St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-03-18

sudden Stacking of the speed, and on
you go, passing station after station
without stopping, for the engineers
have orders to "run Wild" and you
feel that they are carrying out their
instructions to the letter.
Finally our pilot pulls the bell cord,
and we come to a standstill and the
order is given the men to take the
shovels and go up ahead. Down you
get and move with the procession on
it's prospecting tour. Arriving at a
cut some 400 feet long you see the rea-
son for the halt. The snow has drift
ed in from the West covering one rail
from six to eight feet and the other,
from two to three. This has to be
broken down and is shOveled from the
highest part into the middle of the cut
and left for the pillow to throw out
You have grave doubts in your own
mind about the engines being able to
push through such a mass. It's the
worst thing struck yet in the trip and
were it not for being left in case they
get through you would quite as soon
stand back on the bank and see them
make the attempt as to get on, but, to
insure keeping company with the pillow
you go back and climb in. There is
good rail for a long distance in the rear
and the engines are backed slowly
down to get good run. "Give it to
her, judi" says the road master, and
crowding on all steam possible, away
you go for the cut with mail train
speed. You feel slight shock as the
pillow strikes the drift and the rapidly
slackening speed shows the strong re-
sistance ahead. The framework of the
car grOans and cracks like a Sound
steamer passing Point Judith, the
black smoke from the coal burners
stacks tells of the immense power that
is pushing you through, while the
sound of the ponderous drive-wheels
grinding the fine PARTICLES of snow
tells you that even their own weight is
net sufficient to allow them to reach
the top of the rails. But the engines
win and you emerge from the cut with
speed reduced to walking pace and
continue your progress. You pass
along toward the front of the Car and
for the first time are privileged to look
out ahead. Long stretches of track
are bare of snow and the bright steel
rails lay glistening in the sun. Here
and there you come upon little patch
es of drifts that are thrown by the
pillow 20 feet outward and upward.
At Walden we make stop and you
get out of the car and go back to take
look at the engines, covered with
snow and ice. elbow can you see to
run with the snow flying So" you ask
the engineer. awe don't see, we run
by faith, not by sight," is the reply, and
we start down the grade for Greens
bOrO. Two of the men are told off to
handle the wings and if the road mas
ter was busy before he is more so now.
The orders come thick and fast,
"down," "let CO." "put out your
WINGS" "take in your wings" supple
mented with motions of the hand. The
pressure on the extended wings is so
great at times that they split the
blocks of wood and fly back against
the sides of the car with Il report like
the bursting of Il shell. Arriving at
Greensboro we stop for dinner. The
cold lunch you ate early in the morn
you brought nothing with you, but no
man goes hungry as long as the boys
have supply and the contents of
dozen pals are offered you. Dinner
we are off again and an hour
and half's run brings us to Cambridge
Junction, our destination.
Some time is spent in turning the
pillow and engines and at A p. m. we
start for home. We stop for water at
you take out your watch
and say, CAT half-past six we will be
at st. Johnsbury." "If nothing hap
pens," adds someone. There is no
snsw to prevent your seeing out now,
so you amuse yourself watching the
engine next the pillow. There is a fas
in the rapid up and down mo-
ton of the side bars on the driving
wheels, continually coming toward
you, never any nearer. Suddenly the
brake is set up in the car and you
come to a standstill. "What's the
matter now 2" you ask. The tender is
off the track. You get out and find
the rear of the tender resting on the
rails and underneath a broken journal. |
But where is the other engineP You
OOk down the track a couple hundred
yards and there it lays nearly on it's
Tide at the foot of the embankment |
With mind filled with all sorts of APP
IrehensiOns as to the fate of the engi- |
leer and his fireman, you hasten back |
% find them outside the wreck, unin-
ured, and already engaged in putting
,ut the fire in the fire box. 1t was
harrow chance and you shudder as you
oOk under the crushed cab they so
ately occupied and think of what
night have been the result to them.
telegram is sent for the wreck train,
md you make yourself as comfortable
s possible till its arrival, when the
'rOken truck is taken out from the en-
line attached to the pillow and replac-