River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-06-27
CHASED BY AN ENGINE.
a Conductors Story.
By E. P. BUFFrTT.

was riding on night-train of the
Pennsylvania Central from New York to
Washington on a mission as newspaper
correspondent. We had passed Balti-
more, and within an hours time would
be at our place of destination. The con-
ductor had finished collecting the fares,
and seeing vacant seat by my side had
dropped into it as If for little rest at
the end of tires0me days work. He
made an entry in his notebook, closed it,
placed it in his breast-pocket, buttoned
his coat, folded his arms, and then turn
ed to me with friendly remark, as if
now he felt at liberty to lay aside all Of
fetal dignity and be sociable. l was
glad to while away the time as the train
was rushing along in a darkness which
concealed all objects of interst without,
and so encouraged the conversation.
''You must have met with some inter-
esting experiences and perhaps with some
great dangers, in the course of your life"
said l, the conductors grizzly beard
showing that he might have seen long
service.
''Well, perhaps the most exciting time
in my experience was the night / was
chased by an engine-a night which thi
one reminds me of, said he, looking on
into the darkness.
"Chased by an englne!'' said 7. getting
interested. "Hov- did that happen2"
WELL" said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion and bracing his knees
against the back of the seat in front,
''many years ago I was running the nj. ht-
express on Long Island from Brooklyn to
Greenport, distance of niHty miles, the
entire length of the road. The Long
Island road was then one-horse affair,
having only single track, switches at
the different stations to allow trains to
n eet and pass. On the evening to which
now refer | started from Brooklyn at
ten o'clock with the old Constitution
long since broken up, but then the crack
engine of the road, with a baggage or
freight-car and three passenger cars.
The night was Just as dark as pocket,
or, ii any thing. perhaps a little darker"
he added, as if he had accurately tested
the internal obscurity OF that useful por-
ton of the dress.
ait mus have been very dark, said /.
1--WE were the only regular tram upon
the road that night, with the exception of
the Greenport express To Brooklyn, which
was 10 SthIl dt tCn " C1OCh anu lA1CCt uS III
Lakeland station, in the middle of the
island, switching off there to allow us to
pass.
"Well, we were perhaps six or eight
miles on our way when l stepped out on
the back platform of the rear car to see
if it was growing any lighter. We were
then going over a part OF the road which
was as straight as an arrow for distance
of four or five miles. AS ! was looking
back over this stretch / saw behind us.
at the distance of three miles or so.
what knew was the headlight of an en-
CINE, as it was too bright for any thing
else; for of course l did not suppose the
government had been putting up any
lighthouses along the road"
"Probably not" said /.
You NAV be sure | was a little sur.
prised,,' said the conductor, "for there
wasn't an extra train once week upon
that road, and knew that there was none
going out from Brooklyn that night. any
how. | waited for a few minutes, until
saw that it was really an engine coming,
and, what was more, was gaining rapidly
on us, although we were going at our
usual rate of speed. When | was salts
fed OF this fact l hurried forward, and
said to the engineer, Jake, there is train
close behind us
Jake dropped his oil-can and his lower
Jaw at about the same moment and
looked to see if was crazy or joking.
"'Well, let the fireman attend to matters
here, and come back and see,' said l..
1--WE hurried TO the rear, and IN mo-
ment Jake saw as we'll as myself that if
&baro mos ln in tho M affpr xuara
the victims of one; and of rather a serious
one too, for the train in the rear had gained
on us full mile while had been for
ward The red cinders were pouring out
of the smoke stack as If from blast-fur-
mace; the headlight threw glare along
the road, furnishing the iron rails 20 our
very wheels. Close as he was upon us,
the engineer of the advancing train had
not given the slightest signal to VAIN
us of his approach, and made no response
70 our repeated whistle of alarm. He was
violating all railroad rules, and if he had
determined to secretly run us down he
would act Just as he was then doing Jake
at first seemed to be struck dumb-not so
much because he then thought of danger
as at the cool impuderce of the engineer
behind. He looked as if he would like
10 throttle him. His tongue after awhile
got in working order, and he broke out,
what does that crazy fool meang
"'The engineer must be either crazy
or drunk said I. IL he keeps on in
that wey ten minutes longer he will sure
" be into u.s. and l signaled the fire
man 10 put on more steam. What bust
ness the train has upon the road at all
tonight Is what puzzles me-.
90 wonder if it isn't an engine the
old man is sending down to Jamaica TO
The shop for repairss' said Jake. 4 saw
the Ben Franklin standing on the side
track with steam up just as we started.
From the way she overhauls us, there
can't be much of train behind her.
81 did not know but that Jake might
be right, for | had seen the Franklin
standing al the depot when we left. That
engine was Just as fast as our own, and if
II was without a train attached, as Jake
supposed, might easily gain on us, as it
seemed to be doing. AT any rate, we
shall see when we pass Jamaica Station
thought and said to him.
"By this time the fireman, acting as
engineer, had given our engine all the
steam she would take, and we were slash
ing along at lively rate, tell you,
said the conductor. "The good people
along the road who were out of their
beds must have thought that a railroad
Gilpin was riding another race according
TO the new style. was angry enough TO
have sent bullet at the crazy engineer
following US. and ] determined that my
first business the next day should he 70