The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-07-12
Thouphtsthev NAV also he
CHASED By AN ENGINE.
A CONDUCTORS STORY.

L was riding on night train of the
Pennsylvania Central from New York
to Washington on a mission as news
paper correspondent. We had passed
Baltimore, and within an hours time
would be at our place of destination.
The conductor had finished collecting
the fares, and seeing vacant seat 10y
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, fold
ed his arms, and then turned to me
with a friendly remark, as if now he
felt at liberty to lay aside all official
dignity and be sOciable. | was glad to
while away the time as the train was
rushing along in darkness which
concealed all objects of interest with
out, and so l encouraged the CONVEX
satiOn.
"GOn have met with some interest
ing experiences, and, perhaps, with
some great dangers, in the course of
your life," said !, 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
L was chased by an engine-a night
which this one reminds me off, said
he, looking out into the darkness.
''Chased by an engine!" said L, get
ting interested. "HOw did that hap
pen?n
"Well,n said the conductor, set
tling down in the cushion and bracing
his knees against the back of the seat
in front, "many years ago | was run
ming the night express on Long Is
land from Rrnnl-lN-T fn Iaropnnnf.f
a distance of ninety miles, the entire
length of the road. The Long Island
road was then a One-hOrse affair, hav-
ing only single track, with switches
at the different stations to allow trains
to meet and pass. On the evening to
which | now refer | started from
Brooklyn with the old Constitution,
long since broken up, bnt then the
crack engine of the road, with a bag
gage or freight car and three passen-
ger cars. The night was just as dark
as pocket, or, if anything, perhaps
little darker" he added, as if he had
accurately tested the internal obscu-
rity of that useful portion of the dress.
at must have been very dark, 1"
said /.
1--WE were the only regular train
upon the road that night, with the
exception of the Greenport express to
Brooklyn, which was to start at 10
O'Clock and meet us at Lakeland sta
ton, 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 ] 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 az
row for a distance of four or five miles.
As l was looking back over this stretch
| saw behind us at the distance of
three miles or SO, what / knew was
the headlight of an engine, as it was
too bright for anything else; for OF
course did not suppose the govern
ment had been putting up any light
houses along the road"
"Probably not" said |.
''You may be sure / was little sur
prised," said the conductor, "fOr
| there wasn't an extra train once a
week upon that road, and | knew
there was none going out from BrOOk=
| lyn that night, anyhow. | waited fol-
a few minutes, until l saw that it was
really an engine coming, and what
although we were going at our usual
rate of speed. When / was satisfied
of this fact hurried forward, and said
to the engiHeer, 'tIake, there is q
| train close behind us"
Jake dropped his oil-can and his
| lower jaw at about the same moment
| and looked to see whether l was crazy
or joking.
hWeii, let the fireman attend tc
matters here, aud come back and s6e, u
said /.
1--WE hurried to the rear, and in 9
| moment Jake saw as well as nysel1
that, if any joke was in this matter
we were the victims of one; and OF
rather a serious one, too, for the train
| i'm the rear had gained on us a full
mile while had been forward The
red cinders were pouring out of the
| smoke-stack as if from blast furnace
The headlight threw glare along the
road to our very WhGel5. piQ2e AZ hf
was upon Us, the engines of the ad'
vanclng train had not given the
! slightest signal to warn Us of his air
prOach, and made no response to ouI
| repeated whistles of alarm. He was
violating all railroad rules, and, if he
| had determined to secretly ruin us
uONu, lie hOu1u dCl JOoO sAso III o.
| then doing, Jake at first seemed to
be struck dumb-not so much because
as thea Thought ofdanger, as the cool
impudence OF the epsiAeer behind
He looked as if he would like to thrpi-
tie him. His tongue after q while got
in working order, and he broke out,
'What does that crazy fool mean%
''The engineer must be either crazy
or dr1uk.U said /. "If he keeps on
that way ten minutes he will surely
he into u.s." and l signalled the fire
man to put on more steam. "What
LisinesS the train has upon the road at
ali tonight Is What puzzles me-"
'I wonder if it fsh't an eHgIae tpe
old man is sending down To jamaica
to the shops for repairsH' said jake
| saw the Ben Franklin standing on
the side track with steam up as we
started. From the way she overhauls