Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-01-16
ONE ARMED MEN.
How Station Agent Prevented a Disas-
trous Collision.
From the York Tribune.l


From the York Tribune.I
8 A one armed man tor emergencies
every time" exclaimed an old railroad
official In the heat of an argument on
the prevention Of collisions and other
accidents. 81 never knew one to fail IN
time of danger. The loss of an arm
seems to increase their wits, and | can
name several instances of their display
of nerve and invention when other men
were of no use. Do you remember Ross
Marchman? No? Well, I'll tell you
the kind of fellow he was when he
worked under me on the Piedmont Air
Line Road.
"There is, not far from the South
Carolina line, a small town called Sc
vance. 1t Is several hours ride from
Atlanta, Georgia, and contains about
800 people. The telegraph operator at
the depot is station agent, express
agent, ticket agent, trUckman and por-
ter. In fact, he runs the whole bust
ness, and his is a responsible position.
He often works all day and all night, and
it is a strain to keep up with the work in
the busy season. Ross Marchman was
telegraph operator and-so-fo forth at Sc.
vance. He was about twenty-five years
old, and bad lost his right arm. How
In the world he ever managed to per-
form his multiplicity of duties is mys-
terry, but he was never found wanting In
any of the qualifications necessary to a
successful accomplishment of every
task. We all had confidence in March
man. One night in November, 1882, he
was sitting half asleep over his key,
worn out by fatigue, when he was reused
by hearing himself called by the train
dispatcher. He answered, and the fol-
lowing order came over the wires: Side
track No. II, north bound. Sewanee,
An, Hold for extra No. 3, south
bound. 1:04 A. NJ There was nothing
unusual In the order. Marchman 20
KID it and made the necessary prepare
tons for tagging down No. II, which,
being through freight, did not stop at
way stations unless signalled to do SO.
The night was dark and stormy, and the
wind blew IN gusts, driving the rain into
every crack and crevice. The track
from the north past the station had a
heavy down-grade, and it was the GUS
tom for engineers to blow a long blast
on the whistle when their trains crossed
the summit, some half a mile away. No.
II was on time, and when Marchman
heard the blast he took his lantern and
went out on the track. The headlight
rose. over the summit like full moon
climbing the hills, and flashed down the
rails. The rain came down in torrents,
the wind whistled past the corners OF
the station with an ominous sound, the
train came laundering on. Marchman
raised his lantern and swung it across
4ro al Int Iaf0 hn clio no1 he
given a fitful gust of wind put out the
light. The train was not 200 yards of,
and had not slackened its speed. There
was no time to get another lamp. 1t
was a moment of horror to the poor
operator. No. 3, with its freight of
passengers, was coming just beyond the
town-the two trains would meet-col-
on-destruction- death all passed
before his mind like fash of lightning.
He felt the quivering of the ties beneath
his feet as he stood IN the full glare of
the light, now fearfully close. Sudden
" his hand sought his pocket; there
was fash, a sharp report of pistol,
and bullet went crashing through the
headlight. The lamp was extinguished,
and as the engine passed him Marchman
threw the pistol into the cab window.
Well, the Train was stopped, anQ
the conductor coming forward to see
what was wrong, reached Marchman
Just in time to receive his orders, when
the latter, overcome from the terrible
strain, fell to the ground. The train
was run into the siding, and No. 3 dash.
ed by at about forty miles an hour. Not
passenger dreamed of what had hap.
pened.
"'Of course" continued the official,
g we remembered Marchman In a SUB
stantial way. That one arm, though.
was the making of HIM"