Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-02
a Runaway Train.

Last Monday evening passenger
train on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
Railroad came rattlin9 up the valley
between Parsons and Emporia, with
Dave Dunham at the throttle and
Johnnie Haley at the furnace, just as
it has 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
not only registered "on time" but
have, by their strict attention to the
rules of the road, gained the confidence
of their employers and the friendship
division of the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas. CThey have been the best of
friends-a kind of friendship that
danger cements and makes stronger
has held them together for years-and
but for the alteration giving rise to
this item, they might have filed their
respective stations for a lifetime, and
their names never appeared in the
newspaper prints.) AS the train pulled
out from the low land on the Neosho
and struck the prairie, the conductor
noticed sudden change in speed, but
thinking the boys might be "a lifting"
her little to meet the grade, paid no
attention to it. The grade was met
and passed as though nc grade was
there, and then down the hill she
started at q terrible rate. AS she
skinned along the passengers began
to show signs of nervousness as they
saw farm-houses rushing along as close
together, apparently as in a Kansas
town, and the conductor too began to
think all was not right at the "steam
end" AS the speed increased at every
revolution of the wheels, cushions, lunch
baskets, bundles and babies flew around
the car like mad, and now the thor
oughly frightened passengers appealed
to the conductor to stop the train. BY
this time he realizedsthe danger him
self, 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 beil-rope as though
a town were on fire. The bell sounded
the alarm, but as no response came
from the whistle, he realized for the
first time that he 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 him on, will
remain an open question, but it is NOR
ally certain that he was not many Sec
onds 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-fve pounds more
of steam than was necessary for celeri-
ty, comfort or convenience. He says
as he struck the water tank and rolled
down into the cab, the engine was go
ing so fast that the telegraph poles
along the road looked like "picket
fence" 1t took but a moment to put
Oh the air brakes, reverse the lever and
slow her down and find himself within
200 yards of an open switch at the San
ia 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 engineer, arising from the floor
of the cab explained that just as they
neared the Neosha grade, Haley, the
fireman, accused him of having report
ed something discreditable to him to
the division superintendent. This he
stoutly denied, whcreupon Haley as
saulted him with coal pick, and a
hand-to-hand scuffle ensued. In the
melee the throttle was thrown open,
and going at the rate of mile min
ute they fought it out on that line"
On leaving the train Haley ran down
to the courthouse and had Sheriff Moon
lock him up in cell, fearing that he
would be overtaken, he said, and killed
by Dunham and his friends. Dunham
was conveyed in carriage to physi-
clan and had his wounds dressed. His
face, head and shoulders were terribly
cut and bruised, the cut in the back of
the head by pick being very severe
one.
The conductor ran the train through
to Junction City, leaving his engineer
in the hands of nurse and his fireman
in the hands of a sheriff. Topeka
Kan. Commonwealth.