Western Kansas world., 1885-05-02

on the burning oil-cars would also be
put on, ! called to brakeman ON the
box car to draw the coupling pin be-
tween that car and the head oil. tank
backing go that he could do it. intending
to run lar enough to save the box car
and the locomotive. As ran down
the hill after the pin had been drawn.
what was my horror tosee that the burn
ing cars we're following me at speed that
was rapidly increasing. The men had
not succeeded in putting on the brakes.
l saw the the only thing that could
be done was to run for it to Brocton, and
the chances were that we would never
reach there at the speed which we
would be obliged to make around those
sharp, reverse curves where we never
run over twenty miles an hour. When
saw the flaming cars-for the whole
six were on fire BY this time-plungine
after me; and only few feet away.
pulled the throttle open. The oil cars
caught me, though, before l 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 unendurable, and to
do my best I couldn't put more
than thirty feet between the
pursuing fire and ourselves. By the
light from the furnace, as the fremen
opened the door to pile in the coal, I
caught sight of the face of one of the
horsemen, he having crawled up to the
grated opening in the end. It was as
pale as death, and he begged me for
was giving her then all the steam she
could carry, and the grade itself was suf-
ficient to carry US down at the rate of
fifty miles an hour. We went 30 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 in the world she did
not topple over is something I never
could understand. She seemed to know
that it was q race of life or death, and
worked as if she were alive. The
night was dark and the road ran
through woods, deep rock cuts, and
along high embankments. We were
laundering along at lightning speed,
and only q few PAGES behind us that
fiery demon in full pursuit. There
we're fifty thousand gallons of oil in
those tanks at least, and it was all in
flames, making flying avalanche of
500 feet long. The
FLAMES LEAPED INTO THE AIR
nearly one hundred feet. The roar was
like that of some great cataract. Now
and then q tank would explode with a
noise like cannon, when a volume of
flame and pitchy smoke would rise
above the body of flame
and showers of burnining oil
would be scattered about
in the woods. The whole country was
lighted up for. miles around. Well, it
wasn't long, going at the rate we made,
before the lights of Brocton came in
sight down the valley. The relief that
l felt when these came in view was
short lived, for remembered that train
8 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 connecting the cross-cut
track with the Lake Shore track, and
let us run in on the latter, where the
grade would be against us, if anything, |
and where we would soon get out of the |
way of the oil cars. The switch would be
closed now for the express, and our last
hope was gone unless the express was
late or some one had sense enough to flag
the express. While we were thinking
of this we saw the train tearing along to-
ward the junction. Could we reach the
junction, get the switch and get the
switch set back for the express before |
the latter got there? Ifnot, there would
be an inevitable crash, in which not only
we but scores of others would be crushed
to death. All this conjecturing did not
occupy two seconds, but in those two
lived years. Good Godp II
said to my fireman, What are we to dor
The fireman promptly replied-and he
was brave little fellow-that I should
whistle for the switch and take
the chances. did 80. That whistle |
was one prolonged yell of agony. Itwas
4 shrek that seemed to tell us that our |
brave old engine knew our danger and
had it's fears. Neither the fireman nor
myself spoke another word. Thanks to
God, the engineer on the express train,
.eeing us tearing down that mountain
with an eighth of mile of fire in close
pursuit of ue, knew in q moment that
only one thing could save us. He
for brakes, and got his train on
! standstill not ten feet from the switch.
The switchman now answered our signal,
md we shot on by the depot and through |
he place like q rocket. The burning
;ars followed us, Of course, but their race
vas run. They had no propelling power
now, and in three hours there was moth
ng left of them but smoking ruins.
my fireman and I were 80 weak when
We brought our locomotive to stop
hat we could not get out of our CAB.
The two horsemen were unconscious in
he box car. The horses were ruined.
And how long do you think we were
making that sixteen miles? We ran
;wo miles up the Lake Shore track. Just
;welve minutes from the summit to the
spot where we stopped. A plum eighty
niles an hour, not counting the time
ost getting under headway and stopping
,eyond Brocton."