The National tribune., 1885-01-15
ENGINE THIEVES
The Great Story of !" Capturing a
Locomotive
BY REV. WI. PITTENGER.
ICGPYRIGBIED, 1871
CHAPTER VI-c0nelgdcd,


platforms started back in amaZeincnt and af
fright when they saw q train dash by like q
thunderbOlt closely followed by three others,
the latter screaming as loudly as thoir whistles
were able To us who were ing out from
the baggage-car, houses and villages, groves
and hills flashed by almost too quickly for dis
tinct vision. Then, in the hottest speed, the
whistle would sound " down brakes and the
stop-usually made by reversing the engine
would be so sudden that we needed to cling
convulsively to avoid being hurled from our
places; then, in moment, we would spring to
the ground and labor with the energy of des-
pair at destroying the telegraph and the track,
or loading on ties, until the signal, usually
from behind given by the pursuing train,-
when all would rush on board and the engine,
putting its full strength into the first leap,
would dash on, Jerking from their feet all who
were not braced for the shock. When under
way we could not sit down because of the ter
rible jolting of the springless car. If we at
tempted to stand we fell over or were thrown
against the little that remained of the sides Of
the car and had to be very watchful not to be
thrown off altogether. Our actual position was
a rapid alienation of all possible attitudes, the
favorite being-iudging from the frequency
with which it was aSsnmed-that of bending
over with the hands and feet resting on the
floor
Those who were on the engine had better
Alfred Wilson, who acted rs our fireman, gives
vivid picture of the race from that point of
view. He says:
Our locomotive was under a full head of steam.
The engineer stood with his hand on the lever with
the valve wide open. IL frightfui to see how
the powerful iron monster under us would leap
forward under the revolution Of her great wheels.
Brown (he engiHeerl would scream to me ever and
anon, Give her more wood, Alfi" which conf
mand was promptly obeyed. She rocked and
reelcd like drunken man. while we reeied from
side TO side ike grains of pop-corn in hot frying
pan. Ii was bewildering 10 look at the ground or
objects on the roadside. a constant stream OF fire
ran from the rims of the great wheels, and to this
day shudder when reflect that. my first and
last locomotive ride. We sped past stations, houses,
and fields and were out of sight almost like II
meteor, while the bystanders, who barely caught
glimpse of us we passed, looked on as II in
both fear and amazement. 1t has always been II
wonder to me that our locomotive and ears kept
the track ut ALL or how they could possibly stay on
the track. At times the iron horse seemed to
literally fly over the course, the driving wheels of
one side being lifted from the rails much of the
distance over which we now sped with a velocity
fearful to contemplate.
But swift running alone could not save US. In
mere trial of speed between the two engines
we were sure in the end to be worsted. To
wreck the pursuing train was our great object,
and to that end we employed every eXpedient
we could devise. By this time we had a few
more track raising instruments, which An
drcws and Wilson had simultaneously taken
lfOUl SoiuS S"itChtcHttiS. IIfEiAti III bilS rave
they would have been worth their weight in
gold, but it was now TO late. Even with their
help we could take up rail no quicker than
the Confedcrates with ample supplies of rails,
instruments, and trained workmen, could lay
another down. All the efforts we made i'll this
direction were a mere waste of time.
But the swiftness OF pursuit was carrying
both parties over long spaces. The next station
of Importance that lay before us was Dalton,
and this place, % milesfrcm Calhoun, was soon
reached. This was the largest town we had
approached since starting in the morning 1t
was the junction of another road which led TO
Cleveland. on the main line to Richmond. 1t
had further aud terrible interest to us, in the
knowledge that there we would learn whether
our character had rally been tciegraphed
ahead of us by the way of the coast lines and
Richmond. But if it had, we would learn it too
late to make the knowledge of any service.
We would find military force ready to receive
US at the depot, and our race would be run.
Yet we approached cautiously, ready, If there
were any suspicious indications, to reverse the
engine at once and run back towards the pur-
suing train, with the intention OF getting out
of the town and trying to escape through the
fields. But we saw no more than the usual
number of persons about the depot, and An
drews at once lcaped from the engine, exam
ined the switch, which was adjusted to throw
train on the Cleveland fork of the road, had
it changed, and answered all questions as cooily
and comPOsedy as ever. The whole had to be
done very promptly, as the appearance of our
poor battered train was sadly against us, and
we knew that in town the size of Dalton it
would be easy to find force enough for our
arrest. Besides, it was sure that i'll n few Sec
onds Fuller and his treless band would appear
on the scene. In no period of this eventfu day
does the courage and self-controi of Andrews
shine out more brightly than i'm the manner in
Vyl,i oh ha hor cd fha cbnpt no
depot in a moment to obey his orders and be-
lieve his story, even while thinking it possible
that they might have previous information of
his designs, and be only waiting the arrival OF
assistance to destroy him. The pursuing train
was heard as expected. Before our foes came
near enough to reveal our character everything
was arranged, and taking the left-hand road,
that which led directly to Chattanooga, we
again darted forward.
This was however, decisive point in the
race. When we thus passed Dalton without
having destroyed our pursuers, we knew that
all hope of passing through Chattanooga with
our engine must be abandoned. All uneasi-
ness on account of possible telegram from
Richmond was at an end, but there was a
nearer danger which defined the limits be-
y0nd which we could no longer hope to pass
There was a line of telegraph along each of the
diverging railroads. We could destroy but one
of these, and it was certain that as soon as
Fuller and his friends arrived at Dalton and
told their story, warning would be sent ahead
of us by the other road. This will explain
what some accounts have left doubtfnl,-our
neglect to cut the wire Immediately after leav-
ing Dalton. 1t made no practical difference to
us whether the fatal message was sent directly
to Chattanooga and all intermediate stations
or whether it went by the way of Cleveland
and Chattanooga and then back to the stations
on our line. The distance was twice as great
in thus teegraphing around two sides of tri-
angle, but this counted for nothing when light
ming was the messenger. Our only resource
was in the fact that we were now counting
nearly as many miles as minutes, and that we
might be far OH our way towards Chattanooga,
and possibly have some bridges burned, before
preparation could be made for stopping u.s. AS
a last resource, we now fully expected to have
to take to the woods on foot.
Fuller well knew the decisive advantage he
would have at Dalton. As he neared that sta
ton he wrote the following dispatch and gave
it to the young operator he had taken up at
Calhoun, with instructions to put it through to
Chattanooga, both ways, with the least possible
delay. 1t proves-if it were not afterwards
written from memory and nnconsciously modi-'
fied-how correctly he had already estimated
the character of the men he was chasing This
sagacity is scarcely less wonderful than the
daring with which he encountered and over
came so many obstacles.
FULLER's TELEGRAM
To Gen. IEADBETTER Commander at Chattanoo-
ga: My train was captured this a. NJ Mt Big Shanty,
evidently by Federal soldiers in disguise They
are making rapidly for Chattanooga, possibly with
the idea of burning the railroad bridges III their
rear. III do not capture them in the meantime,