The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-08-17

woalthiest men and heaviest tax
payers, and ON the morning of the
excursion dozens of carriages left
the Burnett house, the place oi
meeting, and conveyed them across
the river to Ludlow, where the
special" headed by No. /, the crack
engine, with Mat. Combs at the le.
ver, was in waiting. Miles n. Beat
ty, now superintendent Of the south
ern division, was conductor.-When
all the excursionists were on board
the engineer and conductor went
into Train Dispatcher Cooledge's of
fee, where they read and signed the
following order, and placed copies
in their pockets:
Meet and pass No. 2. north
bound passenger train at Williams
town"
To Williamstown for delivery to
the northbound passenger train, on
arrival, was sent the following or
/ der:
'sss. .--Conductor:
Meet and pass south-bound spec
Iial at Williamstown.D
So that the situation stood thus
either train reaching the place indi-
Gated first was to go on the siding
and wait there until the one coming
from the opposite direction had ar
rived and gone ahead on the cleared
track. OF the wealthy passenger
load some were seated chatting,
others were standing on the plat
forms, and still others on the sum-
mer car, when, glancing up and
down his train, the conductor, find
ing everything in good order and
readiness, waved his hand to the
watching engineer, and the special
pulled out slowly at first, but as it
moved on the speed increased until
it went out of sight around the
curve a flying, and a little later a
rumbling sound told of its crossing
the trestle, and that it was well and
fairly started on the way south. 1t
was understood that extra fast time
was to be made, and to offer no OBJ
stacle the track had been cleared of
everything save the passenger train
referred to.
One half hour after the start from
Ludlow, No. 2, fifteen minutes be-
hind time, reached Williamstown,
at which place the standing rule
was imperative that conductors
should at all times stop and inquire
for orders Stopping only long
enough to unload q passenger, in
the mud, the conductor, thinking
only of making up lost time, signal
ed the engineer, and the train went
on.
The Mortified operator from his
window saw No. 2, flashing north
ward to what seemed inevitable de-
struction, as the telegraph line be-
tween his room and Ludlow was
unbroken by a single instrument
and that moment two trains at high
rates ofspeed were rapidly lessening
the distance between each other on
the single track. He telegraphed
at once to Ludlow that ''No. 2 had
passed without stopping for or
ders."
All color left the face of dispatch
er Coolidge as he received the mes
sage and as he communicated the
dire intelligence to Jack Redmond.
master of transportation, that indi-
viduals face assumed q similar hue
With him to think was to act. Step
ping to the station door he quickly
beckoned seven men to him and
composedly gave instructions to
each. One-half dozen of them went
on the double quick in different di-
rections for physicians. The store
keepers went into the warehouse
and gathered together sponges,
Baskets, materials for splints and
soft muslin for bandages.-Mean-
while other employees had run up
to the engine house, and starting
fire under an idle locomotive had
hitched on q caboose and backed
down in front of the station where
the car was transformed at once into
a hospital coach. To all save Red
mond and Coolidge the preparations
were mysterious. The relief train
was soon in readiness, but did not
start. Redmond, seated at the desk
and estimating the rate of speed at
which the trains were moving, cal
culated about where the collision
would take place. Some of the pas
sengers would escape unhurt, and
one of them would hasten at once
on horseback to Williamstown, the
nearest point for medical aid. Here
the operator would learn the exact
locality of the accident and send
dispatch to Ludlow. Possessed of
this information Redmond could
send his waiting engine and car
with the corps Of physicians and
nurses, to the spot at the rate of
nearly u mile a minute. The other
and slower plan would be to let the
relief start out and cautiously find
its way around the many curves.
He chose the wiser course. The
scene in the train dispatcher's office
was painful. Coolidge, leaning
over the silent instrument, watched
it with feverish eyes as if to read
its secret before transmission. On
another chair was Redmond, with
big globes of perspiration rolling
down his cheeks unheeded. Neither
man spoke Five, ten, thirty min
utes that seemed like ages passed,
when came a sharp click. 1t was
Williamstown calling Ludlow.
Cooledge's hair rose up on end as
he gave the response. Redmond
stood up and placed a hand on the
door knob. The next moment Cool
edge fairly yelled, "No collision.
No. 2 has just backed into Williams
town." The two men shook hands
with the same vigor as if they were
twin brothers and hadn't met for
years.
1t was then ascertained that, by
the most fortunate circumstances
the trains had simultaneously en-
tered from opposite ends upon the