home
until Got well. The other fellows were soon
astonished as wa. We started for he train.
which had now come 70 shnd=i,lli the conduc-
di that pretty we'll SAYS T. see here g mis-.
ter, We re- strangers in this country. and though
We've had some experience in the East, Wen be
blamed u We, know what you mean when you
your car past u. II course. We were afraid
some greenhorn WIS managing your car when
we saw It coming down the grade; before the
hoppor- struck Us. We know. however. We
were leaving you hard hopper bod to DO the
ahead II ~ had mashed So many dead 'hoppors
on g. the roll-hol that II was filed W full. even
with the rails. So that when our car got along 1t
slid risAt I'll a." rails. and tho ground was so
hard and even that ~ ran close on tu four miles
before lut "a the brakes and stopped her and
white she was running those four miles We
pissed the train W. were trylngto oVertakc The
dHus" mass of flying huppers preventing Us
from seeing 10 as We went rs.
In conversation with the conductor aftorward
learned n war quite n regular trick OF the en-
giuoors IN tho ImOn latinc road &, pass ai!-
othcrtrain. They Will pull their trains oil the
track. ~ by unlis oNerrl hy reason Of the dem
S.ty a. tho 'hD pprrs pull back On To the track
AMI when the lHssed train lctrhes upat the next
station it, engineer has TO sct ON w for al
hands. A. IL ia supper time. and TO yet down
10 results We got our car hack on 90 the track
hi'hcl Il hopper pillow on 10 IA" rear car, and
the engine ana tram backed up e. tho wreck.
from which W. nal been gone Just nlnntr Il
teen miles twice.