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

was rlulng on q nlgnJ Jraln OF Jne
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 by
my side, had dropped into it, as if for
a little rest at the end of 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 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 without; and so
/ encouraged the conversation.
"You must have met with some in
teresting experiences, and perhaps
with some great dangers, in the course
of your life," said |, 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 this one reminds me Of" said
he, looking out into the darkness.
"Chased by an enginer' said 1, get
ting interested. "How did that hap
penP'
"Well," said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion and bracing his
knees against the back of the seat in
front, "many years ago was running
the night express on Long Island, from
Brooklyn to Greenport, a distance of
ninety miles, the entire length of the
road. The Long Island road was then
Il one-horse affair, having only single
traclA with switches at the different
stations to ALLOW trains to meet 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 en-
gine of the road, with baggage or
freight car and three passenger cars.
The night was just as dark as apocket,
or, if anything, perhaps little dark
er," he added, as if he had accurately
tested the internal obscurity of that
useful portion of the dress.
"Itmust have been very dark, "saidI /.
"We were the only regular train up
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.
"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 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 head
light of an engine, as it was too bright
for anything else; for of course did
not suppose the Government had been
putting up any lighthouse along the
road"
Probably not" said 1.
"You may be sure l was little sur
prised," said the conductor; " for there
wasn't an extra train once a week
upon that road, and know there was
none going out from Brooklyn that
night anyhow. l waited for few min
utes, 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 1 was satisfied of this
fact | hurried forward and said to the
engineer: Jake, there is train close
behind us. "
"Jake dropped his oil-can and his
lower jaw at the same moment, and
looked to see whether was crazy or
joking.
a. Well, let the fireman attend to
matters here and come back and see,
said l."
"We hurried to the rear, and in a
moment Jake saw, as well as myself,
that if there was any joke in the mat
ter, we were 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 forward. The red
cinders were pouring out of the smoke
stack as from blast furnace; the head.
light threw a glare along the road,
Furnishing the iron rails to our very
wheels. Close as he was upon us, the
engineer of the advancing train had not
given us the slightest signal to warn us
OF his approach, and made no response
TO our repeated whistles of alarm. He
was violating all 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 impu-
dence of the engineer behind. He
looked as if he would like to throttle
him. His tongue, after a while, got in
working order, and he broke out.
"What does that crazy fool meanPn
1.-The engineer must be crazy or
drunk said l, If he keeps on in that
way ten minutes longer he will surely
be into u.s. and signaled the fireman
to put on more steam. What bust
ness the train has upon the road at all
tonight is what puzzles me-"
''I wonder if it isn't an engine the
old man is sending down to Jamaica
to the shops for repairsp said Jake. Il
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 be-
hind her.
81 did not know but that Jake might
be right, for l had seen the Franklin
standing in the depot when we left.
That engine was just as fast as oul
own, and if it was without train at.
tached, 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, whether Jake's theory
is correct i 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
slashing along at lively rate, l tel