The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-14
Fight On An Engine.

Not long ago, passenger tram on the
Missouri X .nsns g. Texas Railroad came
rattling mp the valley between Parsons and
EmporiN, with Dave Dunhnm ut the tlhot-
tic and Johnnie Haley nj the furnace, just
M II Inns every evening for the past six years.
AS engineer and fireman these two boys
have stood side by side ON this run since the
spring of 1873, and have no, only registered
con time, " hut have, by their strict ntlrn-
tion to the rules Of the road, gained the con-
ildcncc Of their employers and the friend
ship OF many people living along this div,s-
ion of the Missouri, Kansas IL Texas AS
the train pulled ont from the low land on
the Ncosho and struck the prairie, the con-
ducor noticed II sudden change in speed,
hut thinking the boys might be ''lifting"
her II little to meet the grade, paid no nltrn-
tion to it. The grade WAS met nnu passed
, as though no grade was there and then
down the hill she started at a terrible rate.
AS she skinned along the passengers began
to show signs Of nervousness rs they saw
farm houses rushing along IA close together,
apparently, nS in u Kansas town, and the
conductor too began to think all was not
right at the "stcam cnd.' AS the speed
Increased at every revolution of the wheels,
vu>l,nna, lunch hanl,vtn, hun,,lro and huliro
thoroughly frightened passengers appealed
! to the conductor to stop the train. Bv this
! time hc realized the danger himself, and
knowing that Santa fc train had the
right OF way" at the Emporia junction,
and that it would hc certain death to reach
there ahead Of time, he jrrkcd the hcll-rorc
rs though town were ON fire. The bel
sounded the alarm, but rs no response came
| from the whistle, he realized for the first
| time that hr was on a runaway train, five
coaches from the engine. Whether it was
the small amount OF his life insurance policy
| or the safety of the passengers that urged
| hlin on, Will remain All open question, but
| II is morally certain that he was not many
! seconds III passing through the coaches,
sealing the iron rail OF the mail car, and
; landing on the coal pile near the locomotive
which was writhing under the pressure Of
, SiNty-tlVc pounds more of steam than was
necessary Tor celebrity, comfort or convc-
niencc lie says rs he struck the water
tank and rolled down into the cab, the en-
| Ginc was going So fast that the telegraph
poles along the road looked like a ''piCket
fence. 1t took but a monelt to put on
| the air brakes, reverse the lever and slow
her down and find himself within two hum
drcd yards OF an open switch at the Santa
Fc 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
towards the city, and the engineer, arising
from the floor Of the cab explained that Just
as they ncarcd the Ncosho grade, Haley,
the fireman, accused him of having reported
something discrcditablc to him to the divis
ion superintendent. This he stoutly denied
whcrcupon Haley assaulted him with coal
pick, and u hand-to-hand scuillc cnsucd
In tho mclcc the throttle was thrown open,
and going at tho rate of mile minute
they "fonght 1t out on that line" On leav-
ing the train Haley ran down to the court
house and had Sheriff Moon lock him up in
In cell, fearing that he would bo ovcrakcn
he said and killed by Durham and his
friends. Dunham was conveyed in a car
ringc to physician and had his wounds
dressed. His face, head and shoulders
were terribly cut and bruised, the cut in
tho back OF the head by pick being Sc
we're ono. Tho conductor ran tho tram
through to Junction City, leaving his en-
gincer IN tho hands of nnrso and his fire
man in tho hands Of sheriff.