The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-01-31

| 10 PICK up That htteen minutes, if it was
In the old machine to do it. I suppose
we made thirty-fve miles an hour, per-
haps forty, on the level stretches.
On we went, reeling off the dark,
bleak miles, with the sharp wind cut
ting into the cab, till near New Ham
burg station, where the line then crossed
Wappinger Creek on a trestle-bridge
which had ''draw'' in it. 1t was a
comfort to think that the draw would
certainly not be open on such a night,
Tor the creek was frozen up, and that
there would be no delay there.
All, If it were only permitted to train
men to know just what is ahead on the
tracks on these black, bitter nights
But we can only see what the headlight
shows us; and often the signals seem
strangely obscure in fog, or in the driv-
ing rain and snow
One of these always possible ''breaks,"
which may not occur for years, but are
yet constantly liable to happen, had
occurred that night. One of the South
bound night freight trains, running
down to New York, broke an axle and
! got one of its middle cars off the rails,
before reaching the bridge How far
they dragged the car in that condition
no one knows; for it was so cold that
the conductor and all the brakemen
We're huddled in the caboose behind.
/ But they found it out after time, and
slowed down just as the train got on to
the bridge. As they came to a stand
1 still, two or three other cars jumped
| the track; and one of these, an oil-car,
with long tank on it, broke its coup
lings and was showed over on to the up
| line of track--our line-where it stood
! sidewise across the rails.
| The accident made great confusion
with the men on the freight; but they
claimed that they got out their signal
lanterns as soon as they could, and
that it was not minute before we came
| up
As we shot along past the dark sta
ton and out towards the bridge, saw
the white steam of the freight train.
1--WE shall pass No. 10 right by the
| bridge" Doc said.
| Both of us were looking, Doc on his
side and on mine. Suddenly, right
ahead, we saw a red lantern swinging
on our track, at the end of the bridge.
''God save us, Docn' shouted, ''the
draws open!''
'Spring the patent brake!" he said
to me-that was what we called the air
| brake, then-and in a moment we had
shut off, reversed and whistled for the
| hand-brakes.
But we were going at great speed.
In a moment more we had come along
side the freight engine, and out on the
bridge we saw the oil car right across
our rails 1t had look of death in it.
l swung out on the step.
"Shan't you jump, Doc?" cried.
He stood with his back to me, look
ing ahead, but turned when 1 called
out. / never shall forget that last look
he gave me. He did not speak, but his
look seemed to say: ''Yes, you may as
well Jump, but l must stick to my
posi-
He barely looked round to me, but
made no answer, then looked ahead
again. Then l jumped-went heels
over head along the side of the en-
bankment leading to the bridge, rolled
over and over, and landed down on the
ice of the creek near the abutment,
which l had scarce touched when [
heard the crash as our engine struck
the oil car.
With the collision came a sudden,
brilliant flash of light! Everything
above me, the whole bridge and the
cars on it, seemed wrapped in blaze
of fire! At the same instant, too, there
was dull. long, tearing crash! The
trestle had given way beneath the
| strain.
Down came our engine, the three
| baggage cars, a passenger car, and |
don't know how many freight cars of
the other train, on to the ice. The
whole wreck, as it fell down, seemed
enveloped in flames; for the oil had
splashed over everything, and the blaz-
ing Goals from the tire-box exploded it
on the instant
When the engine struck the ice it
broke through, and with hiss went to
the bottom of the deep water there;
and on top of it came tumbling down
all the other cars. For moment fol-
| lowing the crash there was an almost
complete silence; then agonizing
screams and prayerful cries for help
from the imprisoned passengers.
We who were not disabled did what
we could. The seven rear ears did not
run into the chasm, but two of them
burned on the track, along with num-
ber of freight cars. Twenty-one of the
passengers were killed outright, and
still greater number were injured.
As we worked there in the noise,
heat, and awful confusion of that night,
cast many an anxious glance round
for Doc, hoping and half expecting that
he had got clear and would be at work
with us, trying to get out the passen-
gers. But / saw nothing of him, and
by daybreak felt sure that he had
gone down with his engine.
The locomotive was not hauled up
out of the water till the next week.
Then we found his body jammed down
under the engine on the bed of the
creek. His hands, face and clothes had
been seorched; but whether he was
drowned or burned to death, we could
not tell.
He had met death at his post of duty;
gone out of the world with his hand on
the lever; giving his own life that the
lives of others might be saved-a man