The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-03-25
JACK CHzDDY.
A TINE ruc;dent - .,.p.u

A True Incident Of the Rail.
Brave Jack Chiddy. Oh, well You may sheer,
Hor 'ne name isn't one that sounds nice in the
But a name is a communicating more-deeds
And Jack had the soul of man in his breast.
Now, heard you say that you're fond of a
Il it bears upon railway men and the rail.
Wen, mere Is one hat will suit you, / know,
enough 1t happened good many years ago.
Jack Chiddy-there you are smiling again
AT the name, which own Is both common
and pain
Jack Chiddy. say, wrought along with his
mates,
Year in anc year out on a section of plates.
Simple enough was the work. with no change
But 70 see that both lines were in gauge and
range;
Fasten a key there, and tighten a bolt,
All to keep last trains from giving q jolt.
Strange when one thinks where q hero may
rise
Say, at times, in a moment before our ewes.
Or right from our side, ere we know it, and do
The work OF giant and pass from our view.
But the story? you say. Well, I'm coming to
Though ! wander little where was
Let me see. Can you catch. shining round and
The mouth of the Breslington tunnel from
here?
You see it! Well. right on the bank at the
top,
When stacking some blocks, all at once. down
A huge slab of stone from the rest shore its
way,
And fell down on the up line of metals and
lay.
One sharp cry of terror burst forth from us
all.
As we saw the huge mass topple over and fall.
speech,
Reading horror and doubt in the faces of
each.
Then one of our mates snatched glance at
his watch,
Gave start and look that made each of us
catch
At our breath, then cry, that thrilrd our
hearts through
My God; the Flying Dutchman' is over
due"
Hark, straight from over the hill we can hear
A duh. dead sound coming faint to the ear,
Then short, sharp whistle that told with its
That the Dutchman " was into the tunnel at
last
And there on the rail lay that huge mass of
And the Dutchman" behind coming thun.
Qer1nS on.
IN a minute or less he would come with q
And a hundred lives would be lost in the
crash.
"Now, for your life, Jack" for Chiddy had
flown
Down the bank, and three leaps brought him
close to the stone.
Not of his own life, for wife and child's sake,
Thought he, but the hundreds that now were
at stake.
Twas the work of moment. With terrible
And heave of the shoulder the slab moved
BGpp'd clear off the rail-when, half muf1ed
From the mouth of the tunnel the Dutch.
man" broke.
OF wheels ringing clear on the rail, and .
Or coiling smoke. and glitter and CLEAN
Of iron and steel, and then down fell the
Not a breath could we draw but stood blank
with dismay -
A. the train tore along, making up for delay;
Till at last from US all burst q shout and q
cheer,
When we knew that the "Dutchman" had
pass'd and was clear.
And Chiddy? All me! you win pardon these
tears,
For he was my mate on the rails many years.
When we found him one look was enough to
reveal
That Jacks life. blood was red on the engine.
wheel.
Brave Jack Chiddy! Now you don't sneer
At the name, which own Is but harsh to the
ear;
But a name is a sound-nothing more-deeds
are best,
And Jack had the soul of man in his breast.
Alexander Anderson, in Good Words.