The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-12-19
Wrecking an Engine.
A TELEGRAPH OPERATORS STORY.

After all, we wsy-station telegraph opera
tors are not without our little bit Of romancC
occasionally, and think can show that wt
are not entirely without certain amount Of
| responsibility; but II is seldom If ever recog
sized. unless one of our number by careless
ness suddenly plunges train into destruction
by failing to deliver or understand orders.
The time of which write was one pleas.
ant afternoon in early autumn, the twenty
second day of September, 1876, and as the
occurrence has made a deep and vivid inn
preston on my mind, | cannot forget the
day, which was Friday.
At that time had been an agent and OPP
orator on the - II. r. little while ovei
two months. The line was directly through
parts of Indiana and Illinois, and some of the
stations had no telegraph office, consequently
the order distance was somewhat lengthy
and kere was but one Office between mine
and Cowans, twelve miles west.
On this day l was quietly putting my
meerschaum in the large bay window of my
office, and wishing for something to relieve
the monotouy, when the operator at Cowans
called the train Dispatcher and said an engine
had sprung her throttle with one hundred
and forty pounds of steam, and gone east,
while the fireman had gone to lunch, and the
engineer, who was oiling around, had no time
to get on.
All was still as death for a minute, whet
the dispatcher began to call g., the only office
between mine and Cowans; for fully five
minutes he called him, using the signal '23
which means death, but still no answer, ant
still the monotenous click of the srmature
presently he answered in dazed, hurried
manner and when asked about the engine
said it had passed there at fearful rate o
speed at fourteen minutes past four, with nj
person visible. ..'..
1t was only six miles more to me; and AT
excursion was on its way west with heavy
load of tired picnicers, and had. actually lef
station only eight miles east of me, thu
first telegraph office, at two minutes pas
four.
The dispatcher called me furiously, ant
being at hand and expectant, answered hin
Immediately When he said Turn you
switch and wreck engine No. IL, going eas
Wild l replied, quickly, Il cannot withou
an indemnity ORDER; and after hasty con
sultation with the superintendent, as after
ward learned, he went ahead with an order
whose unusual form and wording rouse,
many lazy brass sounder from dose.
was like this:
To 'Opcrator;-Wreck wild engine No. l
at your eastern switch gate to save collision
Company will defend and uphold you.
. DR.. B.
Immediately returned my '13, or under
standing received my correct at 4.lS p. m.
and turned to look for the engine, wher
although the conversation between myse
and the dispatcher had consumed but fou
minutes, saw her coming at the grande'
rate of speed ever witnessed, and, snatch
ing my order, ran to the switch gate, abor
one hundred and fifty feet, and when ha
unlokced and thrown the rail, the roarin
monster was only about one hundred fe'
away. l had my watch in my hand, au
stepped quickly back out of harms wa
when at exactly twenty minutes past fo'
size went over, and such an unearthly cra'
| hope | may never see or hear again
The dirt and stones few fifty feet in Il
, air. the engine turned clear over, and stopp,
on her side, pushing splinter Of the cab I
the whistle valve, and there she lay a sect
ing, kissing, screeching mass of rubbish.
1 But above the din and rattle l heard o
wild. despairing shrek for help, and when
could get close enough to see any thing,
i found what, had it not been for the ia,
. would never have been recognized as a m
in the crushed and bleeding mass of fe
!. that lay under one huge driver; but the fl
% was without scar, and by that was recogn
d ed as an escaped madman, who, it seems, b
climbed on the engine at Cowans unobserv
and, pulling the throttle open, had started
ID a wild, awful ride to the gate of death.
i, When the excursion train came up,
minutes later, they said they found me stal
" ing by the engine gazing alternately at
! bloody driver and at my written order, {
l tightly clasped in my hand. .-
Is was unconscious of every thing save
fact that had obeyed orders, and had the
hs by taken life. They say tainted. bu
ne knew nothing from the instant discove
that white, bloodless lace, until four d
m after, when awakened apparently out
dream. Ny first question was, Did the
= cursion get in safely?"
to The coroner held an inquest As soon a
,w could be examined, and the verdict was.
ow the jury fnd that Albert Long came to
death by being crushed beneath locomo
in which was wrecked by J. L. b., an oper
of on the - R. r., according to the orde
d. R. b., his superintendent and supe
,ed officer And we find further that no bl
cir can be attached to said j. L. d., d. r. B
Al. the said railroad company, as the engine
,ed wrecked to save heavily loaded excurl
Law and said Albert Long, being msdman,
on the en-inc in direct opposition to
are company sTdars
have that order and copy of the We
ne side by side in my diary, where they
always remain.
ood Often in my dreams l see an unrecog
lad BILE mass of quiverihg flesh and br
ado bones benc h a huge driver, and "
him uuscarred fec presents itself to my
for A sudden shrek will almost craze me,
and am often tempted to go where railroad
. 70 unknown, where the kissing and scree
INV. cannot reach me.
CharcDal far Fowls