The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-12
ON A RUNAWAY TRAIN.
Combat in an Engine Cab.

The Topeka (Kansas) Commonwealth
relates singular occurrence on a rail-
way train on the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas railway, which the courage of the
conductor only prevented from turning
into terrible calamity. Itsays: A pas
senger train came rattling up the valley
between Parsons and Emporia with Dave
Dunham at the throttle and Johnny
Haley at the furnace, just as it has every
evening for the past six years. AS en-
gineer and fireman these two boys have
stood side BY side on this run since the
spring of 1878, and have not only regis
tered 'on time but have, by their strict
attention to the rules of the road, gained
the confidence Of their employers and
the friendship of many people living
along the division of the Missouri, Kan
sas and Texas.
As the train pulled out from the low
land on the Neosho and struck the prai-
rie, the conductor noticed a sudden
change in speed, but thinking the boys
might be lifting her little to meet the
grade, paid no attention to it. The grade
was met and passed as though no grade
was there, and then down the hill she
started at terrible rate. As she skimm-
ed along the passengers began to show
signs of nervousness as they saw farm
houses rushing along as close together,
apparently, as in Kansas town, and the
conductor zoo began to think all was not
right at the steam end.' AS the speed
increased at every evolution of the
wheels, cushions, lunch baskets, bundles
and babies few around the car like mad,
and now the thoroughly frightened pass
engers appealed to the conductor to stop
the train. By this time he realized the
danger himself, and knowing that Santa
Fe freight train had the right of way
at the Emporia junction, and that it
would be certain death to reach there
ahead of time, he jerked the bell-rope as
though town were on fire. The bell
sounded the alarm, but rs no response
came from the whistle he realized for the
first time that he was on runaway train,
five coaches from the engine. Whether
it was the small amount of his life insu-
rance policy, or the safety of the passen-
gers that urged him on, will remain an
open question, but it is morally certain
that he was not many seconds in passing
through the coaches, scaling the iron
rail of the mail-car and landing on the
coal-pile near the locomotive, which was
writhing under the pressure of sixty-five
pounds more of steam than was neces-
sary for celebrity, comfort or convenience.
He says as he struck the water-tank and
rolled down into the cab the en-
gine was going so fast that the telegraph
poles along the road looked like picket
fence It took but a moment to put On
the air breaks, reverse the lever, and slow
her down and find himself within 200
yards of an open switch at the Santa Fe
crossing, and that the run of eight miles
had been made in less than eight minutes.
When the train stopped the fireman
jumped from the engine and ran down
the track toward the city, and the engin-
eer, arising from the floor of the cab, ex-
planned that just as they nearG the Neo-
sha grade Haley, the fireman, accused
him of having reported something dis
creditable to him to the division superin-
tendent. This he stoutly denied, where
upon Haley assaulted him with a coal
pick and a hand-to hand scuffle ensued.
In the melee the throttle was thrown
open, and, going at the rate of mile
a minute, they fought it out on that line.'
The fireman fed to the sheriff to protect
him from the infrriated passengers, when
they learned the cause of the imminent
danger to which they had been exposed,
while the engineer was put under SUR
geon's care, as his wounds were serious.
The conductor was equal to the emer-
gency, however, and mounting the loco
motive ran the train through on time.