The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-04-08

Wild TEA1IEE LOCOMOTIVE.
r. r. Randall, of Lincoln. Web. was i'm
Toledo a few days since, and related an Incl
dent of his first experience in rafIroadiug in
Illinois. This was in ISf5, and Nr Randall
was then a boy. The Springfield & Mersdo-
cia Railroad, ut present forming the oldest
link in the great WABASH system, had Just
been built
One bright SABBATH morning. while all
good little hoys were at sunday school. Mr.
Randall, with four other urchius. going out
on an exploring expedition in search of fresh
mischief, found a flat-car standing on side
1 track The beyS, after many experiments,
Init upon plan to propcl the car. A strong
breeze was sweeping across the prairies-
l They obtained piece OF scautliuc and a
sheet, and riCged a sail upon the car. The
wind rose, the sail filed, and the car moved
down the track. By the time It reached the
main track good speed had been obtained.
and the boys, enjoying their first trip Hpon
the railroad, were in high Clee. The car
. swept on down the main track. gaining
speed every moment Houses. corn fields.
gardens, and orchards were passed in quick
succession but the car sped on. its velocity
never slackening. The boys were becoming
uneasy. They were getting too much Of
good thing. They tried to lower the sail. but
IN that they failed, with the car in such rapid
motion. They could not even stand upon
their feet. An engine whistle attracted the
attention Of the boys. Down the track ap-
preaching them at full speed was a train
The boys all jumped from the car into the
soft mud. As they scrambled out of the mud
and diyed into the adjoining coru-held, Mr..
Randall says he remembers the impression
Of a shock, and something going up into the
air behind him. Fortunately no one on the
train was hurt, but the collision made a great
stir in the neighborhood at the time. The
boys, covered with mud, never stopped run
ming until they reached home The country
was secured for the persons who wrecked
the train, but even to this day. now thirty
six years since the occurrence, the bows have
kept the secret Of their first ride on the Wa
bash.
The railroad builders of that day had some
peculiar ideas. The western terminus Of the
F Springfield & Meredocia was located I'm the
public square in Jacksonville, right in the
heart Of the city. When the road was finish
/ ed, a grand excursion was given 10 Jackson
vile Thousands OF people, very few Of
whom had seen c locomotive, came into the
city from the surrounding country. The
streets adjoining the square were literally
packed with all kinds of vehicles. Some one
cried out, '''The train is coming Q" The peo-
PIE rushed into the square to see the won
derful sight, and left the horses and wagons
standing all around the square. The engine,
/ then an object much more friChtful TO dumb
brutes than now, came putting and scream
ing and painting down into the square throw
ing out great clouds Of steam and black
F smoke, the engineer evidently intent upon
showing the people how much fuss the old
thing could make The horses outside pant
ed and snOrted i'm imitation Of the terrible
iron monster which Wa frightening them to
distraction. Then stampede commenced,
and such stampede was never seen before.
\ thousand ruuaways were in fun blast at
the same time. Mr.. Randall estimated that
in three minutes after the arrival Of the first
train in Jacksonville a half dozen whole
vehicles of any description could not be
found in Morgan county. Fortunately. but
few persons were seriously injured. but such
wreck Of wheel carriages was never seen
before nor since.
At this time serious doubts were entertain
pal argument being that the cost OF building
the roads was too great. Judge Sample, a
well-known gentleman Of Springfield, pro-
posed to solve the problem by dispensing
with the rOad-bedaud the track. He invent
ed and built monster engine, which, with
out road-bed OF track, he proposed should
traverse the pIaiTies between Chicago and
st. Louis, drawing after it long trains Of wa
gons, just as many as the farmers along the
route should choose to hitch on. He made
the first experiment with his monster engine,
built after the fashion Of the railroad engine
Of that day, on the prairies near Springfield.
in the summer of 1s45. The engine had
nearly completed a circuit Of FIVE or six miles
over the rough, uneven surface Of the prairie,
crushing down the tail grass in its track,
/ when, getting up considerable speed on the
home-stretch, it struck an unusually large
/ gopher hill and toppled over, breaking some
Of the machinery. The trip from Chicago to
! St Louis was never made RaiIroader