New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-04
BEN DEENE. ENGINEER.
BY GEORGE X. BLANCHARD. Ex-vHCE-PREeI
DENT OF THE ERIE RAILROAD.

i
The other eight made up OF sleepers and day cars,
Aud all OF them filed
The schedule was fast,
The night was steel cold.
The unscabbsrded moon with its scimeter blade
And the gt,erng that flashed from the stars,
Cut the air into blasts
As sharp a. wolves teeth or Ike flying glass.
They chilled the great boiler
Ofthe and toiler
s;anch ola $50"
And though her engineer was the best on the line,
Gongbesrdcd Ben Deene),
She wouldn't make steam.
So he coudn't make time.
AsNmsddened at this,
Her every valve seemed to humanity whine
Or alternately hiss
Aud every gauge
Boiled with scaldnR rage
A passionate writing wrcnched all her nerves
As she clutched the curves
Her maadened wheels shreked AMI pierciney creaked
And she scowled and moaned and howied ana eroanoo
That the Hill 40 long and so crooked anu ''ooP
That where she would leap
She must creep
Kissing white hot steam snorting black hot name'
On struggling, yet !agglng'
Asif she was dragging
Heavy manscling gives or abali OF shame;
Her headlight eye burned into tho night
As some infuriae monsters might
II chained gainst a victim secure in flight.
Thus rackcd painting aud growing she reached the TOT
o, the summit Craze at the summit SHOP
Here the schedule said "siop
For HG:er and coal-oil up aud inspect
The ,rain's runrng gear and look close for defects
From his point down on the western 'ioe
For nineteen niles-twelve near the rivers side
Tie track was as straight as a railway can be
TIL It reached sAarp curve near leaning OAK tree.
Here tao engineers always said: "Now let her gFde'
Ana made MP the time
Perhaps lost on tho climb
TIC signal was given. Refreshed to szest
Old SO" started
once more the west
And ,ovn this straight spin. called the Devils Rum"
darted.
Beng an hour behind
she sped by springs, PUSHES aud gliies at pace
That made a night race
'Twlxt an ogre of fame and phantom winged WINDS
With a cyclones rush, yet with scarcely a Jar.
Down the run" she few with her thirteen cars.
Her driving wheels looking Ike Dillion-rayed stars
snrriug on DER the ground with loud drumming
bounds
Ran this Iuetal-muscled and stcam-drinkins hound.
Al every crossing ner chostiy bell
Changed sharply once Ike dirEe or a knell,
And her shaggy smoke like a gOrson's mane
Curled Oh throuSa the air, or enveoped the train
Like it. roar.
When the fireman opened the hre-boN door
A crimson zone leapel from that flaming lair
Through the fros.y depths OF the boredl ar
With cnasdy glare,
Which danced through the moough: and ran with tie
train
But TO crouch wneu the furnace was closed again.
On she flushed dashed and crashed through open and
wood
On she swihed with swift swrls past the houses that
stood
Apart in sun fields or close clustereiin towns.
Into novels and 'nslons through switches and gates
Her noarse whistle snreked ienGisn yells Ike the
Hates.
While hot c.nders fell down
From asDpan aud stack
Back along the steel track,
IL blazing red road. Ike a hre-path IN he'll
With hand on thelever. her brave engineer
Poered into the night
Through the dancing arc OF her yeho" he1d'hsAt
Every muscle alert
With vigilant untroabed by fear,
To make up his time without nishaps or hurt
lie AT last struck the curve the e Leaning Oak,
Had just leaned out. prou lily pstting her cab,
70 whisper you 1rt!"
Had Just SAID to his fireman. Jack, she's no crap
When axle broke
on her forward truck
shc reeed for . second as II che were struck,
Then began to thnmp,
And TO bump. hump and jump
over the live oak tea. as If they we're stumps-
pocne SET the air brakes he reversed gave hcr steam
Then grasping her throttle
As drunkard a bottle
And his hand were Vice
Saw below him the river
Half hlied with foe Ice.
How her speed send. her smashing over the ties
Will she never stopi How she snakes AMI shi vera!
How every inch of his train seems 10 culver!
mol a glance back tells him each car runs as stu
Asst did on the upward side o&the hill
Goodl Only the engine is of W track
But she's of tho right! Great God that's the side
Where the deep iced river rideA
~Here Jackl cno this tauk! Quick as nell ms1, get
back,
Aud pull that pin
When reverse again.
or when she goes over she'll pull 'em all IN"
Stumbling over the wood. clamberng over COAL
As the engine linpel, then STAGGERED now rolled
Jack Ford pulled the pin. just as 80" lunsed
Down into the stream with a hssing plunge
But there stood as still as II stopped
AT .ome signal switch when a red lights dropped.
The fireman stood on the baggage car step
Peerng INTO the stream
Where the engine leapt,
As we fxedy stare In some acbing dream
What is that creeps slowly over the tank
From the half frozen hoodf
Then crawls like a worm up the stony bank
Tia the on gneer covered with ice while his blood
Flows fast through a cruel gash In his head,
That Is horribly red.
But his great. steadfast soul, supreme TIL 1t fed
Ilumined the blood as he whispered. Jack.
"Get rel .ht somewhere: quick. run up the track
"Think-the east bound exprcss-i'm all right hurry
back"
As the two expresses stood nose to nose,
Deene lay down between them In frozen clothes
He had saved two trains
And baDes. fair maidens fond mothers. strong men,
Rode unchiiled by the food
Slept unwounded OF blood
When the Omnipotent Ken
Scans eternity's realms TO give crowns to true men,.
And the angel OF records calls Deene, engncer"
Can you doub; that then
He will answer there as lie did at the oak
When the axle broke
lam here" G. Il BLANCHARD.