Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-07-06
CHASED BY AN ENGINE.
A CONDUCTORS STORY.

Washington on q mission as neWSpape"
correspondent. We had passed Balti-
more, and within an hours time would
be at our place of destination. The con-
ductor had flushed collecting the fares,
and, seeing a vacant seat by my side, had
dropped into it, as if for a ittlerest at the
end of = tiresome days work, He made
an entry in his note book, closed it, plac
ed it in his breast pocket, buttoned his
coat, folded his arms and then turned to
me with friendly remark, as If now he
felt at liberty to lay aside all official dig
nifty and ba sociable. was glad to while
away the time as the train was rushing
along in darkness which concealed all OBJ
jects of interest without, and SO | en-
ccuraged the convel sation.
"You have met with some interesting
experiences, and, perhaps, with some
great dangers, in the course of your life" :"
said l, tho 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 engine !" said | get
ting interested. I" How did that hap
pen ?"
Well" said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion and braciag his
knees against tho back Of the seat in front,
"many years ago was running the
night express on Long Island from Brook
lyn to Greenport, II distance of ninety
miles, the entire length Of the road. The
Long Island road was then one-horse
affair, having only a single track, with
switches at the different stations to allow
trains to meet and pass. On tho evening
to which nowreler | started from Brook
lyn with tho old Constitution, long since
broken up, but then the crack engine OF
the road, with baggage or freight car
and three passen ger cars. The night was
just as dark as pocket, or, il anything,
perhaps little darker" he added, as il
he had accurately tested tho internal OBJ
scurity Of that useful portion OF the dress.
1t must have been very dark" said
" We were the only regular train upon
the road that night, with the exception of
the Greenportexpress to Brooklyn, which
was to start at 10 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 | stepped out on
the back platform OF the rear car to see ii
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 LAW 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 Gov
ernment had been putting up any light
houses along the road !"
Probably not, F" said |.
ou may be sure l was little sur
prised," said the conductor, "f for there
wasn't an extra train once II week upon
that road, and knew that there was
none going out from Brooklyn that night,
ANYHOW. | waited for few minutes
until saw that it was really an engine
coming, and, what was more, was gain
ing rapidly on us, although we were 60
ing at our usual rate OF speed. When
was satisfied Of this fact i hurried for
ward, aud said to the engineer, Jake
there il train close behind u.s.
"Jake dropped his oil-can and hii
lower Jaw at about .he same moment
and looked to see whether | was crazy OF
joking.
80 Well, let the fireman attend to mat
tiers mere, and come back aud see said |
We hurried to the rear, and in mo
ment Jake saw as well as myself that, j
there was any joke in the matter, w
we're the victims Of one and Of rather !
serious one, toe, for the train in tho rea
had gained on us full mile while | hat
been forward. The red cnders werr
pouring out OF the smoke stack rs il from
a blast furnace the headlight threw 9
glare along the road, furnishing the iroI
rails to our very wheels. Close as h'
wag upon us, the engineer of the advanc
ing train had not given the slightest sig
nal to warn us OF his approach, and mad
no response to Ou7 repent whistles 0
alarm. lie was violating all railroad
rules, and, if he had determined to "a
cretly run us down, ne would act just a.
he was then doing. Jake at first seemed
TO be strucll dumb-not so much because
he then thought Of danger as the coo
impudence Of the engineer behind, III
looked as if he would like TO throttle him
His tongue after while got in WORKING
order, and he broke out, wha. does tina
crazy fool mean p
1.-THE engineer must be either Graz,
or drunk, said l. 1.-The keeps on il
that way ten minutes longer he will sure
~ be into us : and signaled the fireman
to put on moro steam. What busines
the train has upon the road at all to-nigh
is what puzzles me-
al wonder if it isn't an engine the oil
man i. sending down 10 Jamaica TO tn
shops for repairs p said Jake. ; saw tn
Ben Franklin standing on tho side trac
with steam up as We started. From tn
way she overhauls rs, there can't b
much Of a train behind her,