Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-04-07
ARACE FOR LIFE.
Thrilling Experience OF an En-
gineer ON a Runaway LOcO-
motive.
Denver Tribune.l

OOhu ieA AaAAAgt bnO CukkuccE MuO
jumped from runaway Denver &
Rio Grande engine. which flew the
track and was broken to pieces within
forty feet of an approaching train at
Filler station, seven miles from Lead.
vile, was in the city vest, rday, a
little broken up from his frightful ex-
perience, but, as the saying goes,
still in the ring" He has been dis.
charged from the road. it having been
stated that he was drinking at the
time he lost control Of his engine.
This, however, he denies, saying
that it was purely accidental and
something for which he was not re-
sponsible.
Flarharity was running "pusher"
in the yards at Le2dville. He was
ordered to go down the road and meet
the incoming passenger at Eiler's.
Just as he started cut of the yards
the strap connected with the lever
broke, and he lost all control of the
engine. The engine was a 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 expeote
every moment to be dashed to instant
death.
1t was an awful moment" said
Flarharity, when | found that the
engine would not respond to the touch
ofthe 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 destruction
How heavy was the grader"
One hundred and eightly,fve feet
to the mile
Down this steep incline the engine
dashed like a demented thing. |
tugged at the lever and breaks, but
it was as if | had been Juggling at the
solid parts of the engine itself.
Then suddenly | remembered that
| was to meet a passenger train at
Eiler's. My fireman jumped off early
In the race, and | was left alone,
thinking that had left him dead on
the track. We were making more
than mile minute-the engine and
l,-for at that moment looked on it
as demon which had taken posses
sion of me and mine, determined to
be released for once from its thraldom
and to become master where before it
had been slave. Little pieces Of sand
and dirt few against my face and
stung like Goals Of fire. In the dis
lance could see the approaching pas
senger. ! yelled and screamed, for |
knew that our only hore was to flag
the train and get her on the side
track. | saw the operator, Wood
ward running for the train as he saw
me coming, enveloped in cloud of
smoke and steam and dust.
with one last effort | opened the
throttle, hoping that the engine would
throw herself from the track on the
curve and save the train from de.
struction. Then | jumped, and un.
consciousness overcame me. When |
recovered saw the engine lying on
her side within forty feet OF the pas
senger train, and people were crowding
around me and bathing my head and
hoping | was not dead.
Flarharity escaped miraculousIy
with only few slight bruises. The
accident was one of the straugest on
record, aud in it not a single person
was seriously hurt.
Flarharity says he can never de-
scribe the horrors of the trip, the
awful feeling that came over him
when he found that the engine had
him 10 its power, or the deathly sick
ness when he found that he was run
ming into the passenger. Houses and
rocks few by him like birds on the
wing, and the track seemed one con-
tinuous stream of fire. Then he was
thrown through space and oblivion
and respite came, and afterwards the
beautiful assurance that no one was
hurt. But he says he would not ex
perience it again for all the treasures
of the earth,