Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-09-10
MY Murder.

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occasionally, and I think 1 can show
that we are not entirely without a cer'
tain amount of responsibility; but 1t is
seldom, II ever, recognized, unless one
of our number BIZ carelcssness suddenly
plunges a train into destruction by fall
ing 10 deliver or understand orders.
The time of which 1 write was one
pleasant afternoon in early autumn, the
22d day of September, 1876, and as the
occurrence has made deep aud vivid
impression on my mind, cannot forget
the day, which was Friday. At that
time had been an agent and operator
on the-railroad little while over
two months. The line was directly
through parts Of INDIANA and Illinois,
and some of the stations had no tele-
graph office, consequently the order dis
tance was somewhat lengthy, and there
was but one Office between mine and
Cowans, twelve miles west. On this
day was quietly putting my meer'
schaum in the little bay window OF my
Office, and wishing for something to re-
lieve the monotony, when the operator
at Cowans called the train dispatcher
and said an engine had
SPRUNG HER THROTTLE
with one hundred and forty pounds oil
steam, and gone East, while tho lire'
man had gone to lunch, and the engineer
who was olliug around, had no time to
get on. All was as still as death for a
minute. when the dispatcher began to
call C., the only Office between mine
and Cowans: for iull five minutes he
called him, using the signal 49, which
means death, but still no answer, and
still the monotonous click OF the arma-
ture presently he answered in dazed
hurried manner. and when asked about
the engine said 1t had passed there at a
fearful rate Of speed at fourteen minutes
past iour, with no person visible. II
WAS only six miles more to me, and an
excursion was on its way west with a
heavy load of tired pic-nickers, and had
actually left station only eight miles
east of me, the first telegraph Office at
two minutes past four
THE DISPATCHER CALLED ME FURI'
oUsLY,
and being at hand and e1pectant,
answered him Immediately. When he
said. Turn your switch and wreck en-
Rine No. IL, going east wild,'I replied
quickly, l cannot without an indemnity
order and after hasty consultation
with the superintendent, as l atterward
learned, he went ahead with an order,
whose unusual form and wording reused
many a lazy brass-sounder' from
doze. 1t was like this:
To operator: Wreck wild engine
No. IL at your eastern switch-gate tc
save collision. Company will defeno
and uphold you. ID. X. b.
Immediately returned my l3' o.
understanding received my correct
at 4:ls P. M and turned to look for
the engine, when, although the con
yersatisn between myself and the dis
patcher had consumed but four minutes
saw her coming at
THE GRANDEsT RATE OF SPEED
ever witnessed, and snatching my
order ran to the switch gate, abou
one hundred and fifty feet, and when
had unlocked and thrown the rail, th'
roaring monster was only about ont
hundred feet away. 1 had my watcl
in my hand, and stepped quickly bacl
out of harms way, when at exactly
twenty minutes past four she went owe
and such an unearthly crash l hope
may never see or hear again The dir
and stones flew City feet in the air, th'
engine turned clear over and stopped Oh
her side, pushing splinter OF the cal
on the whistle valve, and there she la,
a seething, kissing, screeching mass o
rubbish. But above the din and rattle
I heard one wild, despairing shrek fol
help, and when 1 could get clos'
enough to see any thing 1 found what
had it not been for the face, would neve
have been recognized as q man in th'
CRUSHED AND BLEEDING MASS OF
FLESH
that lay under one huge driver; but thu
face was without scar and by that wa
recognized as an escaped madman
who, It seems, had climbed on the en-
CINE at Cowans unobserved, and pull
ing the throttle open had started on
wild, awful ride to the gates OF death
When ,the excursion train came u
ten minutes later they said they foun'
me standing by the engine, gazlnI
alternately at the bloooy driver and m,
written order, still tightly clasped ii
my hand. was unconscious Of every
thing save the fact that l had obeye,
orders, and had thereby taken a life.-
They say tainted, but l knew nothini
from the instant discovered tha
white, bloodless face until four day
after, when awakened apparently ou
of a dream. My first question was
did the excursion get in safelyY
THE CORONER
held an inquest as soon as could b
examined, and the verdict was: We
> the Jury, find that Albert Long came t
bis death by being crushed beneath
locomotive which was wrecked by }
L. B.. an operator on the-railroad
I according to the order of D. r. B., hi
superintendent and superior officer
And we find further, that no blame ca