New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-14
CHASED BY BLAZING CARS.
MAD RACE FOR LIFE N A LOCOMOTIVE.
ESCAPING FROM BURNING OIL AT EIGHTY MILES
Az HOUR.

ESCAPING FROM BURNING OIL AT EIGHTY MILES
An HOUR.
DUNKTRK, April 13.-Duff Brown. one OF the
oldest locomotive engineers in the United States died
at Portland y. V, on April .. On his dcath-Ded ne
told the following story Of his ride from Prospect
TO BroctOn with the request that 1t be published;
In 1869 was RAINING train on the Buffalo, Cory
and Erie Railroad. The track from frospcc or May-
vile, summit to Bioc0n Junctonls so cro1ke. tt Mo
the distance is actually only ten miles, inc cur kp
il by rail fourteen The grade for the whole distance Is
over seventy fcet to the mile about & oo II"
night OF August H. 1862 we reached me SUMMIT WIN
a of two passenger cara slN oil cars ana oA car
ther keepers. on their way believe 70 ohcago.
nifty sixty passengers IN the TWO cars eot
nal start from the conductor ana puIcd out We pa
got under considerable ncadwsy, Wi, VnNs n, - 20
saw that oil in the middle OF the rah was on hre
reversed the engine and whISed Tor brakes lhe con
ductor ana brakenen jumped Off uncoup.ed the passen
ger cars set the brakes on them and brought them to
stop SpppOs that Toua h0 p aso be- pnt on
/ called to brakeman on tho box
tween that car and mead oil tank backing so that ne
could do It, intending TO run far enough to save inc poN
pin mad been withdrawn what was my horror 70 sec
the burning were following me at speed that
was rapidly increasing. The mon had not succeeded IN
putting Oh the brakes saw that the only thing that
was 10 DO to run for 1t TO Brocon, and TIE
chances were that would never reach there az the
pced which would be obliged To make around those
sharp. reverse where We had never run over
twenty miles hour. When saw the Naming cars lor
the whole six on fire by this time-plunelnS aer
me- only few feet away. pulled the throttle onen
came with fuli force against the rear Of the box car
smashing in end and knocking the horses ana thelr
keepers fat On the fOOr.
The heat was almost uncomfortable and to do my best
couldn't nut more than thirty feet between he pursu
ing fire ana ourselves By the light fron the furnace
the fireman opened the door to pile III the COAL caugh
cravlcd up 10 the grated opening in the end 1t was rs
pale death and lac begged me Tor Gods sake 20 give
the engine more steam. was giving her then al the
steam She could carry ana the grade itself sufficient
to carry aowu NJ the rate OF iy miles an hour We
time we sIrnck one Of those curves tho old girl would
| rnn ON almost one set Of wheels ana way, IN
never could understand she seemed to know that it
of life or death aud worked as II she were
alive. The night lark and the road ran through
the woods deep rock cus, and along hch ombankments
There thunderine along at lightning speed and
sn There were 10000 gallons Of oil IN those tanks, az
least. aud It all dame, making ahying avalanche
feet Their like that Of some great cataract
Vow and then tank wonid explode Win noise IKE
cannon. when column OF ane ANA PlichJ smohe WOulu
high above the body OF auc and showers OF burning
oil would he scattered about In the woods The whole
country was lighted up Tor mics aFOhhu. Wen, II
wasn't long going at the made before the lights
OF Brocton In sight down the VALLEY.
The relief felt short lived. for remembered that
train No the Lake Shore Road would he at the june
mc ap1n' R RS ee Our ony hope ali along the
had been that the swchman at the junction would think
To open the switch there connecting the crOscut track
with the Lake Shore track and let us run In on the latter
where the grade would he against Us II ANY th'hS ahd
where would sDOnSet out Of the way Of the oil cars
The switch would De closed now for the express. ana
orr last hone was gone unless the CYPRESS was late or
II
thinking Of this The train tearing along toward
the jurction Could we reach tho junction. get the
switch and the switch be set back for the express before
therei II not, there would be an inevitable
crash, In which not only we but scores OF
others would 5e crushed to death All this coulrcturiug
did not Occupy seconds, but IN those TWO seconds
lived years. GOOD God" said 20 my fireman, what
are we 10 do r. The fireman promptly replled-aud he
a brave little fcluw-that shuuld whistle Tor thc
switch aud take the chances. did so. That whistle
was one prolonged yell Of agony. II was shrek that
seemed 10 tell rs that onr brave old engine knew onr
danger and had it, fears. Neither the fireman nor my
self spoke another word. Thanks be 20 God. The en-
ginecr on tho express train, seeing rs
tearing down that mountain withln an
eighth Of mile OF fire In close pursuit Of vs..
knew IN moment that only one thing could save us
lie whiscd for brakes and got his tram AT stands
feet from the switch. The ~Wichuan answered
signal and shot the shore track ami vhfLed
by the depot aud through the place ike rocket The
burning followed IN. OF course. but their race
run. They had propcilinC power now and after
cha ding e nile they mp tho pursuit. and
three hours there nothing left OF them but smoking
5iy fireman and were weak WHOM we brought our
locomotive stop that cOndnt gCt ont Of cab.
The two horsemen were uDcouscous IN the box car The
horses rIinod. And how long do think
IN making that sixteen miles I We ran two miles mp the
Lake Shore track Just twelve mnutcs from the summit
to the place where stopped plumb eighty niles m
hour counting the tine lost m getting under head
and stopping beyond BTOCtOu