Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-05-15

spouse, Wild laugh rose from tn
front engine; then jar seemed to 2
through the train; and felt we wer
going faster than ever. l blew again
Louder and longer than before. Thi
, ume 1t was answered by three shrek
from the other whistle, followed by
number of the most awful wells tina
ever came out of human throat
81 knew then what was the cause O
the reckless speed. Rogers was drunk
crazy drunk, and was running ava,
with us down seventy foot grade
And we were powerless to stop him!
"What situation! Yet this was no
| the worst. As we had not stopped a
the summit, we were now runnin.
ahead of orders and ahead of time, ant
were liable to run into a train coming
up the line. 1t was of no use to revers1
my engine against the whole force O
the train, and that of the other engin,
besides. Once more 1 blew the sigma
for down brakes
Just then light shone ahead. 1
was the lamp of the station where W,
usually passed an up-freight. Tn,
headlight of the freight was not there
For an instant felt faint and sick.
saw the terrible danger from which il
seemed there could be no escape. Thu
freight usually reached the station be-
fore we did; but we were SO much
ahead of time that it had not vet ar
rived. Yet it could not be very fal
away, and with our heavy train running
at lightning speed, crowded with pas
|
| cur!
''For an instant l felt paralyzed
Then it occurred to me that perhaps the
freight might be a little behind time
and possibly had not yet passed tie
next station below That was our only
| chance for life. With trembling hands
l tore a leaf out OF my memorandum
book, and upon it wrote:
"'For Heavens sake, clear the line
We've lost control of the train.-Will.
iams.'
"Wadding this up with a lump Of
coal in my handkerchief, l had just
time to throw it as we swept by the tel
egraph office at the station. By good
luck it hit the door, and saw the door
open as we rushed out of sight. Ii the
freight had not yet passed the next sta
ton below, it could be ordered to the
side track there and SO clear the road
for uss.
''Just then, through the open win
dow, | saw Rogers fireman. slight
little fellow-coming along the running
board beside the boiler of our engine.
/" For Gods saker he cried though
/ l.,
roar-'Stop her! stop her! Rogers is
blind drunk! He'll kill us all!
81 saw now that our only chance for
life was 20 board Rogers engine, over
power him and get control of it. 1t
was a life anf-death Business. But one
man had better die than a whole train
full
''By this time the conductor and
brakeman had come forward, but were
SO excited and alarmed that they were
good for nothing to help me. They
chung to the platform of the ex-
press car, behind the tender, and
shouted: Stop her. stop her!'
"'Boys,' l said. to Johnny and Jim
(Rogars' fireman., we must get aboard
that other engine and knock Rogers
down. Take the coal sledges and come
after me.
1.-The prospect of hand-to-hand con-
ilict with a mailman was terrible one.
But dared not stop. to think of my
own chances. The heavy bar which
reached from my own engine to the
other was about six feet long. and the
only way to cross over was to get
astride the bar and slide along on it.
| led the way, first throwing my wrench
over on the tender, then l cautiously
got down on the bar and began to work
my way across. 1t was u desperate
act. The suck and rush of air behind
the tender, and the tremendous sway
ing and jerking nearly threw me of
several times. But l kept a tight grip
on the bar and got across, climbed upon
the tender and made my way over TIE
coal.
There stood Rogers, steadying him
self, as the locomotive leaped and
bounded on, with his back to me. He
had not seen me; and l determined TO
wait an instant till he opened the fire.
door again, then knock him down and
tie him-for | was no match for him
physically. ! heard nothing of Johnny
or Jim, but dared not turn to look for
them.
Suddenly, as Istood there posing
myself to spring on Rogers, we swept
like lightning round a curve and
merciful heaven! less than mile down
the track cleaned the headlight of the
freight.
Rogers saw it, too, and the awful
danger broke through the Grazing spell
of the liquor. With a strange, scared
cry he settled back upon his cushion,
limp and helpless.
But scarcely noticed him. There
was not moment--even for disabling
him. With one bound was in the cab
and blew the whistle, then threw back
the reversing lever. The shock of the
reverse steam almost lifted the engine
from the track and me from my seat.
The big drivers spinning around ON the
rails looked like circles of living fire.
and enveloped the engine in a perfect
shower of sparks! Nobly now did old
Ia struggle and groan rs if herself con-
scious of the terrible danger.
Twas vain. As well might we have
tried to stop an avalanche or oppose a
flood. Nearer and nearer we came to
that dreaded light.
Onward we drove, and in another
moment saw that to stop was impos-
sible, that the collision would come.
Instinctively closed the throttle and
turned to Jump. Then l thought OF
those L was leaving to their awful fate.
If stuck TO my post, could perhaps
lessen the shock and save many lives
even if l lost my own. Better one home
should be desolate than score, and