The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-12-18
A TERRIBLE RIDE.

BY a locomotive explosion on a West
ern railroad a few daysago, the engineer,
John Dawson, was killed. Dawson
was one OF the Oldest engineers in the
country, and was for several years on
the Buffalo, Cory and P~ittsburg rail-
road, where he had one of the most
terrible experiences ever recorded in the
history Of railroading. His death recalls
that night Of peril, although it has never
ceased TO be related in minutest detail
at all gatherings OF railroad men where
the dangers OF the footboard have been
the topic.
From Mayyille Summit TO Brocton
Junction Of the Lake Shore road!the dis
lance is ten miles, but owing to the
numerous sweeping curves in the rail-
road the distance by rail is fourteen
miles. The grade for that distance is
nearly eighty feet TO the mile. The
Cory road extends into the Pennsylvania
oil regions, and ten years ago carried
large quantities of petroleum. On the
night OF Aug. II, 1869, Davison's
engine was at the Summit with q train
Of one box car, six loaded oil cars, and
two passenger cars. The box car was
next to the locomotive, and the passen-
ger cars were Of the rear of the train.
The engineer had started the train, and
it had attained good Roadway, when he
discovered flames issuing from one OF
the oil cars. He whistled down brakes,
and the coaches were cnt 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
Of the reach OF the burning cars, in
order TO save the locomotive aud the
other car, in which we're two valuable
trotting horses aud their keepers on
their way to Cleveland. he supposed
the brakeman would put the brakes on
the oil cars, but in the excitement this
was not done and they followed the loco
motive, gaining headway every moment,
Before the engineer had taken in the
situation, the oil cars, every n 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 we're thrown from the
track by the collision. The engineer
and fireman could have escaped all
danger by abandoning the locomotive,
but, as Dawson said afterward Why he
did not pursue that course, they had $40.
600 worth of tho company's property in
their charge, and they were determined
to save it if possible. According to the
engineers story Of the incident, he saw
that there was to be q race for life be-
tween him and his engine, and the fam.
ing, cars under no control. He said that
when the oil cars struck the one in which
the horses were the poor animals actually
screamed with fright. The heat was nm
bearable. Dawson pulled the throttle.
valve wide open, and he declared that
they few down the e~ighty.foot grade so
fast that the engine could not pump.
The keepers in the car next the oil cars
climbed mp to the opening in the end of
the car, and with faces pale as death,
begged the engineer TO give her more
STAN They could see the blazing oil
cars through the broken end of their car,
aud it seemed to them that they were
gaining 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 would leave the track and be
hurled down the mountain. side. The
night was very dark. The engine thun-
dered along faster than any engine ever
ran in this country before or since,
through woods and deep rock cuts, and
or the edge of high precipioes. The
horses we're stamping and neigling with
terror in the box car, and only a few
feet in the rear was the flying mass of
fame rushing down the mountain like a
trem endous meteor. The blaze from
the thousands of gallons OF burning oil
was more than sixty feet in height, and
Lighted up the woods and rocks and
crooked road for miles. The whole
heavens were illuminated, and from
Brocton the sight Of the great confagra-
tion, apparently flying through the air,
now hidden for q second by q cut or
q piece of woods, and then leapipg out
again and up toward the sky like a huge
fountain of fire, is described as having
been 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 i Ike Shore track,
where the grade was ascending and
where he could soon get out Of the way
OF the burning cars through they having
lost tho 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
junction when Davison's engine reach
ed 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 do, and that was to whistle fer
the switch and take the chances of the
freight getting out of the way, and the
express being tagged or late. The
engineer knew that he must have been
seen from the Brooton Junction, by the
light of the burning 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 olen
switch. He and his fireman babe each
other goodbye and awaited the result.
The freight train 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 a stop. The engine and box
car we're stopped within hundred yards
of the Lake Shore express, which was
both late and signaled. When Davi.
SON and his fireman found they were
out of danger they tainted on their
The horses in the box car were
and their keepers were taken
fromthe car unconscious. The oil-tanks