Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-06-03
A REAL HERO
Offering Up His Young Life to Save the
Lives OF His Passengers.

Onering Up His Young Life to Save tn
Lives OF His Passengers.
From the Denver Tribune.
| Yesterday afternoon, the report was O.
the streets of a terrible accident on tn
Denver, South Park and Pacific railroad
and reporters were dispatched here AM
there to CLEAN for publication the variou
facts relating thereto. Passengers an,
train men were hunted up and interview
ed, but as they all substantially gave tn
same story, only the remarks of two o
three are given. The following will b.
found to be the accurate gist Of the who'll
affair.
At 7:45 Monday morning, passenge
train No, 4 left Buena Vista with yer,
light passenger list. The train consistc,
OF the engine, two sleepers, two ordinary
coaches, and a baggage car. The engin,
was run by Mr. jenkins, with young Macl
Wilson, son of Col. Bob Wilson, as fire
man. The train reached South Platte sta
tion without any unsual incident, and OF
time to the very minute, and left the sta
ton all right. When about half mile
or perhaps three.quarterS, this side of tht
station, jenkins, the engineer, noticed q
pine knot lying on the track. 1t was par.
tally burnt and not Of extraordinary size,
and he did not deem it n dangerous oh,
structiOn, but yet he applied the brakes
and slowed up, so that no possible acci
dent might occur. A few moments later
and he struck it, and, as he thought,
knocked it off the track, but later investi.
CATION shows that the pilot of the engine
passed overit and, catching it underneath,
dragged it along. Being called to the
other SIDE Of the cab moment, Jenkins
asked young Mack Wilson to take his
place and run the engine for few mo.
ments, and young Wilson instantly COM
piled, taking the seat that he never left
alive.
As jenkins stepped over to the other
side Of the cab he said: Mack, it is
twenty-five minutes before we ale due at
Deans so take it easy" and the young
fireman, in compliance with this IN.
junction, applied the steam vacuum brakes
and still more slowed 1t. The tram was
not running at this time over eight or ten
miles in hour. Scarcely minute later.a
shock was felt, and the engine rose
slightly and Immediately left the track.
Jenk rs turned quickly and shouted
Jump, Mack, jump, and suiting the
acton Of the word himself, Jumped out of
the cab to the rocks on the inner side OF
the curve they were rounding. ButyOung
Wilson was achng engineer then, and in
his hands were conhdcd the safety of all
the lives of those on board, as well as the
property Of the company for whom he was
working. To jump then was to save his
own life, but it was to wreck the train,
and, like the hero he was, he refused to
live at the expense of others, and instead,
determined to die in efforts to save. With
one hand he pulled on the lever OF the
brakes, and with the other he attempted
to throw back the eccentric, and so reverse
his engine, and while thus doing the
locomotive tOppled over and fell down the
embankment to the river, and at his post
of duty the heroic and self sacrificing
young man was hurried into eternity.
He lost his life, but he saved the lives OF
others, and died the death of mana
death worthy OF the highest praise. With
out even the breakage OF the coupling,
the engine and theder fell over, but not
o car lett the track; and, but for shock
of exceeding lightness and the stoppage
or the train, not passenger would have
been aware that an accident had hap.
pened.
In 4 few moments passengers and train
men fastened to the fore to ascertain
what was the cause OF the detention.
Down the emOankment lay the engine,
slightly on one side. Its wheels were
whrling around as though nothing had
happened, and the cab was filed with
steam and scalding water The |
front truck of the first sleeper had left the |
track, but beyond this the train rested |
Engineer jenkins was speed. |
lily on his feet, and though considerably |
bruised from his jump, attempted to res.
cue young Wilson, and Tom LOTUS, the
regular engineer, despite serious sickness,
also fastened on the same object, but both !
men were driven back by the Kissing
steam. For fully fifteen minutes the
wheels OF the engine revolved with great
.apidity, and then, the steam being ex
lausted, they slowly ceased their useless
'evolutions, and eager and anxious eyes
could peer into the cab where the hero OF
he hour had gone to his death with un.
lnching nerve. There he sat IN his seat
with one hand on the steam brake, in one
asst grip that defes pain or conclusion
% loosen, while a cruel rock, that had
rushed the side OF the cab, squeezed HIM
lightly against the boiler head. He gave
me gasp, and a slight pulse was noticea-
Die in his wrist, but he was dead, and
here were evidences of naught but mus
,ular action. without CONSCIOUSNESS or
ienSibility. The brave young fireman had
gone before the Great Judge, there to re-
,eiye the recompense due one who fulfilled
the Biblical saying: Greater love hath
no man than that he should lay down his
life for a friend" The lever Of the eccen-
iric was in its centre, showing that Mack
iad endeavored to throw it back and had
gotten it thus far, when death supervened
md stopped his efforts.