West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-12-06
An Awful RIdo.

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Shore Road had started his train and il
had attained good Roadway, when he dis
covered flames issuing from one of the oil
cars. He whstlcd down brakes, and the
coaches were cut loose from the oil cars
which were quickly uncoupled from the
box car. The engineer then pulled on
down the hill, TO get out of the reach of
the burning cars, in order to save the loco
motive and the other car, i'm which were
two valuable trotting horses and their keep
ers on their way to Cleveland. lie supposed
the brakeman would put on the brakes on the
oil cars, but in the excitement this was not
done, and they followed the locomotive,
gaming Roadway every moment Before
the engineer had taken in the situation the
oil cars, every one of them now ablaze,
came dashing upon him around a curve
They crashed into the box car, knocking
in one end of it, but singularly enough,
neither that nor any Of the moving cars
were thrown from the track 10y the collision
The engineer and fireman could have escap-
ed all danger by abandoning the locomotive,
but, as Dawson said when asked afterwai d
why they did not pursue that course, they
had $50, 900 worth OF the companv's pro
pcrty in their charge, and they were deter
the engineers story of the incident, he saw
that there was TO DE a race for life between
him and his engine and the flaming cars
under no control lie said that when the
oil cars struck the one in which the horses
were. the poor animals actually screamed
with fright. The heat was unbearable
Dawson pulled the throttle valve wide open,
and he declared that they flew down the
10 20 al, fl 4
not pump. The keepers in the car next the
oil cars climbed up To the opening i'm the
end OF the car, snd, with faces as pale as
death, begged the engineer to give her
more steam They could see the blazing
oil cars from the broken end of their car,
and 1t seemed TO them that they gained at
every turn of the wheels The engineer
said that when he struck the sharp curves
at the lightning speed at which he was going
he expected that his engine woald leave
the track and be hurled down the mountain
side. The night was very dark the en-
CINE Numbered along faster than any engine
ever ian in this country before or since,
throught woods ard deep rock cuts, and
on the edge of high prccipices. The horses
were stamping and neiShing with terror in
the box car, and only few feet in the rear
was the flying mass of flame rushing down
the mountain like a tremendous meteor.
The blaze from the thousand gallons of
burning oil was more than 60 feet i'm height.
and lighted up the woods and rocks and
crooked roads for miles. The whole heav-
ems were illuminated, and from Brocton
the sight Of the great conflagrati6n, appa-
rently flying through the air. now hidden
for second by a cut or a piece of woods,
and then lcaping out again and up toward
the sky like huge mountain of fire, is de-
scTibed as being awful in its grandeur.
The idea of Engineer Dawson was to call
for the opening Of the switch for him at
Brocton Junction, so that he could run on
TO the Lake Shore track, where the grade
was ascending and where he could soon get
out OF the way of the burning cars through
their having lost the propelling power Of the
decline OF the Summit grade. 1t happened,
however, that the Cincinnati express on the
Lake Shore Road would be due at the iunc-
ton when Davison's train reached there.
To add to the terror of the situation q West
bound Lake Shore freight train was at that
moment running to pass the junction before
the arrival Of the express. There was only
one thing to dc, and that was to whistle
for the switch, and take the chances of the
freight getting out of the way, and the ex-
press being tagged or late. The engineer
knew that he must have been seen from
Brocton Junction, by the light of the burn
ing oil, in his life or death race down the
mountain, and that the railroad men there
understood the peril of the situation and
would be prompt TO act. He whistled for
open switch. He and his fireman then
babe eUch other goodbye and awaited the
result. The freight tram gained the siding
out Of their way. The switch was opened
and they tore ON up the Lake Shore track,
past the depot and through the village, and
were soon out of the way of the burning
cars, The latter gradually came to stop.
The engine and box car were stopped with
in hundred yards Of the Lake Shore ex-
press, which was both late and signaled.
When Dawson and his fireman found they
were out Of danger, they tainted on their
engine. The horses in the box car were
ruined. and their keepers were taken from
the car unconscious. The oil tanks burned
for three hours after they were stopped.
The most fortunate circumstance OF the
whole affair was the uncOupling of the pas
senger cars from the oil cars at the Summit
They were filed with passengers. and il
they had remained with the burning tank,
would have been wrapped in flames in 9
very short time, and there would have beer
no escape for the passengers from a most
horrible fate. II was just o'clock wher
Dawson pulled out from Maryville Summit.
When he was taken from his engine, IL
miles from the starting poil {, it was not /.
minutes past ehe hour