The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-23
An Awful Ridc.

pVuC yStiLb u$O uu cllSilCCT Ou tuc Luke
Shore Road had started his train and 1t
had attained good headway, when he die.
covered flames issuing from one of the oil
cars. Hc whistled down brakes, and tho
coaches were cut loose from tho oil cars
which were quickly uncouplcd from the
box car. The engineer then pulled on
down the hill, to get out of the reach of
the burning cars, in order to save the loco
motive and the other car, in which were
two valuable trotting horses and their keep
ers on their way to Cleveland. Hc supposed
the brakeman wouldput OH the brakes OH the
oil cars, but in the excitement this was not
done, and they followed the locomotive,
gaming hcadway every moment. Before
the engineer had taken in the situation tho
oil cars, every one of them now ablaZe,
camc dashing upon him around curve.
They crashed into the box car, knocking
in one end of 1t, but singularly enough,
neither that nor any of the moving cars
were thrown from tho track by the collision.
The engineer and fireman could have cscap-
5, ed all danger by abandoning the locomotive,
but, as Dawson said when asked aftcrwal d
why they did not pursue that course, they
had $40, 900 worth Of the company's pro-
pcrty III their charge, and they were deter
mined to save it if possible. According to
the engineers story of the incident, he saw
that there was to be a race for life between
him and his engine and tho flaming cars
under no control. IIc said that when the
oil cars struck the one in which the horses
were. the poor animals actually screamed
with fright. Tho heat was unbcarablc.
Dawson pulled the throttle valve wide open,
and ho declared that they flew down the
80 feet grade so fast that the engine could
not pump Tho keepers in the car next the
oil cars climbed up to the opening in the
end Of the car, snd, with faces rs pale as
death, begged the engineer to 'tgivc her
moro steam" They could sec the blazing
oil cars from the broken end of their car,
and it seemed to them that they gained at
every turn Of tho wheels. The engineer
said that when he struck tho sharp curves
at tho lightning speed at which he was going
he expected that his engine w0ald leave
the track aud be hurled down the mountain
side. The night was very dark; the en-
ginc thundercd along faster than any engine
ever ian in this country before or since,
throught woods and deep rock cuts, and
on the edge of high prccipiccs. The horscs
were stamping and neishng with terror in
the box car, and only a few foct in the rear
was the flying mass Of flame rushing down
tho mountain like tremendous meteor.
The blazo from the thousand gallons of
burning oil was more than GO feet in height,
and lighted up the woods and rocks and
crooked roads for miles. The whole hcav-
ems wcro Illuminated, and from Brocton
the sight Ct the great contlagration, appa-
rcntly flying through the air. now hidden
for second by cut or piece Of woods.
and then lcaping out again and up toward
the Sky like hugo mountain of fire, is de-
scribed as being awful in its grandeur
The idea Of Engineer Dawson was to call
for tho opening Of the switch for him at
Brocton Junction, 80 that he could run on
to the Lake Shore track, where the grade
was ascending and whcro he could soon get
out OF the way of the burning ours through
their having lost tho propclling power of the
decline OF tho Summit grade. 1t happened,
however, that tho Cincinnati express on tho
Lake Shore Road would be due at the juno
tion when Davison's train reached there.
10 add 10 the terror Of the situation West
bound Lake Shore freight train was ut that
moment running to pass the junction before
tho arrival of the express. There was only
one thing to dc, and that was to whistle
for the switch, and take the chances of the
freight getting out of tho way, and tho cx-
press being tagged or late. The engineer
knew that he must have been seen from
Brocton Junction, by the light of tho burn
Ing oil, In his life or death race down the
mountain and that tho railroad men there
understood tho peril of the situation and
would be prompt to act. lie whistlcd for
open switch. lie and his fireman then
bade euch other goodbye and awaited the
result: The freight tram gained the siding
out of their way. The switch was opened
and they tore Oh up tho Lake Shore track,
past the depot and through tho village, and
were soon out of the way of the burning
cars, The latter gradually came to stop.
The engine and box car were stopped with
In hundred yards of the Lako Shore cx-
press, which was both late and sgnalcd.
when Dawson and his fireman found thoy
were out of danger, they tainted on their
engine. The horses in the box car were
ruined. and their keepers were taken from
the car unconscious. The oil tanks burned
for three hours after they were stopped.
The most fortunate circumstance of the
whole affair was tho uncoupling of the pas
senger cars from the oil cars at the Summit.
They were filed with passengers, and if
they had remained with the burning tanks
would have been wrapped in flames in
very short time, and there would have bccn
no escape for the passengers from a most
horrible fate. 1t was just 0 o'clock when
Dawson pulled out from Maryvillc Summit.
When no was taken from his engine, l6
miles from the starting poil t, 1t was not 12
minutes past The hour.
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