Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-08-09

Superintendent of his foolhardiness. |
thought that possibly, being for the
moment his own master and no longer
under the immediate orders of n con-
ductor, he was indulging in kind of
railroad spree, and for a lark was driv-
ing us to the top of our speed, expect
ing to end the race and his days work
at the same time at Jamaica.
"Well, we tore through that sleep
ing village without stopping long for
refreshments | can assure you, and
then Jake and | looked to see
our comical friend in the rear pull
up at the station and take lodg-
ing for the night. But we were
mistaken in our guess. Not whistle
was given by our pursuer as n signal
that he intended to stop, not signal
of Stacking was shown; but on the con-
trary, he was gaining upon us even
when we were doing our very best
Sometimes curve in the road would
shut him moment from our view, but
he would round it in an instant, and
every new turn brought him more
closely upon us. Jamaica had been
left far behind, and we were out on the
wide Hampstead plain. The old Con-
stitution was on her muscle. Our train
was actually swaying and rocking with
speed like yacht on the waves. The
telegraph poles, upon which the light
from our windows would CLINT in the
dense darkness, were flying behind us
at every second. The sound of our
wheels as they struck the ends of the
rails was continuous hum. But, do
the best that il might, our engine, with
its heavy train, was no match for the
light-weighted one behind that was
gaining upon us, and was not the
eighth of mile off. The glare of its
lantern shone brightly in our faces; |
thought Jake's face looked little pale,
and perhaps mine did, too. Now that
our pursuer did not halt at Jamaica,
we were entirely off our reckonings,
and we could make no guess as to the
cause of our chase, nor when it would
end. The prospect seemed that we
might be driven to the end of the road
if we were not overtaken and smashed
before it could be reached.
."That's the Franklin, sure, broke
out Jake once more. No other engine
on the road could overhaul us as we
are going now. What can that fool of
a Simpson mean by driving her at such
a rateP He must be drunk. If the boss
doesn't break him tomorrow he won't
get his deserts. He will be into us in
two minutes
'' You are right, Jake, said 1. 60
forward and see if you cannot get us a
little more headway. Empty few of
those petroleum cans on the wood and
pitch it in and see what can be done
| T,1- la
rand thought over the situation. Here
/ was with hundred or two passen-
gers under my care, all ignorant of the
danger which knew they were in. If
we should be overtaken and crushed in
the rear the disaster would be a serious
one, and would probably cause the
death or injury at least of some of the
passengers. If we were not smashed
in this way there was another and per-
haps greater danger before us. The
train of which l have spoken, which
left Greenport when we left Brooklyn,
was on its way to meet us on the same
track. 1t should switch off at Lake
land, in the middle of the island, and
allow us to pass an hour after we
started, or at eleven o'clock. 1t was
now half-past ten, and we were close to
Lakeland already, and would pass there
long before the arrival of the Greenport
train beyond without warning of our
approach, and a collision in front as
well as the rear would be the conse-
quence.
We reached and flew through Lake
land depot nearly half an hour ahead OF
time. OF course the Greenport train
was not there yet, but was coming
down the road. Ourspeed was now lit
tie ahead of any ever before made upon
the Long Island Road. The telegraph
poles fairly danced behind us, and the
bushes on either side of the track seemed
continuous wall of fire us they were
lighted up by the flame which was pour.
ing out of our smoke-stack. But dan.
gerous as it was for us to keep on, il
was just as dangerous to slacken speed,
and so on we went"
The conductor rolled his quid from
one cheek to the other, raised the win,
dow by his side and eXpectorated into
the outer darkness, and became silent
for several moments as if burdened by the
recollection of his former perils. After
waiting a reasonable length of time fol
him to resume his story, said: "Wher
the collision occurred, was it with the
train in front or in the rear, or with
bothP"
, "Oh, the collision" said the conduc
tor. "Well, now you come to the ridic
ulous part of the story. The collision
did not take place at ALL" he said in al
apologize tone, as if there ought tC
: have been a serious accident after sucl
! preparation. "While was standing
,, on this platform thinking whether l haC
, better warn the passengers to hole
themselves ready for shock, jake
came from forward dragging after hin
! two petroleum cans, each of whicl
would hold quarter of barrel of oil
40 Now, them said Jake to me, Il
you will oil one side of the track l viii
, try the other
s. saw at once what his plan was
We each brought the mouth of an oil
can as near to the polished surface o
the rail as possible and commenced
f pouring on it the kerosene. In les
than a minute half a mile of iror
, rails on both sides was nicely oiled anC
! as slippery as the tongue of a dealer
in secondhand Clothes"
"You have raised my expectation
of catastrophe so high that you have
: been obliged to grease the track so a
4 let them down again easily" said |, fo
I l felt little nettled at the unexpected
turn the story had taken, and was in
q clined to believe that the conductor wa
] drawing largely upon his imagination
! for the facts.
Q "Why, don't you know that an en-
gine can no more make headway on
( creased track than Tom cat can climl
/ a steep roof covered with iceP" said tn,
: conductor, with plying glance at on,
; so profoundly ignorant of railroad mat
, ters as myself. / slapped Jake on tn,
. hack and snid. nOld falln,y unnr onto