The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-02-07
One.Armed Men for Emergencies.


ga one-armed man for emergencies
every time" exclaimed an old railroad
official in the heat of an argument on
the prevention of collisions and other
accidents. Il never knew one to fail IN
time of danger. The loss of an arm
seems to increase their wits, and L can
name ss9eral instances of their display
of nerve and invention when other men
were of no use. Do you remember
Ross Marchman? No? Well, I'll tel
YOU the kind of fellow he was, when he
worked under me on the Piedmont Air
Line road.
ssThere is, not far from the South
Carolina inc, small town called Sc
vance. 1t is several hours ride from
Atlanta, Georgia, and contains about
200 people. The telegraph operator al
the depot is station agent, express
agent, ticket agent, truckman ano
porter. In fact, he ms the whole busl'
ness, and his is a responsible position.
He often works all day and all night.
Ind it is a strain to keep up with the
work in the busy season. Ross March.
man was telegraph operator and-so-
forth at Sewanee. He was about TWEEN
ty-two years old, and had lost his righi
arm. How in the world he managed te
perform his multiplicity of duties is
mystery, but he was never found want
ing in any of the qualifications neces.
sary to successful accomplishment Of
every task. We all had confidence IL
Marchman. One night in November,
1882, he was sitting half asleep over his
fofI yUhnn
was aroused by hearing himself callee
by the train-dispatcher. He answered
and the following order came over the
wires: Side-track No. II. north-bound
Se3anee, 1 a. m. Hold for extra No.
3 south-bound, 1:04 a. m There was
nothing unusual in the order. March,
man o KID it and made the necessary
preparations for tagging down No. II.
which, being a through freight, did moi
stop at way stations unless signaled 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 custom for engineers to blow long
blast on the whistle, when their trains
crossed the summit, some half a mile
away. No. y 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 a full moon climbing the hills, anO
flashed down the rails. The rain came
| down in torrents, the wind whlstleo
past the corners of the station witt
an ominous sound, the train came
laundering on. Marchman raised
his lantern and swung it across
the track, but before the signal coul0
be given a fitful gust of wind put out
the light The train was not two hund-
red yards off and had not slackened It's
speed. There was no time to get an
other lamp. 1t was moment of horror
to the poor operator. No. 3, with its
freight of passengers, was coming just
beyond the town-the two trains woulc
meet-collision-d destruction death -
all passed before his mind like fasl
of lightning. He felt the quivering OF
the ties beneath his feet as he stood II
the full glare OF the light now fOarfully
close. Suddenly his hand sought hi:
pocket; there was flash, sharp report
of a pistol, and bullet went crashing
through the headlight. The lamp wa:
extinguished, and as the engine passed
him, Marchman threw the pistol into
the cab window.
.sWell, the train was stopped, and the
conductor coming forward to see wha
was wrong, reached Marchman just il
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 dashed by a
about forty miles an hour. Not a passen
ger dreamed of what had happened.
''Of course" continued the official
1--WE remembered Marchman in a sub
stantial way. That one arm, though
was the making of him. Cor. N. Y
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