Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-16


my engine against the whole force of
the train, and that of the other engine
besides. Once more 1 blew the signal
for down brakes
'Just then n light shone ahead. II
was the lamp Of the station where wa
usually passed an up-freight. The
headlight of the freight was not therel
For an instant felt faint and sick. l
saw the terrible danger from which it
seemed there could be no escape. The
freight usually reached the station be-
fore we did, but we were so much
ahead Of time that il had not vet ar
rived. Yet IL could not be very far
away, and with our heavy train running
at lightning speed, crowded with pas
,cngcrs rs II was, collision must oc.
cur!
''For an instant felt paralyzedi
Then Il occurred To me that perhaps the
freight might be n little behind Zine.
and possibly had not yet passed the
next station below. That was our only
chance for life. With trembling hands
| tore leaf out OF my memorandum
book. and upon il wrote:
"'FOr Heavens sake. clear the line!
We've lost control Of the train.-Win-
Jams
"Wadding this up with n lump of
coal in nv handkerchief, | had lust
time to throw il rs we swept by the tel.
cgraph Office at the station. By good
luck il hit the door. and saw the door
open as we rushed out Of sight. IL the
freight had not yet passed the next sta
ton below, il could be ordered TO the
side track there and so clear the road
for ~.
Just then. through the open win
dow, saw Rogers fireman. slight
little fcllOw-coming along the running.
board beside the boiler of our engine.
" For Gods sakel he cried though
| could scarcely hear him above the
roar-'Stop her. stop heri Rogers is
blind drunk, He'll Kill us air
II saw now that our only chance for
life was tO board Rogers engine, over
power him and get control of il. 1t
was life-and death business But one
man had better die than whole train
ful.
''By this time the conductor and
brakeman had come forward. but were
so excited and alarmed that they were
good for nothing To help me. They
clung To- the platform rail of the eX-
press car. behind the tender, and
shouted: stop her. stop herr
"'Boys,' | said. to Johnny ana sim
(Rogcrs' fireman., we must get aboard
that other engine and knock Rogers
down. Take the coal slcdges and come
after me.
The prospect Of n hand-to-hand con-
Hict with mailman was q terrible one.
But | dared not stop To think Of my
own chances. The heavy bar which
reached from my own engine to the
other was about six feet long. and the
only way To- cross over was TO Get
astridc the bar and slide along on II.
| lcd the way. first throwing my wrench
over on the tender, then | cautiously
got down ON the bar and began To work
my way across. II was desperate
act. The suck and rush OF air behind
the tender. and the tremendous sway
ing and jerking nearly threw me of
several times. But / kept a tight grip
ON the bar and got across. climbed upon
the tender and made my way over the
coal
There stood Rogers. steadying him
self, a. the locomotive leaped and
bounded ON, with his back 20 me. He
hail not seen me; and | determined to
wait an instant til; he opened the fire
door again. then knock him down and
tie him-for | was no match for him
physically ] heard nothing Of Johnny
on Jim, but dared not turn TO look for
them.
suddenly. rs stood there posing
myself To spring on Rogers, we swept
like lightning round curve and -
mcrcitul heaven, less than a mile down
the track CLEANED the headlight Of the
freight.
Rogers saw IL. too, and the awful
danger broke through the Grazing spell
Of the liquor. With strange, scared
cry he settled hack upon his cushion,
limp and helpless.
But ! scarcely noticed him. There
was not moment for disabling
him. With one bound was in the cab
and blow the whistle. then threw back
the reversing lever The sho K of the
reverse steam almost lifted the engine
from the track and me from nv seat.
The biz drivers spinning around on the
rails looked like circles Of living fire
and developed the engine in n perfect
shower o. sparks! Nobly now did old
IL struggle and groan rs il hers II CON
scious Of the terrible danger.
Twas vain! Aswcll might we have
tried tn stop an avalanche or oppose n
Hood. Nearer and nearer we came To
that dreaded light.
Onward we drove. and in another
moment | saw that To stop was impos-
siblc. that the collision would come.
Instinctively closed the throttle nad
turned To Jump. Then I thought of
those | was leaving to their awful fate.
II l stuck TO my post, could perhaps
lessen the shock and save many lives
even II lost my own. Better one home
should bc dcSolatc than n score, aud
again threw back the reversing lever,
hracing myself to meet the shock, when,
suddenly. saw the freight headlight
dc 'ect dart to one side.
Gould il he?
"lcS, praised be God for His mercy
to us that night. the freight was going
on the Sidc-track ut l. station: and see
ing the danger, it, engineer had barely
time to- quicken up and get his train oh
the main line when, with diminished
speed. we ran by.
To stop the train and pull Rogers
OF the engine was my first duty. This
done went back TO my own engine.
which found in charge of Jim alone.
Where's Johnny" was my first an xious
question.
Alas! the hardest blow was still in
store for me. Johnny. poor boy, il
trying to cross on the connecting bar,
to help me overpower Rogers. had beea
thrown of. l knew in moment THAI
he must have been killed; for we wers
running seventy miles an hour. was
obliged To 20 on. But two hours later
the station-folks found him. seven mile.
back, lying mangled and decd at the
foot OF some rocks few yards from the
track. IS. Sylvester. ia Youth's Com
pdni0n.
An Appropriate Motto.
Mrs. Slimdiet-'I am going To IN,