Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-06
Fearful FLIGHT 81 q Train.
FIGHT ON AN ENGINE.

Not long ago, passenger train on the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad. came
raJtling up the valley between Parsons and
Emporia, with Dave Durham at the throt-
tie aud 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 s'on time,' but have, by their
strict attention to the rules of the road,
gained the confidence Of their employers
and the friendship Of many people living
along this division OF the Missouri, Kan
sas u Texas. AS the train pulled out
from the low land on the Neosho and
struck the prairie, the conductor noticed
sudden changein speed, but thinking the
boys might be s'lifJing'' her a little to
meet the grade, paid 20 attention to it.
The grade was met and passed as though
no grade was there, ard then down the
hill she started at terrible rate. AS she
SKINNED along tile passengers began to
show sigus of nervousness, as they saw
farm houses rushing along 20 close togeth-
er, 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 CT the
wheels. cushions, lunch baskets, bundles
and babies flew around the car like mad,
and now the thoroughly frightened passen-
gers appealed to the conductor to stop the
train. By this time he realized the danger
himself, and knowing that a Santa Fee
train had the fright of way at the En-
poria junction, and that 1t would be GER
tain death to reach there ahead of time, he
jerked the bell-rope as though town were
on fire. The bell sounded the alarm. but
as no response came from the whistle, he
realized tor the first time that he was on a
runaway train, five coaches from the en-
g1ne. Whether it was the small amount
of his llfe-insurance policy or the safety of
the passengers that urged him on, will re-
main an open question, but it is morally
certain that he was not many seconds 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
five pounds more Of steam than was neces-
sarv for celebrity, comfort or convenience.
| He says as he struck the water tank and
rolled down into the cab, the engine was
going so fast that the telegraph poles
along the road looked like a s'plcket
fence" 1t took but a moment to put on
the air brakes, reverse the lever and slow
her down and find himself within two
hundred yards of an open switch at the
Santa 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 towards the city. and
the engineer, arising from the floor Of the
cab explained that just as they neared the
Neosho grade, Haley, the fireman, accused
him Of having reported something discred-
liable to him to the division superinten-
dent. This he stoutly denied whereupon
Haley assaulted him with coal pick, and
q hand to hand scuffle ensued In the
melee the throttle was thrown open, and
going at the rate of a mile minute they
| fought it out on that line. . On leaving
| the train Haley ran down to the court
I house and had Sheriff Moon lock him up
in cell, fearing that he would be overta-
ken, he said, and killed by Durham and
his friends. Durham was conveyed in a
carriage to a physician and had his wounds
dressed. His face, head and shoulders
were terribly cut and bruised; the cut ih
| the back of the head by pick being Sc
we're one. The conductor ran the train
through to Junction City, leaving his en-
gineer IN the hands Of a nurse and his fire.
man in the hands of sheriff.