Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-13
AN ENGINEERS STORY.
A Thrilling Run with a Wild Engine
Behind.

ABOUT 10 relate. naQ passenger run Vi
nine hours, beginning at O'Clock p. m.
For nearly three years had locomotive
named after a railroad official, ben
Davis" and got to know that piece OF
machinery better than any man ever
watches of the same make, of the same
jeweleT, at the same time, and while one
will keep excellent time ard give good
satisfaction, the other will have of spells.
IL rs the same tn two locomotives.
While "Ben Davls'' would make regular
trips, day after day, for months, without
giving me the least trouble or wanting
cents worth of repairs, other locomotives
from the same shop were in the hands of
the repairers as often as out on the road.
One of our freight engineers was man
named George Roby, He came on to our
road from some line in New England and
gave good satisfaction for about three
months. Then whisky got the better of
him and he went TO the dogs. One day,
after his fireman had brought the train
into Columbus, with Roby drunk and
asleep ON the floor of the cab. he got his
blue envelope. The idea somehow lodged
in his head that the officials were down on
ehim, and he swore be would have revenge
for being discharged. One afternoon he
turned up down the road and was noticed
to be drinking heavily, and TO have the
deed. This was at a station eighteen
miles from Columbus, and on a gloomy
April evening. | was due there at 1928
and it was a two-minute stop. A mixed
freight always side-tracked there for us to
pass and then followed us down the line.
Well, | was there on this special even
ing on time, as usual, having baggage,
express and three coaches. 1t began TO
drizzle Just before we reached the sta
I Z hot in q a
night and a slippery track. did not see
kOby, nor did any one tell me that he had
shown up there. / noticed that that
freight train was unusually long aud that
1t was pulled bv one of the biggest en-
gines on the road. Three or four people
got off, and perhaps as many got on, and
we we're off on the second. 1t was run
of seven miles 10 the next stop, and my
schedule was thirty-seven miles an hour.
We had not yet come to a standstill at
the next stop when the telegraph opera
tor, whose face was as white as snow,
ran alongside and called to me:
There's wild engine behind you-for
heav-"
He ran back to the conductor, and in
ten seconds that official rushed UP and
shouted to me:
''Its runaway engine-pull out at
oncew
He yelled "All aboardi" sprang for the
steps OF a car, and away We went, some
of the people getting off or on being flung
down as they jOstled each other. Alter
we left the station where the freight was
side-tracEed a brakeman ran down the
track to open the switch. AS he did SO
ROby mounted the engine with cooked
revolver in band, and drove the engineer
and fireman off. He had previously I'M
coupled her from the train without being
detected. He ran the engine out on the
main line and half mile beyond. Then
he filled up tine 1re-DOx, saw that she had
plenty of water, pulled the throttle wide
open and jumped off. That was how we
came to have a runaway engine behind
us. AS soon as the engineer was driven
from the cab he ran into the station and
informed the operator, and about the
time tue runaway started Oft we got the
news. We were about six miles ahead
of her, That meant about six minutes.
When | pulled out | supposed the pro-
gramme was for some OF tue station folks
to run down and open the switch 80 that
the runaway would be ditched, but 1t APP
peared that the agent was so dreadiully
ratified that be did not attempt this step
until too late. The switch was forty
rods from the station. and just as the en-
plOye reached it the runaway came roar
ing past. My next stop was ten miles
distant. | reasoned it out in about
minute that if the runaway was ditched
the fact would be telegraphed ahead. If
she wasn't, that fact would also be click
ed over the wires, and l would get some
sign or signal as we passed. If she
was following us there would be no
time to switch in, and my hair stood up
at the idea of trying to outrun her. l
made the ten miles in twelve minutes and
a half. A mile away l began footing the
whistle, and as we neared the station.
still flying, | leaned out to look for the
agent. He was on the platform. II he
held up his hand [ was to stop. But he
did not. On the contrary, he waved his
arm down the line for me to keep on, and
| knew that we were in for it. The run
away could not be over three minutes be-
hind, and there would not be time to turn
her in on the siding here.
The next stop was eleven miles away,
and it was a good piece of track. Little
ny little l gave her more steam, and after
the first mile | knew that we were Keeling
off mile every minute. There was train
enough to hold US steady, and the track
was straight. and but for the awful roar
it would have been easy to imagine we
were flying. The agent ahead would let
me know by a signal, as the other had
done. He was on the platform, with a
great crowd behind him. and he mOtiOned
me on. The runaway was still after us.
| cou d not say. 1t was eight miles and
a half TO the next station, and | could not
do better than fOrty-fVe or forty-eight
miles an hour on the upgrade. The run
away must catch us in the next SIX or
seven miles. We had gone about five
miles when | got the signal on the bell
rope to stop, and as soon as had slowed
down a little brakeman came over the
tender with instructions to stop at the sta
ton.
The conductor, knowing that we could
not outrun the wild engine, aud that there
was no show to ditch her, could think Of
hut one plan TO save the train. He called
the passengers from the rear coach aud
cast IL of. This was on the eleven-mile
run, and the coach bad about two minutes
to lose its momentum before the runaway
struck it. The pilot ran under the plat
form, the end OF the coach was lifted up,
and the next moment engine and car
were In the ditch. Neither one Of them
was ever repaired, the wreck being too
complete, nor did the officers OF the law
ever succeed In laying hands on Roby.