The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-07-15
"MAIDEN'S CREEK. !"
THE INTERESTING STORY OF AN OLD
ENGINEER.

| OF Detached Box Car---A Place Dreaded by
| Engineers-.-Iirs Narrow Escape.
eyes," said an old engineer yesterday,
talking to an interested group of listen
ers, 81 have had some novel experiences,
and some narrow escapes, too, since L
began to pull the throttle of an engine.
stand before you, though, without o.
scratch, except q patched up ARM
Rolling up his sleeve he exposed to
view an arm that looked, Judging from
the scar that remained, that it was at
one time very useful factor in pulling
the lever of locomotive.
Ihat was nearor serious accident
than any I've over been in,"t continued
the narrator, "but that amt what 7 was
going to tell you about" After the lis
tonors had expressed their desire to hear
his story, he roiillcd his pipe, and after
deliberating few minutes, said:
'It was on tho Baltimore and Ohio.
about forty miles out of Toledo, Ohio,
that the accident, or to be moro correct
as to tho nature of it, L will say, Incl
dent, occurred, for L can't say that IL
was on accident at all. 1t was the most
| novel, funny, and at the same time most
dangerous experience that L ever wit
messed. The place L speak of was called
let me sect was called the "Maiden's
Creek, and was very beautiful place
to the tourist and pleasure seeker, but O.
very formidable place to the engineer
who had as many rs forty cars to pull.
The FMaiden's Creek" was spanned by q
trcstlo about one hundred yards in
length, and it was approached from the
north by grade of one hundred and
ten feet, about two and n half miles in
length, and ono of about the same
length, and steep in proportion, to
ascend on leaving the creek. To an en-
| gineer with q moderately loaded train
following him, 1t was necessary that he
| got good start on his descent in order
to be able to clear the grade on the 9th
er side. We had orders from headquar-
ters not to approach any trestle in gen
eral, and this one in particular, at O.
greater speed than twenty miles an hour.
| Well, now, it would have been utterly
impossible to go over that hill with an
impetus OF twenty miles per hour from
the other side. AS we were approaching
this place, one night, my fremen said to
nv, N'SolSC, Sou IL nuNS give '0r
steam, or we'll camp over yonder on that
hill, rs sure rs preachin.' Il know tlet,'
SAID l, and I'm going to let her roll
And did let her roll, as sure as you're
born. We went down that grade at the
rate OF forty miles an hour, or wo didn't
go foot. We just fairly slid down.
hardly know when the trestle was reach
ed, we won't over SO quickly. The first
thing L remember was, we were about
half way up the grade on the other side
going about fifty miles an hour. 1
thought we were climbing mighty easy,
but had brand-new twelve-wheeler,
and L attributed it to that. Finally /
made the top of the grade, and started
down another. Something told me that
something was wrong, but L couldn't see
anything. was letting her roll down
the grade at about fifteen or twenty an
hour, and as that something kept tell
ing me that something was tho matter, /
sent my fireman back over tho cars to
see If anything was the matter, sure
enough. When ho crossed twolve boxes
he came to halt We had been dis
connected. BY this time we were at
standstill. This was predicament!
About half way to the bottom of steep
grade, i'll the dark, disconnected, not
knowing whether the other part Of the
train was coming down on us, or wheth.
or it had failed to come over and had
gone back the other way! We hadn't
long to wait, however, for all ut once we
heard terrible rattling, and then /
know that was the detached part of the
train that had managed to got over the
grade, and was coming down on usl
stand still and let the wild train in it's
| Io1NT .n1,
would have meant certain destructionl
In the meantime, my trlsty fireman had
Cotton of and was going back to discov-
CT II nc could sec or hear anything. SO
it was he who yelled to me: 'Flyl Out
run it! 1t is box carl / caught his
meaning, and took in the situation in o.
second, and in another one was going
down at fearful rush, pursued by that
empty box car. While going down I
thought of plan by which i could stop
the Cur without serious damage L would
run just little slower than it, and by
| that means let it ovcrtake me. This plan
worked admirably. The cor caught up
with me just before reached the foot Of
the grade, and the connection was so
slight that it was scarcely perceptible.
After checking up, and coming to O.
standstill, / found that was still in q
! La HhClc HtvS bilS TcLnullUCf OF the
train? For it was plain that we were in
three sections instead Of two. After
waiting there about ten minutes J. saw
the balance of the train coming slowly
down the grade with two or three of the
crew holding theiT lights, not knowing
what minute they would run into the
box car, Or my engine. They came on
Gown, however, and we coupled up again
and finished our trip without any more
accidents. e
"But have always thought con
tinucd the old engineer ''that was the
most novel, as well as the most danger
GUS way of getting over grade that 1
ever heard of. L could not do it again
in o thousand years without smashing up
property, and probably sacrifice life.
Could l, boys2"
l Tho unanimous answer was:
'You arc right, you couldn't"