Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-19

A passionate wrthlng wrnchod all her nerves
As she G utched the curves,
Her maddcned wheels shrieked and piercingly
crcaked,
And she tcowled and moaned and howled and
groaned
That the hin was so lorg and so crooked and
steep,
1hat whore she would leap
She must creep;
Kissing white hot steam tnorting black hot
ilame,
on STRUGGLING, yet tagging,
As II she was dragging
Heavy manacling ryves or bal OF shame;
lior hcadli sht el q burned Into tho night,
As some iniuriate monsters might
II chained gainst victim secure in
Thus racked, painting and growing, she reached
OF the summit grade at the summit shop"
Here the schedule said "stop
For water and coal-oil up and inspcct
The trains running gear and look close for
From ms point down on the western
For nineteen mlles-,welyo near the rIvcr's
The track was as straight as railway
TIN l, reached sharp curve near leaning
oak tree.
Here the engineers always raid "Now lot hcr
glide,'
And made up the time
Perhaps lost on the climb.
The signal waa given Retire. cd to a gost
Old "S0' started
Once more TO the west,
And down M, straight spin, called tho "Deyirs
BEING an hour behind,
She sped by springs, rushes and glides at a
That made a night race
| 'TwiNt an ogre of hame and phantom winged
winds,
with cyclones rush, yet with scarcely Jar,
Down tue run" she dew with her thirteen
Her diving wheels looking like million rayod
stars,
sursing on Ger tho ground with loud thrum,
Ran this metal musclod and steam drinking
hound
At every eros, Ing her ghostly bell
| Changed sharply once Ike a Urge or n knell
And her ehtgk smoke, Ike gorgnns name,
Curled on through The air or envelopCd tho
Like It's roar.
When the fireman opened the fire box door
| A crimson zone leaped from that Naming lair
Through the frosty depths Of that boreal air
With ghasily glare,
Which danced through the moonlight and ran
with the train
But TO crOuca when the furnace was closed
again.
ON she nasbod, dashed and crashed through
| open ana wood,
On she wlshod with swift swirls past the
houses that stood
Apart in stlll nods or close clustered In towns
In % hgyelo and mansions, through switches
and gates
|
the Hres
While hot clndors fell down
From hshpan ana stack
Back along the steel track,
In n blazing red road, ike u IRE path In hell
with hand on the lever, her brave engineer
Pccred Into the night
rhrouent dancing arc of her yellow head
light
Every muscle alert
Win yigilant care untroubled by fear
10 mnka nia time Nyithouf miahan OF yr
lie at last struck the curve near The "Leaning
Had just Leaned out. proudly, ps.tting her cab
Had just said TO bis fireman, "Jack, she's no
crab"
When an axle broke
| ON her forward truck
! She reeled for q second az II she was struck,
Then b, gan TO hump,
| And 70 bump, hump and jump
Over the live. oak tea. as II they were Htumps.
Deene set the air brakcsi he reversodi gave
steam
Then grasping her throttle
As o drunkaTd a bottle
And his baud were wise
Saw be Ow him the river,
Half filled with doe Ice.
How her speed sends her smashing on over tho
tIeHi
wnl shc never stop? How she shakes and
How every inch OF his train seems to quiveri
No glance back tells him each car runs as
As It did on The upward side OF the hill.
food Only the engine Is of the track
But she's OF 10 the right Great God, that's
vi" W her. The decn.,coa ,,vcr rides
Here, Jack, climb this tank Quick as he'll,
man, get hack
And pull that pin
When rover g again,
Or when she goes over she'i pull en- all in"
stumbling over the wood. clamboring over
AS the engine lImped. then staggered, now
Jack Ford pulled HE pin, jast as "s9" lungcd
Down to the steam with kissing
But there stoo6 the cars as still as II stopped
AT some signal switch wIen red nghvs
dropped.
The fireman q % on the bsggags car step
L. eTIng into the stream
Where the engine leapt.
AZ we nxedy stare IN some aching dream.
What is mat ereeps eigwly over the tank
Then crawls like worm up the stony bank!
IT'S the engineer covered with Toe, while bis
biood
Flows fast through a cruel cash In his head,
That IL horri lly red.
But his grea', steadfast soul, supreme til IL
Illuminated the blood as he whispered, "Jack.
Get red light 500 ewhere; quict, run up the
Think-thc east bound express-i'm all right
AZ the two expresses stood nose 70 nose,
Deene lay down between them, IN frozen
He had saved two trains
And babes, fair maidens, fond mothers strong
Rode unchilled by the aood,
slept unwoundsd Of blood
When The omnipotent Ken
Scans eteTniiy's realms 10 give crowns TO true
And ise angel Of records calls Deene, en-.
BlhtnI .,...