Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-05-22
CHE Sturp Teller.
CHASED BY AN ENGINE.

1t was a. night cOlder IMAM L ever WaHI "
see again, if I am to be outdoors in it. l
had attempted to reach a railroad station
by q short cut across the mountains, and
getting lost, the fall of night found me in
an unenviable position. l would have per-
ished from the intese cold had I not been
fortunate enough at last to see light in
the distance, cleaning like star, stagger-
ing toward which I found welcome and
shelter.
The house from which this light proceed
ed was signal station of the Railroad,
in charge of telegraph operator by the
name of Joe Gaines'
After climbing the western side OF the
mountain, the railroad at this point came
through a gap or depression, and after a
level run of few hundred feet went down
the eastern side. Under the operator was q
track-walker, whose business it was to 60
from the foot of the mountain on one side
to the foot on the other twice day to see
that the track was clear. The position Joe
Gaines occupied was responsible one, and
no train could pass this point and 60 down
the grade until he had signaled it to do so.
"YOu must find it monotonous here, es-
pecially in the winter" said to him as we
sat before the fire late in the evening, now
and then shuddering as some fiercer blast
than usual went bowling past.
notony of which is seldom or never broken.
In five years, which is the length of time
have been here, have met with but one
adventure out of the common; but" after
pause, "that was a scorcher J"
'Sup ppose you tell me of it to pass away
the time ?" I suggested.
"Just as you say"
"Then 90 aheadW
"Well, I will do so, and l hope it will
&,1 &c ,Df 20 frn
q year ago that the adventure happened.
There had been storm, which at first was
snow, then rain, and last of all mixture of
both, that froze as it fell. The weight of
it was so great that the wires on the east
side of the mountain went down under the
load.
"The next day was dark and gloomy
one, and had the blues most terribly. If
it had not been for the consolation Of talk
ing with fellow-operator over the west
wires, 1 believe I should have deserted my
post here, never to return. l don't suppose
YOU have any idea how man comes to love
the tick-tick- tick Of the little instruments,
but that one yonder l know the voice of as
we'll as I know that of my best friend on
earth. When that machine begins to click,
it talks to me.
"Well, it was about this time in the eve
ming, and I was sitting here alone. Pat
was out On the west side, pushing his way
along in the bitter cold.
sThe machine there began to click-click.
81 pricked up my ears. was being call
ed. Wondering for what, went to the
kew and answered, and then message came
over the wires that caused my heart to stand
still. 1t was in these Words
"'A locomotive has broken loose, and is
going up the mountain with full head of
steam. 1t must be stopped, somehow, or it
will go crashing into the train at H
'Now HIS town a few miles from
the foot of the mountain to the east side of
US, the wire between which and myself was
down. AS the road only has single track,
the runaway locomotive, unless stopped,
would wreck the train that was at the time
standing in the station there.
"What was to be done?
II tried to think of the right thing to do,
but half hundred ideas crowded them
selves into my mind, one on top of the 9TH
er, and 1 could not decide which was the
safer and more practicable, for while would
save the train at all hazards, l wished to
save the locomotive as we'll, If it could be
accomplished.
81 could see no way of doing this, and l
finally started out with the intention OF
the locomotive off them and down the
II had no more than stuck my nose out
side the door than l knew that this would
be an impossbility, for even then could
hear the engine snorting and painting up
the grade, and not more than half mile
away. There was not time left for me to
lug to the track and place across it anything
heavy enough for the purpose intended.
81 remember sensation crossing me
that it was beyond my power to avert the
catastrophe, and that I had had nc no reason INTO to
before my mind picture of the train all
wrecked and smashed, and fancied I could
even hear the shrieks and cries of the
wounded.
1t started the perspiration out of me in
streams, and 1 felt would be almost guilty
of murder did I not make an attempt to
save the train. Yet, what could do?
GAS have said the storm had been a
mixture of snow and rain, that had frozen
as it fell. The ground was covered by a
mask of ice and sleet, and it glistened be.
tween the rails as it stretched away and
xr,oc 1ocf ! n tho diSto