The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-04-29
HOW RE BROUGHT HIS ENGINE
~ DOWN.

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HOW RE BROUGHT HIS ENGINE
DOWN.
1t was one of the most difficult parts
of the whole line. A range of high hills
lay directly north and south, and the
railroad ran nearly east and west; that
is, the stations ON each side of the range
of hills lay east and west, but to cross
the range the road wound about in the
most complicated and curious fashion.
At the summit of the range, where the
line crossed, there was water tank,
and a cross-over switch, and house for
the 'line-man. This place was eight
miles from the station, on the east side,
as the crow flies; by rail it was seven
teen miles, steady up grade all the
way. All the west-bound trains had to
have help in getting over this seventeen
mile grade, and for this service there
were several pushing engines kept
there to go 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
house was the only house within five
miles. and all the rugged hills round
about were covered with deep woods.
The pushing-engines that came up the
grade usually stopped for moment or
two for water, took the cross-over
switch. and ran back on the down track
without using steam, as it was down
grade all the way. OF course all east
bound trains, both freight and passen-
ger, came down without help, and, in
fact, without using steam, except to get
. good start at the top.
One day long freight train moving
west came to the foot Of the grade, and
took on an extra engine to help it up
siding, and when the freight had passed,
its place behind the train. 1t was not
merely to push behind. There were
about thirty-five cars in the train. chiefly
empty grain cars going west, and with
q "caboose'' behind. There were half
q dozen brakemen and the conductor
scattered along the train ON top of the
cars. All these points you must re-
member, to understand what happened
soon after.
The line for the seventeen miles up
the grade is very crooked, with several
lliyu cIuDbuhfuCubSs stuu NcI " SuaI tuTuS.
Not nice bit of road for fast run
with q heavy train. Nearly all the dis
tance is through thick woods, so that
the brave engineers deeds were not
seen by any one save the few men who
were on the train, and in the greatest
peril.
The two engines and long line of
cars crept slowly up the grade, and
al xl<
The toward engine reached the top,
and kept straight on; there was no need
to stop; and when the train fairly
passed the summit, and began to de-
scend the grade on the western side of
the hills, the pushing-engine merely
stopped. and was left behind. just
then something very singular hap
pened. The engineer reversed his en-
gine, and started to run back to the
cross-over switch that was just below.
He intended to take the down track,
and return to the station, seventeen
miles below. The station master was
at the switch. and had already opened
it. Suddenly the fireman gave q 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. 1t had broken apart. A
coupling had given away, and some
of the cars were 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 run
ming away. The men on top could not
stop them.
Where would it enda Where would
the cars go? Would they ever reach
the bottom of the long grade without
jumping the rails at some sharp curve,
only to plunge into the woods down
some lofty embankment? No time to
think about that. The thing to do was
to get out of the way and prevent the
runaway train from dashing into the
engine. He whistled to the station
master to close the switch and give
him the clear line. He must run away
from 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 a race for life and death. If
he kept ahead he was safe-safe from
collision, but not from running off the
line at the terrible curves below. On
and on the engine flew, down and down
through the woods, till the trees seemed
to whirl past in a dizzy dance. Faster
and faster came the train gaining speed
at every rail. How the woods roared
with the rush of the runaway cars, and
the engine flying on before! The cars
swayed from side to side, and the men
on top sat down, as if calmly waiting
their dreadful fate. They swept round
a curve, and the engineer had a chance
to 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 zine cars, were tear
ing down the grade at forty miles an
hour. It was killing pace, and grow
ing worse every second. 1t was sure
death TO all to keep it up much longer.
Something must be done to save engine.
men and. cars HT i-o1.,s. -r.I 4
The engine was using steam, and
kept ahead of the cars; but it could not
do % much longer. What II he let