The daily gazette., 1881-09-02
4 BRAVE ENorNEER.
How q Runaway Locomotive Was
0tOnneA.

How q Runawsy Locomotive was
stopped.
From the Baltimore American.
In 1e62 William Franklin, who was
afterwards master Of transportation OF |
the Ohio and Chicago division OF the |
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was an
engineer In the company's service, In
charge Of "No. 25." On the day the In
cidents about to be related occurred Mr.. |
franklin was waiting with his engine at
Newburg Station, West virginia, twelve
miles east of Grafton, until atrain could
be made up for him. He loitered idly
around his engine for some time, and
finally entered the tIain-despatcher's
Office to obtain some expected orders.
On the engine was fireman who bad
recently entered the service, and who,
therefore, was entirely ignorant OF the
workings of the iron monster of which
he was sole possessor. A second engine
was engaged In shunting cars TO make
up the required train, aud backed some
gondolas against mo. 25," causing II to
move forward under the shock several
feet. It 10 thought that the ignorant
fireman supposed his engine was run
ming away, and in attempting to stop 1t
threw open the throttle be 1t as 1t may,
however, Mr.. Franklin hearing uoise
looked from the window in time to see
the engine wheels revolving with light
ming speed and ~ they finally "bit" the
track, No. 25 dashed of down tie road
towards Grafton at the rate Of thirty
mics an hour. The fireman as the
wheels began to revolve had leaped to
the ground, and thus there was no hand
to stay the runaway In Its headlong
rush. Then it vas that the excellent
system and discipline for which the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company has
long been famous was vindicated BY the
bravery and the intelligence of its tried
employees. As quick as fash the
thoughts Of Franklin and the train
dispatcher few miles along the line
ahead Of the runaway, and beyond Graf
ton, where they knew heavy and east
bound passenger train was swiftly ap-
preaching. The collision of the engine
and train meant certain death 10 hum
dreds, and as the runaway swept out OF
sight toward Grafton, to those not versed
10 railroad discipline, as maintained by
the great trunk line, there would have
appeared no remedy. Tie train-de-
spatcher, however, appreciatiDg the stu
alton In much less time than required to
read this description, ran hastily to bis
telegraph instrument, and In few
seconds a warning was flying along the
lines fifty miles ahead, ordering every
thing from the track in front of the run.
away. Within two minutes after No. "a
| had started hundreds of busy hands
and heads were preparing for the ad
vent many miles ahead. Train aftel
train was run on sidings; app oachine
| engines were stopped, and all wal
| clear except the passenger train, tbun
dering along out OF reach Of the elec
| tric warning somewhere west OF Graf
ton. When the dread news was takeI
of the wires at Grafton by Mr.. Hous
ton, the master mechanic, William Lem
mon, q veteran engineer, was sittiDi
In the Office, his locomotive standinI
| outside on tho same track as the runa
way and headed the same way. Len
mon had only one leg, the other hav
iug been lost In an accident, and wa
considered one of the best and mos
reliable employees of the company. Lik
/ tv6IY GbktuCOk Vi taU toAAP1AID AZ
could at all times tell the exact loca
tion Of every train on the road for mile
In either direction, and therefore Wa
not at loss to appreciate the terribl
crisis impending.
Mr.. Houston, of course, hurriedl
ordered HIM to run his engine on
siding, but Lennon hobblsd to th
door and excliming II will stop th
runaway" started his own engin
westward, taking the same directio
as that pursued by No. IS. ills to b
regretted that the name of Lennon
fireman cannot be ascerJained, as
too incurred the deadly danger. B
Lemmon's individual skill and darini
however, was the collision averted.-
He ran quickly along the track unit
several miles out, when, as he expecte
he saw following him with lightnir
speed the runaway engine. VII
steady hand and a clear eye Chilly
stood at his post regulating the spet
of his engine SO as to allow No. 20
slowly overtake him. Flying along
the rate of thirty miles an hour, Il
engineer was deliberately planning
allow the rear engine to run into |
own. The two men, who knew tn
were rapidly approaching the passe
ger train in front, appreciated the n
cessity Of quickly stopping their hea
4 long flight. On the other han
they had 70 fa,e the contingency
their engine being wrecked, If tn
allowed No. 25 to run into them wi
sufficient force to thr " them from I
track. In this event not only wor
they have been certainly killed, b
hundreds of other lives would ha
been lost, If the passenger train I
J into the wrecked locomotives. As
pursuing engine slowly drew neal
and nearer, the situation became
:, tensely exciting. Finally under I
nice calculations Of the cool hand
the throttle of the leader in the terri
race, No. 20 struck the the tender
- Lemmon's engine with a hea'
though harmless, shock, and bt
In monsters travelled along AZ II coup
together. Lennon reiinquished
= throttle to his fireman, and despite
\ crippled condition, crawled ont on
tender, toward the smokestack of
> %. The engines were lurching hea
!. ", threatening at every momont
III throw tho blackened and crippled b
of. He slowly worked his way to
smokestack Of the runaway, only