The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-01-30
DAILY CLARION.
Tho Men Of Emergencies
Philndelphia Record. |

Philadelphia RECORD.
"A onearmed man for emereeucie,
every time" exclaimed an old railroad
official in the heat OF an argument OF
the prevention of collisions and otbeI
accidents. 81 never knew one TO fail il
time Of danger. The loss OF an arm
seems TO increase their wits, and sai
name several instances Of their displa,
Of nerve and invention when other meI
were of no use. Do you remember Ros
Marchman2 No. Well, I'll tell yol
the kind Of fellow he was when h,
worked under me on the Piedmont Air
Line Road
"There is not far from the South
CSroIna line, small town called Sc
vance. 1t is several hours ride from
Atlanta, Ga, and contains about 800
people The telegraph operator at the
depot is station agent, express agent,
truckmau and porter. In fact, he
runs the whole business, and his
Is responsible position. He often
works all day and all night, and II ia a
strain to keep up with the work in the
busy season. Ross Marchman was tele
graph operator andsoforth at Sewanee
He was about % years old, and had lost
his right arm. How in the world he
ever managed TO perform his multiple
city Of duties Is n mystery, but no was
never found wanting in any Of the quail
i6cations necessary 10 a successful &C.
complainant OF every task. We all
had confidence in Marchman. One night
in November, 1882 he was sitting half
asleep over his key, worn out with IA
tigue, when he was aroused by hearing
himself called by the train dispatcher.
He answered, and tho following order
came oyor the wire: Side track No. II,
north-bound, Scwancc, a. m. Hold
for extra No 3, south-bound, :0f a. m
There was nothing unusual in the order,
Marchman % K,'d''it and made the
necessary preparations for tagging down
No IL, which, being through freight
did not stop at way stations unless sig
nailed to do 30. Tho night was dark and
stormy and tho wind blew in gusts, driving
the rain into every crack and crovicc. The
track from the north past the station had
a heavy down grade, and it was the
custom for engine to blow long blast
on the whistle whuu their trains crossed
the summit, some half mile away.
No. IL was on time, and when March.
man heard the blast he took his lantern
and went out on the track The head
light 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 tho station with an ominous
sound the train came laundering on.
Marchman raised his lantern and swung
It across the track, but before the signal
could be given little gust Of wind put
out the light. The train was not two
hundred yards of and had not slackened
its speed There was no time to get
another 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 would meet-colli.
sion -- destruction -- death all passed
before his mind like 4 fash of lightning.
He felt the Quivering Of the ties beneath
his feet us he stood in the full glare of
the light, now fearfully close, Sudden.
ly his hand sought his pocket; there
WIS fash a sharp report of pistol,
and bullet wen, crushing through the
headlight. The lamp was extinguished.
and IA the engine pissed him March.
man threw the pistol into the cab win.
dow
We'll, the train was stopped, and the
conductor coming forward to see what
was wrong reached Marchman Just in
time TO receive his orders, when the lat
ter, overcome by tho terrible strain, fell
to the ground, The train was run into
the siding, and No, 3 dashed by at
about forty miles an hour. Not a
passenger dreamed OF what had hap
pened.
"Of course continued the official,
"wc remembered Marchman in sub.
stantial way. That one arm, though,
was the making of him -