The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-12
ON A RUNAWAY TRAIN.
Iinnd-to-hnnd Combat In an Engine

The Topeka (Kansas) Commonwealth
relates a singular occurrence on a rail-
way train on the Missouri, Kansns and
Texas railway, which the courage of the
conductor only prevented from turning
into terrible calamity. 1t says A pas
senger train came rattling up the valley
between Parsons and Emporia with Dave
Durham at the throttle and JOHNNY
Haley at the furnace, just as it has every
evening for the past six years. AS en-
gineer and fireman these two boys have
stood side by side on this run since the
spring of 1873. and have not only regis
tered 'on time but have, by their strict
attention to the rules Of the road, gained
the confidence Of their employers aud
the friendship Of many people living
along the division of the Missouri, Kan.
sas and Texas.
AS the train pulled out from the low
land on the Neosho and struck the prai.
rie, the conductor noticed sudden
change in speed, but thinking the boys
might be lifting her little to meet the
grade, paid no attention to it. The grade
wss met and passed us though no grade
was there, and then down the hill she
started at terrible rate. AS she skimm-
ed along the passengers began to show
signs OF nervousness as they saw farm
houses rushing along as close together,
apparently, MS in Kansas town, and the
conductor too began to think all was not
right at the steam end.' AS the speed
increased at every evolution of the
wheels, cushions, lunch baskets, bundles
and babies flew around the car like mad.
and ;;ow the thoroughly frightened pasa
engers appealed to the con1uc.or 70 stop
the train. BY this time he realized the
danger himself, and knowing that Santa
Fe freight train had the right of wav'
at the Emporia junction, and that ii
would be certain death to reach there
ahead of time, he jerked the beli.ropc as
| though q town were on fire. The bell
sounded the alarm, but as no response
came from the whistle he realized for the
Llrst time that no WAS on u runaway train,
i've coaches from the engine. Whether
1t was the small amount of his life insu.
rance policy, or the safety OF the passen-
| gers that urged him on, will remain 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-fiye
| pounds more of steam than was neces.
sary for celerity, comfort torconvenience or
lie says as he struck the water-tank and
rolled down into the cab tho en-.
| lgine was going SO fast that tho telegraph
poles along the road looked like a picket
fence 1t took but moment to put on
the air breaks, reverse the lever, and slow
her down and find himself within 200
yards of an open switch Mt the Santa Fe
crossing, and that the run OF eight miles
he'd been made in less than eight minutes
When the train stopped tho fireman
jumped from the engine and ran down
the track toward the city, and the engin-
eer, arising from the floor of the cab, ex.
planned that iu,t as they neared the Neo-
sha grade Eniey, the fireman, accused
him of having reported something dis.
creditable TO him TO the division superin.
tendens. This he stoutiy denied, Where.
upon Haley assaulted him with coal.
pick and q hand-to-hand scuiile ensued
In the melee the throttle was thrown
! open, and, going at the rate of mile
aminute, they fought it out on that line.
The fireman aed TO the sheriff to protec;
him from the infuriated passengers, wher
they learned the csiuvo off the Imminent
danger to which they had been exposed
while the engineer was put under q sur
| geon's care, es.his wounds were seriour
The conductor was equal to the eIner
gency, however, and mounting tho loco.
motive ran the train through on time.