Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-11-20
An Awful Railroad Race.

years on the Buffalo, Cory & Pittsbure
Railroad, where he had one of the most
terrible experiences that has ever been
recorded in the history Of railroading.
His death recalls that night of peril to
every one in this part Of the State, al
though it has never ceased to be rela-
ted in minutest detail at all gatherings
of railroad men, where the dangers Of
the fOotboard have been the topic.
From Mayville Summit to Brocton
junction of the Lake Shore road the
distance 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 is nearly
eighty feet to the mile. The Cory road
extends into the Pennsylvania oil re-
gions, and ten years ago carried large
quantities of petroleum. On the plight
of Aug. II, 1869, Davidson engine was
at the Summit with a train of one box
car, six loaded cars and two passenger
cars. The box car was next to the To-
comotiVe, and the passenger cars were
at the rear of the train. The engineer
had started the train and it had attain
ed good headWay, when he discovered
flames issuing from one of the oil cars.
He whistled 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 hill, to get out of the
reach of the burning cars, in order to
save the locomotive and the other
car, in which were two valuable trot-
ting horses and their keepers on their
way to Cleveland. He supposed the
brakemen would put on the brakes on
the oil cars, but in the excitement this
was not done, and they followed the
locomotive, gaining headway 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 by the col
lision. The engineer and fireman could
have escaped all danger by abandoning
the locomotive, but, as Davidson said
when asked afterward why he did not
pursue that course, they had $4,000
worth of the cOmpany's property in
their charge, and they were determined
to save it if possible. According to the
story of the incident, he saw
that there was to be a race for life be-
tween him, with his engine and the
flaming cars under no control. He
said that when the oil cars struck the
one in which the horses we're the poor
actually screamed with fright.
The heat was unbearable. Davidson
pulled the throttle valve wide open,
and he declared that they flew down
The eighty-foot grade SO fast that the
engine could not pump. The keepers
in the car next the oil cars climbed up
10 the opening in the end of the car
with faces pale as death, begged the
engineer to "giVe her more steam"
They could see the blazing oil cars
through the broken end of their car,
and it seemed to them that they gained
1T every turn of the wheels. The en-
yineer said that when he struck the
jharp curves at the lightning speed at
which he was going he expected that
lis engine would leave the track and be
lurled down the mountain side. The
light was very dark. The engine thun-
Tered along faster than any engine ever
an in this country before or since,
trough woods and deep rock cuts, and
IN the edge of high precipices. The
lOrses were stamping and neighing
With terror in the box car, and only
ew feet in the rear was the flying mass
# flames rushing down the mountain
ike tremendous meteor. The blaze
rom the thousands of gallons of burn
ng oil was more than sixty feet in
eight, and lighted up the woods and
ocks and crooked road for miles. The
7hole heavens were illuminated, and
rom Brocton the sight of the great
onfagration, apparently flying through
be air, now hidden for second by a
ut or piece of woods, and then leap
lg out again and up toward the sky !
Ike a huge fountain of fire, is described
S having been awful in its grandeur.
The idea of engineer Davidson was !
, call for the opening of the switch for /,
i'm at Brocton Junction, so that he
Ould run on to the Lake Shore track, ;
here the grade was ascending, and
here he could get out of the way of the .
urning cars through their having lost :
le propelling power of the decline of ]
le grade. 1t happened, however, that :
le Cincinnati express on the Lake 8
hore road would be due at the juno :
on when Davidson's engine reached :
lere. To add to the terror of the sit :
alton, west bound Lake Shore freight :
ain was at that moment running to
ass the junction before the arrival of i,
le express. There was only one thing !;
|, do and that was to whistle for :
le switch and take the chances
the freight getting out of the y
ay, and the express being tagged or y
te. The engineer knew that he must =
ave been seen from Brocton junction, {
? the light of the burning oil, in his (
ie or death race down the mountain, =
i'd that the railroad men there under y
ood the peril of the situation and =
Ould be prompt to act. He whistled J,
r open switch. He and his fireman =
lde each other goodbye, and awaited =
e result. The freight train gained y
g siding out of their way. The switch y
as opened, and they tore on up the \