Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-28
PERILS OF THE RAIL.
YARNS SPUN BY TWO OLD RAILWAY Z
GINEERS.

| Several years ago L was an attentive
listener to two old Erie engineers, "Jack-
ey" Westervelt and ABE" Carpenter, who
were comparing notes about the perilous
adventures they had previously had while
| running on the road. Both of these en-
gineers were widely known, and both are
now dead, the former dying of consump-
tion and the latter by being struck on the
head by plank projecting from car of
lumber in a passenger train between
Goshen and Chester At the time these
well-known engineers were running the
opposite sides of the regular cOal'' be-
tween Port Jervis and this city, their
trains being the first to bring coal to tide
water here at the then new works of the
Pennsylvania Coal Company Both were
good conversationalists, and the stories
related were remarkable and interesting.
| Both were seated in the cab at Wester-
velt's "mogul," the six-wheeled locomo-
tive, 24S, one of the first hard-coal "mo-
| guls'' placed upon the road, and which
was then undergoing repairs at the Port
Jeryi IS shop. Carpenters engine was 249,
companion engine of the same class.
| The most thrilling part of the story.tell-
ing was when it turned upon the numer-
Gus obiects-such as horses and wagons,
COWS, fowls, sheep, hogs and people-they
had, during their experience as engineers,
encountered upon the track while run
ming over the road.
"That was" said Carpenter, "probably
| the closest shave that I ever had from
| going down the bank when l struck that
drove of COWS just this side of the second
bridge west of Salisbury, on the Newburg
| branch. There was dozen or fifteen Of
| them, and all were on the track. [ had a
| train of twenty loaded coal.dumps behind
me- and was blazing away the best 40
| knew how, to get over Pine Hill without
stalling. | had good start over the
| straight line just west, and when we
| poked our nose around the curve between
| that and the bridge, was going with the
heavy train all of twenty-five miles an
hour. AS we turned to the left, the fire
man seen the cattle first, and in sudden
burst of the worst fright | ever see, he
shrieked, My God, Abe! see what's on
the track! Shut Oft, quick' l took the
situation in at glance, and saw that I
was too far on top of 'em to stop, SO
| pulled her out and hit 'em as hard as |
could. Of course twas the best thing
| could do to knock 'em off, and not let
em get under us, so we went through 'em
like pistolball would go through paper.
Horns flew one way, hoofs another, tails
were like meteors flying through the air,
get the finest set of horns with which to
adorn the engine and memorize the oc-
casion, as well as the incest chuck steak,
there were fourteen down the bank
seven on each side. Some had their
heads partly off, some their legs broken,
and the rest were badly mangled, so that
all but two had to be killed. My engine
was q little besmeared, but no damage
done 1t was fortunate crack [ gave,
for if any one of em had got under, down
the bank we'd went sure, and thunder
ing big wreck made
"That reminds me-" said Westervelt,
"of the time ploughed through that big
flock of sheep, 'tother side of the Otterhill
crossing. was going down the grade
east of Goshen, with full loaded train,
and at a GOD clip, making, should
think, thirty miles an hour. There were
and as I didn't think they were danger
Gus to hit, and couldn't stop if l did,
lust let her whiz, and looked out to see
which way they went. Twas the most
novel sight l ever see. One Of 'em I no.
ticed went clean through a rail fence, and
took the fence with it. Another one [
see strike big rock, and tell you he
fattened out like some of the copper pen
MES the boys put on the track for us to
run over But the most of 'em took
wings and upward they went, some TWEEN
ty, and more forty feet nigh. You'd
think twas raining sheep to see them
come down. They were strewn all around
the road and fields adjoining the track,
and the owner, when he found them,
must have thought dynamite mine blew
'em up" This spot is where poor Car
penter afterward lost his life, as above
stated, by being struck by plank on
passing train.
"Telling of going through this drove
of sheep, at this crossing" continued
Jackey, calls to mind = indeed, l can
never forget it = the time run into that
horse and wagon, with a man and two
ladies in it, at the crossing between Grey.
court and oxford 1t was the most har-
rowing spectacle I ever witnessed on the
road, and God forbid that shall ever see
another one. I was westward bound
down that Oxford grade, one of the worst
on the road, with a full train of empties,
going like the dickens. All of sudden
nv eyes lit on the man trying to get his
horse over before I reached him. I blew
and footed, and rang the bell, and as L
neared him my heart went up. The horse
baked, or was frightened, [ don't know
which, and for once [ admit [ lost MY
! balance. My nerves completely lett me,
and was as helpless as child. knew
I couldn't stop the big train [ had be.
hind, but called for brakes and reversed,
with the hope of averting the calamity;
but twas no use. [ was certain [ was
going to kill every one in the wagon, and
the horse, too, and when I hit them I
swooned Twas the most terrible expe-
rience ever had since have ran an en-
CINE The two ladies seemed as if
charmed, and we're perfectly unconscious
Of their great danger, while the man was
beating the animal in a fearful way to get
him to pull across out of the way. They
all had their eyes riveted on the train, and
although it was running them down ev-
cry second faster and faster not one of
them made move to jump from the
wagon. When I struck them they had
not moved step from the spot where I
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