The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-06-03

~ ~ E
Not fashion when they fall.
II you're slow in arm and brain,
All your labor will be in vain;
The quick of head and quick of hand
May rise from serving to command.
PERILS OF THE RAIL.
Yarns Spun by Two Railway Engineers.
Several years ago was an attentive
listener to two old Erie engineers, slack
ey" Westervelt and "Abe" Carpenter,
who were comparing notes about the
perilous adventures they had previously
had while running on the &oad. Both
OF these engineers were widely known,
and both are now dead, the former dying
OF consumption, and the latter by being
struck on the head by plank projecting
from car of lumber in passenger train
between Goshen and Chester. At the
time these we'll known engineers were
running the opposite sides Of the ''regu-
lar coal'' between Port Jervis and this
city, their trains being the first to bring
coal to Underwater here at the then new
works of the Pennsylvania Coal Com
panY. Both were good conversational
lists, and the stories related were remark
In the cab at Westervelts "mogul," the
six-wheeled locomotive, 248, one of the
first hard-coal "moguls" placed upon the
road, and which was then undergoing re-
pairs at the Port Jervis shop. Carpen-
ter's engine was 249, companion engine
OF the same class. The most thrilling
part Of the storytelling was when Il
turned npon the numerous objects such
as horses and wagons, cows, fowls, sheep,
hogs and people--they had, during their
experience as engineers encountered upon
the track, while running over the road.
."That was" said Carpenter, ''probably
the closest shave that I ever had from
gong down the bank when struck that
drove OF COWS just this side Of the second
bridge west of Salisbury, on the NewDurg
branch. There was dozen or fifteen Of
them, and all we're on the track. had q
train Of twenty loaded coal dumps be-
hind me, and was blazing away the best
40 knew how, to get over Pine Hill with
out stalling. I 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 fever see, he
shrieked, MY God, Abe! see what's on
the track Shut off, quickl I took the
situation in at a glance, and see that I
was too far on top of 'em to stop so /
pulled her out, and hit 'em as hard as I
could. OF course twas the best thing
could do to knock EN- of, and not
let 'em get under us; so we went through
'em like a pistol-ball would go through
paper. Horns flew one way, boots an
other, tails were like meteors flying
through the air, and when we pulled up
to see who would get the finest set Of
horns with which to adorn the engine and
memorize the occasion, as we'll as the
incest chuck-steak, there were fourteen
down the bank-seven on each side.
Some had their heads partly of, some
their legs broken, and the rest were bad
~ mangled, so that all but two had to be
killed. My engine was little besmeared,
but no damage done. It was fortunate
crack gave, for II any one of 'em had
gone under, down the bank we'd went
sure, and laundering big wreck made"
"That reminds me-" said Westervelt,
l"ot the time I ploughed through that bic
flock Of sheep, 'tother side of the Otter
hill crossing. l was gong down the
grade east of Goshen with full loaded
train, and good clip, making, should
think, thirty miles an hour. There was
at least forty or fifty ofthe feecy animals,
and didn't think they were dangerous
to hit, and couldn't stop if I did, I just
let her whiz, and looked out to see which
way they went. Twas the most novel
sight I ever see. One of 'em noticed
went clean through rail fence, and
took the fence with it. Another one I
see strike big rock, ana I tell you he
fattened out like some Of the copper
pennies the boys put on the track for us
to run over. But the most of them took
wings and upward they went, some twen-
ty and more forty feet high. You'd
, think it was raining sheep to see them
come down. They were strewed all
around the road and fields adjoining the
track, and the owner, when he found
them, must have thought dynamite
mine must have blew 'em up.'' This
spot is where poor Carpenter afterward
lost his life, as above stated, by being
0uON " pam VI passing trdln.
"Telllng Of going through this drove of
sheer, at this crossing continued ack-
ey, 'calls to mind indeed can never
forget 1.-THE time ran into that horse
and wagon, with man and two ladies
in it, at the crossing between Greycourt
and Oxford. 1t was the most narrowing
spectacle ever witnessed on the road
and God forbid that shall ever see an
other one. was westward bound down
that Oxford grade, one of the worst on
the road, with a full train Of empties. and
going like the dickens. Ali Of sud.
den my eyes lit on the man irving to oct
his horsee over before / reached him. I
! blew and footed, and rang the bell. and
and as Ineared him my heart went up.
The horse baked or was frightened, /
) don't know which, and for once admit
Host my balance. My nerves complete
" left me, and was as helpless as q
child. knew / couldn't stop that bio
train had behind, but / called fol
brakes and reversed, with the hope d
|, o<oVfSnep tho l. 49,. l,.k