Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-04-20

| .5 - AAOG EV0 LIE 6s ~ -
Thrilling Experisacs d IN Rnaanesa
Of . Runawsy Rio 6rmde
Locomotive.
From the Denver Tribune.
John Flarharity, the engineer who
jumped from a runaway; Denver 4
Rio Grande engine which desr the
track and was broken TO pieces within
forty feet Of an approaching trim at
Eiler station, seven miles from Lead
vile, was in the city yesterday, .
little broken up from his frightful exc
perience, but as the saying goes,
''still in the ring He wmi dis
charged from the road, it having
been stated that he was drinking at
the time he lost control of the engine.
This, however, he denies saying that
it was purely accidental and some
thing for which he was not response
BILE. Flarharity was
T RUNNING A As-ssPUsHER"
IN the yards at Leadville. He was
ordered to 60 down the road and
meet the incoming passenger at
Eler's. Just as he started out Of the
yards the strap connected with the
lever broke aud he lost all control Of
the engine. Thu engine was. IA new
one and in good condition, and he
says he never can explain just why
or how it happened. Running at q
tremendous speed and down grade
he expected every moment to be
dashed to instant death. *, sf
'sIt was an awful moment, - said
Flarharity, ''when I found that the
engine would not respond to the
touch of the lever and that she was
beyond my control. The cylinder
heads blew out, the smoke and steam
blinded me, and everything seemed
to conspire to hurl US to instant de-
struction.
''How heavy was the grader"
Zone hundred and eighty-five feet
to the mile.
''Down this steep incline the en-
gine dashed like a demented thing.
[ tugged at the lever and brakes, but
it was as if I had been tugginf. at the
solid parts of the engine itself.
! 'sThen suddenly I remembered
that I was to meet the passenger train
at Eiler's. My fireman jumped oil
early in the race and L was lef. alone,
thinking that I had left him dead on
the track. We were making more
than a mile minute-the engine and
l, for at that moment I looked on il
as a demon which had taken possess
ion Of me and mine, determined to be
released for once from its tllraldom
and to become master where, before
it had been slave. Little pieces Of
sand and dirt few against rhy face
and stung ''''-
LIKE GOALS OF FIRE. :
In the distance I could see the ap.
preaching passenger. I yelled and
screamed, for I knew that our only
hope was to flag that train and ge,
her on the side track. / saw the op-
operator, Woodward, running for the
train as he saw me coming, eilyeloped
lin cloud of smoke and steam and
Idust.
/ "With one last effort I opened
wide the throttle, hoping that the en-
Igine would throw hersel. from ths
track on the curve and save the trair
from destruction. Then jumped
and unsciousness overcame me. Whel
/ recovered I
II SAW THE ENGINE
lying on her side within forty feet o
the passenger train, and people wen
4 crowding around me and bathing N,
head and hoping 1 was not killed."
4 Flaharity escaped miraculousl.
! with only a few slight bruises. Th
accident was one of the strangest o.
l record, and in it not single perso
was seriously hurt.
Flarharity says he can never dc
D scribe the horrors Of the trip, the aw
full feeling that came over him 'whe
he found that. the engine had. hil
t in itspower, or the dsathly sicknes
/. when he found that he wss runnin
t into the passenger. Houses and rocl
e flew by him like :
e BIRDS ON THE WING,
o and the track seemed one continuot
d stream of fire. Then he was throw
s through space and oblivion and n
y spite came, and afterwards the beal
r tiful assurance that no one was hur
IS But he says he would not experien'
% it again for all the treasures Of Il
IL earth. = sas-Ey 8
Il WEALTHY WADDIN6HAM.
r Attempt to StriD HIS Wife Frustrat.
is @ by Hotel Keeper. ~