Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-23
CHASED BY AN ENGINE.
"A Conductors Stony.
BY E. p. BUFFITT.

"A
BYE.P BUFFITT.
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 a little rest at
the end of a tiresome 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
cd 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 darkness which
concealed all objects of interst without,
and so I encouraged the conversation.
"You must have met with some inter-
csting experiences, and perhaps with some
great dangers. in the course Of your life,"
said I, the conductors grizzly beard
showing that he might have seen a 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 GU
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
~ loo of
"many years ago I was running the nj sht
express on Long Island from Brooklyn to
Greenport, distance of ninty 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
meet and pass. On the evening to which l
now refer I started from Brooklyn at
ten o'clock with the old Constitution,
long since broken up, but then the crack
engine of the road, with baggage Or
freight-car and three passenger cars.
The nj ght was just as dark as pocket,
or, il any thing, perhaps little darker"
he added, as if he had accurately tested
the internal obscurity OF that useful por-
ton Of the dress.
ut must have been very dark, " said /.
eve were the only regular train upon
the road that night, with the exception Of
the Greenport express to Brooklyn, which
was to start at ten o'clock and meet US at
Lakeland station, in the middle of the
island, switching off there to allow us to
pass.
swell, we were perhaps six or eight
miles on our way when stepped out on
the back platform Of the rear Car to see
if it was growing any lighter. We we're
then going over part OF the road which
was as straig ht as an arrow for distance
of four or five miles. AS ] was looking
back over this stretch I saw behind US,
at the distance of three miles or so,
what I knew was the headlight of an en-
CINE, as it was too bright for any thing
else; for Of course I did not suppose the
government had been putting up any
lighthouses along the road.''
"Probably not" said I.
''You may be sure I was 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 I 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 oul
usual rate of speed. When I was salts.
fed OF this fact l hurried forward, and
said to the engineer: Jake, there is train
close behind u.s.
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 I.
''We hurried to tine rear, and IN mo
ment Jake saw as we'll as myself that i
there was any joke in the matter we wer,
the victims OF one; and of rather 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 gu
of the smoke stack as If from q blast fur
mace; the headlight threw glare alon'
the road, furnishing the iron rails to GU
very wheels. Close as he was upon US
the engineer of the advancing train ha,
not given the slightest signal to wa11
us of his approach and made no respons
to our repeated whistle Of alarm. He wa
violating all railroad rules, and if he ha,
determined to secretly run us down b
would act just as he was then doing Jall
al first seemed to be struck dumb-not s.
much because he then thought Of DANCE
as at the cool impuderce of the enginee
behind. He looked as if he would lik
to throttle him. His tongue after awhil
got in working order, and he broke out
What does that crazy fool mean?'
"'The engineer must be either Graz
or drunk said I. If he keeps on il
that wey ten minutes longer he will sure
" be into u.s. and signaled the fire
man to put on more steam. 'What bust