The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-02-06
LINE BLOCKED BOTH WAYS,
BY CHARLES BARNARD.

De crossed Dy a railroad. Alter II was
opened and trains ran through the
mountains in less than an hour, every
one remarked that it was not such a
very difficult piece of railroad work
after ALL The farming people who
lived on the wild, rough hillslde8 to
the east and west OF the range
knew the mountains were steep, rocky
and confused The peaks stood up IN
irregular clumps and masses. There
were no cross valleys, nor the slightest
suggestion of a pass. 1t was not a
wonder that they should think the
placeimpassable.
What did the railroad people do?
They followed up one short valley on
enc side till they came to the very
end. Then they bored curving tun-
mel and struck the upper end OF q
crooked valley that after many wind
ings reached the other side.
When we see a man occupying pO-
sition OF trust and espOnsibility We
sometimes wonder how he got there.
Here was Henry MastersOn, engineer
of the mixed train that every after
noon went through the mountains
over this winding piece of the main
INT. LIE w dts HulLt JOulisS GUY bNCii-
ty-eight Not a brilliant looking man
Not ut all talker. One OF your plain
folks, lust the kind OF a man to be
looking out OF a cab window. You
felt sure he would not run past a dan
ger signal, come in behind time, waste
steam or knock his splendid machine
to pieces by neglect or Carelessness.
He was married and had a little house
up on the mountain side, lust at the
next entrance of the winding valley.
He could see the house as soon as he
began to turn the great curve IN the
valley beyond the tunnel as he went
West. The house was more than two
miles away, yet in winter, when his
train came through after dark, his
wife could see his headlight from her
window She was always there, on
the lookout for it and always remained
looking at il till the train came down
the valley AMI stopped at the little
way station Just below the house.
When he came through by daylight she
could see the white steam far away up
the valley. How did he get the place?
He worked up. His wife had been q
telegraph operator. She only left that
business because he asked her to take
care Of his little house on the mount
ain side At odd times sue had
taught him thedot and dash al phabet,
and tIey could talk together nicely
without saying word and often did
so-fOr amusement-IIttle thinking
what would come OF it.
1t had been cloudy and wet for three
days BY noon the rain came down
in a steady pour The morning trains
through the mountains reported one
or two troublesome land slips. The
soft clay and ooze had crept down the
track and in one instance nearly hid
the rails. However, the trackmen
We're out in full force and no doubt
they would keep the line clear.
The mixed train was the last one 60
ing west at night; its name implied it
was composed partly OF freight and
partly Of passenger cars. 1t was past
five o'clock as the train began to
creep up the long grades on the east
side. The engineer was pushing her
rather hard. 1t was important to get
past the tunnel before dark in order
to keep a good lookout for washOuts
and land slips Already it was begin
ming 20 grow dark and he was not at
all sorry to see the green light at the
entrance Of the tunnel The grade was
easy here and she seemed to behave
better. The tunnel was soon cleared
and the long winding down grade be-
gun. The last CLEANS of daylight
showed the line clear, but with plenty
OF water flowing over it from rivulets
that darted down the mountain side.
The bare trees and the half frozen
ground sent all the water down upOn
the line, and with the water came the
terrible sticky OOze and mud.
Red lights. She had plenty of spare
steam and obeyed her brakes easily.
Track men ahead. Mud and gravel
or the line. \ pause and a whistle or
two. The echo seemed to roar and
rumble alongthe mountains and there
was only the murmur OF the fast fall
ing rain and the roar of the swollen
brook far down in the valley. Then
the red light was withdrawn. 4 wav-
ing lantern cried, "come on. She
moved forward slowly and in a mo-
ment was grinding and crashing
through the shiny gravel that covered
the line. Lucky it was no worse.
Half a mile more and the tow. bridge
would be reached and the little house
would be in sight. Jane would have a
light in the window for mm. Then
down the grade to tie urn only ten
miles away. And thea the Round
House, q ride back on the up freight
and he wouid be at home. There :
the hght-a faint yellow star in the
fading twilight
What's that2 What has happened
70 the mountain, The tall pines seen
against the murky sky seemed to be
thrashlng about as if rocked by a VIC
lent wind. Some were falling. Others
moved. The whole mountain side
seemed In commotiOn. She STONED
with sudden lar that startled the
passengers and tumbled over some oi
the loose freight. The mountain was
falling. 1t came down in a vast
aValanche-trees and rocks CRASHING
and falling together. \ huge river Of
muddy water, clay and debris II
swept over the retaining walls buried
the tracks out OF sight and poured in
Mid food down into the valley
crashing through the forest and max
Ing broad path OF destruction down
towards the brook below. II 5id nor
make much noise. 1t poured over the
track for moment or two and then
abruptly stopped, and the wild tanple
OF trees, rocks, sand and mud shook
ard qmyered for q moment and then
settled down into a CHASTITY kind OF
repOse.
What the matter. Henry ?" said
the conductor as he came out Ionosids
the engine.
Land slip, The road is blocked
for week or more. LooE Ar that
Sly feet OF cra1-aI 49,, -, N--,'1 .