Louisiana capitolian., 1880-08-28
the coach, which was coupled to my en-


sne.
II sprang up into the footboard, got
up the switch tender to help my fireman,
opened the throttle, and just as SIZE com
mencea moving looked at my watch-it
was Just II o'clock, so that l had one
hour to moke my seventy.fve miles in.
"From y TO c. there were few
curves on the road, hut there were sew
eral heavy grades. was perfectly ac
quainted with every rod of it, so that
l knew exactly what I had to encounter,
and when l saw how the engine moved
l felt very very little fear for the result.
''The road for the first miles was an
air line, and so smoth that our engine
flew along with scarcely perceptible
jar. was SO busy posting myself mp as
to the amount of wood and water
aboard, ETC., that we dan ced by the first
station almost before was aware of it,
having been FIVE minutes out and having
FIVE miles accomplished.
"Yon are losing time" yelled voice
from the coach. looked around and
there stood Roberts with his watch in
his hand.
~ knew very we'll that we would have
to increase our speed by some means if
we carried out our plans of reaching
c. by midnight, and looked anxious
ly around to what could do to accom-
plsh that purpose. She was blowing
off steam fercely at 10 pounds, so !
turned down the valve to 300, for ] knew
we should need i: all to make some Of
the heavy grades which lay between us
and c..
1T was three miles to the next station.
With the exception of a few curves The
track was as good as the last. As we
darted around what commonly seemed
to be rather long curve, at the station,
but which was, ut our high speed short
enough, looked at my watch, and we
had done it in two minutes and half.
"Gaining,' shouted back to Roberts,
who was yet standing on the platform
of the coach.
LOOK out for the heavy grades, be
replied, and went inside the car.
THE next six miles rose gradually
from . level the first, to ten and a half
feet grade the last, which lay between
us and the next station. My fireman
kept her full and now she began to get
hot. The furnace door was red and the
steam raised continually, 50 that she
kept her speed aud passed the station
like streak of light in five minutes.
sNow came nine miles like the last,
over which she kept pace with her time
and passed the station in seven aud a
half minutes.
Here, for ten miles, we had twenty
foot grade to encounter; bnt the worst
of it all was at this place we would be
obliged to stop for wood. was just
going to speak to Roberts about it
when looked around aud saw him fill.
ing the tender from the coach with
wood which had been placed there he
fore starting while he was gone after
me.
y believe we would have made this
ten miles with the same speed as before
bat through the carelessness of the fire.
man the fountain valve of the left hand
side of the engine got opened, and til.
water rose in the boiler 80 fast as tt
run the steam down M 100 pounds be-
fore I discovered where the difficulty
was
At first Roberts didn't appear to 10
tice the decrease of speed, and kept al
lwork at the wood as if for dear life
But presently he looked up, and, seeing
that the speed had decreased, he shout
ed: Harry. We are stopping and then
coming over to where was, he said
Why, here we have been ten minutes
on tho last ten miles, and l believe W.
will come to a dead stand if somethin!
is not done. The speed is continual,
stacking. What is the matter ?
Il explained the canse. He was ap
parently satisfied with nv explanation
and, after having tied down the safety
valve, he climbed back over the tender
exhorting me to put her through, TO
Gods sake, or we are all beggars toge
ther!
just then we passed the next station
having taken nine minutes for eigh
miles. We were now more than hal
over the road, but we had lost nearl
ten minutes time, and had loft 0nl
troDtu sovon vpinnfoo tN 1O thirtv-fnu