The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-01-28
DANGER ON THE RAIL-.
= Har breadth ,%cape-Cae Man Saves
Two Train Loads of "a ser ~ers.

rs Nv the ue;;i-r'l".. of nr.. rual.. y mum
hsr IT Valuable lives were .u-r IN tr acct
deHt i week ago, Il: .-ptn zen Duyyil eur,
nn ihe lIudS"n Eiyrg i:aisro#d 81 hy tin
Warr.Iluln">s and care Il oEr man. perhaps
scores Of lives w"t, saved at thi,; station, OF,
SliugdaT last Eha '-:f New York ami
Washington express arrived ~ the station
durigg 4 heavy rain. Tn" train WAS Il long
one, and The rear ar. IL winch We're 4 mum
her oI passenger 10 &c: ;nt here, stopped
inst VEST ~ north street, Il considerable
distance above the platform. \ lady pas
S"u-ser rrtG>ed 10 ."t cut IN the .nul, and
the brakeman called out t. the conductor
- !:"rl up 10 the platform to allow her 10
ahgjlr. The conductor, NJ. SLATER, mi>un-
dcr'tood he request, and iretrad III signal
ing lie trin Ia haul M 10 the station, give
the engineer the signal To 20 ahead. The
train started of, aui l'y he time The brake
man could hurry through it to notify the
conductor of he fact that there were pASSen-
gers f'r this station who had not bern able
to get of, The train had run ne&rly half 4
mile below the station and On ~ the next
section. OF conrsr. So soon Us the train
passed tie block house below the station.
the signal Went instantly 10 the lfUu IIill
u.uCE that the section was clcar---,he oprr;'-
which iu,; passed on Ia the nax1 section,
coming back. When the hrak man in
formed the cond actor lraf passengers bound
for this station yet remained aboard, he
tho conductor stopped the train and began
backing toward he station he had Just left,
for Ike purpose "f landing he passengers,
among Wilurn W., Il sick lldy--l Mrs Bid
die. Of ''ilesaprnk" lily Contrary 10 all
r,t,">, he 5r:tiu backed mp pas; tiI.. block
station. Just as il arrived n hat point be
si-"il from ia" Iron lIiIl SrE;un, that m
extra houu,, south had entered tie block.
dashed over ID" wires. Tie operator threw
mt the danger signal and used every effort
!n stop the train. which he finally succeeded
in doing, hut now to stop the approaching
train, which would hc s;l :hcm in less than
minute, WIS the question. There is no
connection between thu block station aud
iie iilginan hoN, and ne only way OF con
yPyiug messages from on" ~ ihc other is by
messenger. The fate of tnr tWo trains now
r",Ir, entirely upon whcth her Mr. lanes II.
Nt"T2..n. The upper iiaGman. WoulI hear :he
approaching extra III time - tla- it. He
was al his station, ht express having lust
passed lowu ana il" Knowing nothing of its
stoppagr h,iow the station. and not expect
ing any other train just at HAT hour, was
MOI more than usually wat,ht;,!. His ear,
however, is acut". md hearing tn, rumbling
of IA train, he stepped rni upon the track TO
see from whence !. proceeded. There lie saw
the snuth-hound train hacking mp towards
the station, and for an instant thought the
noise projected from that quarter: hut still
he ina gim-l he heart Gnot her rambling, and
at that instant he heard the whistle of the
extra blowing for Booths crossing. hut a
few hundred yards above. Everybody
within sight and hearing =; This moment
thought Tremendous Sm&Sir-up inevitable.
Here was Il ;rln Of t,ght or nine tall pas
senIer> ears standing upon the Track and II
quarter q a mile away down the lion Hill
grade, at the rate Of sixty miles all hour,
came the Boston X Washington excursion
of seven full cars. Tie usual crowd around
the station quickly scattered. some Of them
running across the muddy common 10 the
fair ground fence. Mr.. Morgan took III the
situation AT a glance and bounded away up
the track toward tine approaching train like
Il deer, drawing his pocket flag from his
pocket as he ran. lIe managed, ny exerting
himself to tne utmost. t0 get about :: hun
,lred yards above lis nos (nearly 70 Ter-
rell'S slau-ht~r shop. where the engineer
OF the extra con,t See him about the time
his engine was fairly on the cErTe, which
ends N nat poin;. III. Morgan ran toward
the approaching train. waving his tag, un-
til it was 50 close upon him that, 70 save his
own life, lie WAS co,nr"ie,i I" throw him
sell. into the gutter beside the track. with
out regard To shape. mol having time 10 step
OF His c.rrtion~ we're successful. how
once and throwing open his valves and re
rerSing his engine, threw on the ;iir-b brakes.
This time, il &ever before, the worth Of the
air-brtke was proved The iron horse, i'm
patient At the attOnpt to curb him, fnmed
AMI trattrd and bounced upon the track.
The driving wheels, by means of the rever
sal, We're stopped and ground over the sand
ed track ut he rate of from thirty 10 fifty
miles an lour without revolving, and the
mist and smoke from the friction envelnped
the train. II was brought Ia Il stand, how
ever. before reaching the stationary train
and the expected accident was avcrtrd.
All that we have written about took place
in less time than the reader will occupy
III peru>ng it; i'll fact, not more than one
minute OF 50 muchl elapsed between the
time the extra was heard laundering down
iron Hill and when the engine drawing it
stood painting and palpitaring like a fright
ened sterd iii the rear of the south-hound
express. II was Il narrow escape. Had
Mr.. Morgan been thirty seconds later in
hearing the approach of the extra, there is
no telling how many lives wonld have been
sacrificed.