American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-01

= Eoc8 onyncr heavenly joys apart.
~. ". B0wddi0n, In Spectator.
row M BROUGHT HIS ENGINE
DOWN.
1t was one of the most difficult parts
: of the whole line. a range of high hills
railroad ran nearly east and west; tha,
Il. the stations ON each side of the range
of hills bay east and west. but to cross
the range the road wound about in the
most complicated and curious fashion.
Al the summit Of the range, where the
line crossed, there was . water tank,
ard q cross-over switch, and o house for
the line-man. This place was eight
miles from the station, on the east side,
- the crow lies; by rail it was severn
: teen miles, . steady mp grade all the
way. All the westrbound trains had to
lave help in getting over this seventeen
mile grade, and for this service there
wer6E several pushing engines kept
there to 10 behind the trains, and help
them up the grade When the top Of
the grade was reached, the trains went
on, for there were no passengers to be
taken or left there. The fne-man's
mouse vas the only house within five
nile. and all the rugged hills round
about were covered with deep woods.
Tie pushinx-engines that came up the
grade usually stopped for moment or
two tor water. took the crsss-over
switch. and nan back ON the down track
without using steam, as it was down
grade all the way. OF course all east
hound trains, both freight and passen-
ger. came down without help, and, in
fset, without using steam, except-to get
Q good 1taxs at the top.
One day . long freight train moving
west came to the foot Of the grade, and
fook on an extra engine to help it up
ne hill This extra engine stood on q
siding. and when the freight had passed,
if-drew cut on the main line, and took
it, place behind the train. 1t was not
coupled to the train, as its duty was
merely to push behind. There were
Rbedt tf1r5 live CARS in the train. chiefly
empty grain cars going west, and with
Z tsc6booee" behind There were half
. dozen brHkemen and the conductor
-sca<tered along the train on top Of the
cara All these points you must re-
msmbers 10 understand what happened
soon D4<of- .4f
The line for the seventeen miles up
the .Rr1de h very crooked. with several
hlkk anbankmentsand verysharp turns.
Not nice bit Of road for fast run
Nth : heavy train Nearly all the dis
tmce y through thick woods, SO that
the brave engineers deeds were not
eeen bE any one save the few men who
~ers o DE train, and in the greatest
periL-
Tho two engines and long line of
cars crep1 hlowIy up the grade, and
without accident. till almost ct the top.
The toward engine reached the top,
and kept stxAight on; there was no need
70 1(oP;l md when the train fairly
pxnsed the summit, and began to de-
sc4nd tie grade on the western side of
the biIk, De pusbing-en9ine merely
stopped. md was left behind. just
the1 something very singular hap
pened- The ebgineer reversed his en-
CINE, and started to run back to the
cFo1B-0ver switch that was Just below.
He intended 10 take the down track,
and return to the station, seventeen
miles below. The station master was
a tie switch. and had already opened
II. Suddenly the fireman gave cry,
and the engineer looked out of his for
ward window to see what had hap
pened- The train was still in sight up
the line, but It was moving down in |
stead of up. Is bad broken apart. A
cong nag hsd given away, and some
Of the cars wero rolling down the grade |
right ON to mis- engine. He could see
the men On Top waving their hands for |
him to get out OF the way The freight |
cars had broken loose, and were rum
ming awsy. The men on top could not |
stop them.
Where would 1t enda Where would |
thGeazs goe Would they ever reach |
the bottom OF the long grade without |
jumping the rails 1t some sharp curve,
only to plunge into the woods down
think about that The thing to do was |
70 get ous Of the way and prevent the
runaway train from dashing into the |
engine. He whist1ed to the station
master to close the switch and give /
him the clear line. He must ran away
fyom the runaway train. He put on
steam and started down the grade. The
station-master seemed to understand
what had happened and promptly
closed the switch. Faster and faster
rolled The cars. and the engine shot
ahead to keep out of the way.
Now for race for life and death. II |
he kept ahead he was safe--safe from
collision. but not from running off the |
line 1t the terrible curves below. On
and ON the engine flew, down and down |
through the woods, till the trees seemed
to whin past in q dizzy dance. Faster
nnd faster came the train gaining speed |
ut every rail. How the woods roared |
With the rush of the runaway ears, and |
the engine flying on before! The cars
swnyed from side to side, and the men |
on top sat down, as If calmly waiting |
their dreadful fate. They swept round |
. curve. and the engineer had chance
70 look back up the line, and saw to his
dismay that there were more cars |
behind A second and shorter train |
was fast following the first. The train !
had evidently broken into three parts,
and two Of the parts, one of eighteen |
cars. and one Of zinc cars, were tear
iny down the grade at forty miles an |
hour. Il was . killing pace, and grow
ing worse every second. It was sure
death 70 all TO Keep Il up much longer.
must be done to save engine.
men and cars.
The engine was using steam. and
kept ahead of.the cars; but il could not |
do 20 much longer. What II he let |