Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-07-20
A Fearful Half.Hour.

| coututrn, Deiore II nau attained IT'S pres
ent system, and Immediately after tn,
road had been opened for traffic toSom
erset, occurred an event the recollection
of which even to this day serves to bring
out goose flesh on those who at the timt
We're cognizant of the impending disas
| ter.
Within a few days after passenger
travel began the officers of the Southern
sent invitations for trip over the road
to all of Cincinnati's wealthiest men anC
heaviest taxpayers, and on the morning
of the excursion dozens of carriages left
the Burnet house, the place of meeting
and conveyed them across the river tc
Ludlow, where the Especial" headed by
No. l, the crack engine, with Mat
COombs at the lever, was in waiting.
Miles n. Beatty, now superintendent OF
the southern division, was conductor.
When all the exeursionists were on
board the engineer and conductor went
into Train Dispatcher Cooledge's office,
where they read and signed the follow
ing order, and placed copies in their
pockets
"Meet and pass No. 2, north-bound
passenger train, at Williamstown.
To Williamstown for delivery to the
north-bound passenger train on arrival,
was sent the following order:
''-Conductor
''Meet and pass south-bound special
at Williamstown."
So that the situation stood thus either
train reaching the place indicated first
was to go on the siding and wait there
until the one coming from the opposite
direction had arrived and gone ahead on
the cleared track. OF the wealthy passen-
ger load some We're seated chatting,
others were standing on the platforms,
and still others on the summer car, when,
glancing up and down his train, the con-
ductor, finding everything i'll 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-hying, and II
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 obstacle 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 behind
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 a passenger In the
mud, the conductor, thinking only of
making up lost time, signaled the engi-
neer, and the train went on
The Mortified operator from his window
saw No, flashing northward to what
seemed inevitable destruction, as the tel
egraph line between his room and Lud.
low was unbroken by single instrument.
and at that moment two trains at high
rates of speed were rapidly lessening the
distance between each other en- the sin
gle track. He telegraphed at once TO
Ludlow that ''No, 2 had passed without
for orders"
All color left the face of train dispatch
er Coolidge as he received the message
and as he communicated the dire in
telligence to Jack Redmond, master OF
that individuals counte-
nance assumed similar hue. With him
to think was to act. Stepping to the
station door he quietly beckoned several
men to him and composedly gave in
,tructions to each. One-half dozen of
them went on the double-quick in diff
erent directions for physicians. The store
keepers went into the warehouse and
gathered together sponges, baskets, ma
erials for splints and soft muslin for
Dandages. Meanwhile other employees
lad run up to the engine-house, and
starting fire under an idle locomotive
lad hitched on to caboose and backed
lown in front of the station where the
,ar was transformed at once into a hos
Dital coach. To all save Redmond and
these preparations were mys-
erious. The relief train was soon in
.eadiness, but did not start Redmond, |
seated mt the desk and estimating the |
.ate of speed at which the trains were
moving, calculated about where the col
ision would take place. Some of the
would escape unhurt, and
me 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 ac.
.ident and send dispatch to Ludlow. |
Possessed of this information Redmond |
.ould send his waiting engine and car,
With its corps of physicians and nurses,
o the spot at the rate of nearly a mile
minute. The other and slower
,lan would be 10 let the ''relief' start out |
nd cautiously find its way around the
many curves. He chose the wiser course.
The scene in the train dispatcher's office
vas painful. Coolidge, leaning over the
ilent instrument, watched it with fever
sh ewes as If to read its secret before
On another chair was
with big globes of perspiration
oming from the pores of his face and
olling down unheeded. Neither man
poke. Five, ten, twenty, thirty minutes
hat tseemed like ages passed, when came a
harp click. 1t was Williamstown call
ng Ludlow. Cooledge's hair rose up on
nd as he gave the response. Redmond
TODD up and placed hand on the door
mob. The next moment Coolidge fair
Y yelled, "No collision. No. 2, has Just
,acked into Williamstown." The two
nen shook hands with the same vigor as
they were twin brothers and hadn't
net for thousand years.
1t was then ascertained that, by the
most fortunate circumstances, the trains
ad simultaneously entered from oppo-
ite ends upon the longest pisce 6
traieht track between the two telegraph
tations, and an instantaneous application
( brakes had brought them to stop with
q twenty feet of each other. No. 2, re-
egnizing the specials" right of way,
acked to Williamstown, where 1t went
d on the siding, and Cincinnati's million
Tres and capitalists proceeded unhurt on
heir journey.
Tricks of Auctioneers. l.