Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-18
Gales aud Sketfhfs.
OLD DUR BRows's FRreHrrUL RIDE.

/ i
Buffalo. Cory & Erie railroad. The tract
from Prospect or Mayville summit =
Brocton junction is SO crooked that, whll'
the distance is actually only ten miles. tn
cures make it by rail fourteen. The grad
for the whole distance is over seventy fee
to the mile About 9 O'Clock on the nigh
of August 16, 1869, we reached the sum
NIT with train of two passenger cars, si'
oil cars and box car. The latter con
tanned two valuable trotting horses ant
their keepers with them, on their way,
believe, to Chicago. There were fifty Of
sixty passengers in the two cars. 60
the signal from the conductor to start ane
pulled out. We had got under considera
bic Roadway, when, looking back. saw
that an oil-car in the middle of the trair
was one fir. ] reversed the engine ane
whistled for brakes. The conductor ant
brakeman jumped off. They uncouplec
the passenger cars aud set the trakes or
them and brought them to . stop. Sup
posing that the brakes on the burning oil.
cars would also be put on. called to q
brakeman on the box-car to draw the
coupling-pin between that car and the
head oil tank, backing 30 that he could DC
It, intending to run far enough to save the
box-car and the locomotive. As l ran
down the hill after the pin had been drawn.
what was my horror TO see that the burn
ing cars were following me at speed that
was rapidly increasing. The men had not
succeeded in putting on the brakes, saw
that the only thing that could be done was
to run for it to Brocton. and the chances
we're that we would never reach there at
the speed which we would be obliged to
make around those sharp, reverse curves
where we had never run over 20 miles
/! an hour. When saw the flaming cars
for the whole six were on fire by this
time-plunging after me. and only few
feet away. ! pulled the throttle open.
The oil cars caught me. though, before
got away. They came with full force
against the rear of the box car, smashing
in one end and knocking the horses and
their keepers fiat on the floor. The heat
was almost uncomfortable, and to do my
best couldn't put more than thirty feet
between the pursuing fire and ourselves.
BY the light from the furnace, as the fire.
man opened the door to pile in the coal, l
caught sight of the face of one of the
horsemen, he having crawled up to the
grated opening in the end 1t was as
pale as death, and he begged me for Gods
sake TO give her more steam. | was CIV
ing her then all the steam she could carry,
and the grade itself was sufficient to carry
us down at the rate of fifty miles an hour.
We went so fast that the engine refused to
pump. Every time we struck one of those
curves the old girl would run on almost
one set OF wheels. and why she did not
topple over is something never could
understand. She seemed to know that it
was race of lite or death. and worked as
if she were alive. The night was dark.
and the road run through woods, deep
rock cuts and along high entertainments
There we were. laundering along at light
ming speed, and only few PAGES behind
us, the fiery demon in full pursuit. There
were $4,000 gallons Of oil in those tanks.
at least, and it was all in flames, making
u flying avalanche of flame 500 feet
long. The flames leaped into the
air nearly hundred feet. Their roar was
like that of some great cataract. Now and
then tank would explode with noise
like a cannon. when a column of flame and
pitchy smoke would rise high above the
body of flame and showers OF burning oil
would be scattered about in the woods.
The whole country was lighted up for
miles around. Well, it wasn't long, 90.
ing at the rate we made, before the lights
of Brocton came in sight down the valley
The relief felt when these came in view
was shcrt-lived, for I remembered that
train on the Lake Shore would be at the
junction about the time we would reach it.
Eight was the Cincinnati express. Our
only hope all along the race had been that
the switchman at the junction would think
far enough to open the switch there, con.
Meeting the cross. cut track with the Lake
Shore track. and let US run in on the lat
Ter where the grade would be against us
II anything. and where we would soon ge,
out of the way of the oil cars. The switch
would be closed now for the express, anc
our last hope was gone unless the express
was late, or some one had sense enough
to flag the express. While we were think
ing of this we saw the train tearing alone
toward the junction. Could we reach thu
junction, get the switch and the switch b,
set back tor the express before the latte
got thereP If not, there would be an in
evitable crash, in which not only we bu
scores of others would be crushed to death
All this conjecturing did not occupy tw'
seconds. but in those two seconds ] live,
years. Good God = said to my fireman
what are we to dop'
The fireman promptly replied-and h.
was brave little fellow-that | shout,
whistle Tor the switch and take the chances
did so. That whistle was one prolonge,
yell OF agony. 1t was shrek that seeme
to tell us that our brave old engine knew
our danger and had its fears. Neither tn
fireman or myself spoke another word
Thanks be to God. The engineer on tn
express train. seeing us tearing down tina
mountain with an eighth OF mile of fir
in close pursuit of US, knew in a momen
that only one thing could save us. H
whistled for brakes and got his train at
standstill, not ten feet from the switch
The switchman now answered our signal
and we shot on the Shore track an
whizzed on by the depot and through tn
place like a rocket. The burning cars fol
lowed us in of course, but that race wa
run. They had no propelling power now
and after chasing us for mile they CAV
up pursuit. and in three hours there wa
nothing left of them but smoking ruins
"My fireman and were so weak whe
we brought our locomotive to stop tina
we could not get out OF our cat
The horsemen were unconscious i
the box car. The horses were ruined
And how long do you think we were mai
ing that Is miles? We ran two miles u
the AXE Shore track Just - p,innta