Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-23
A STORY OF the RAIL
How Brave boy Rlsked His Life to Save
y Passenger Train.

How Brave BOY Rlsked His Life to Saws
Passenger Train.
A few weeks ago there passed away
an old man of three-score or more, who
had led a quiet and apparently unevent-
full life. From little before his mid
die age he had been followerof rail-
road work. and for years before his
death well-known member of the
''foot-board" coterie. or, as is more
commonly called; locomotive on
gineer. Some fifteen years ago an oc-
currence took place in his life that may
have changed its whole current.
One stormy. snowy night in Decem-
Der freight train accident occurred
through the breaking of . car-axle.
The scene Of the accident was on .
portion of the road very crooked. The
wreckers had been called out, and with
them the young telegraph boy, whose
duty it was to climb q telegraph-pole,
make the necessary attachments with
wires, clamps, ETC., and to assist in the
working OF other trains past the OBJ
struction. This boy was intrnsted with
the important task of opening and
operating an additional office. Sitting
on an impromptu chair. built of fence
rails and stones, at the foot of the tele-
graph pole, his duty was to stop all
trains coming toward the obstruction
and hold them until one of the tracks
had been cleared. 1t was on q Satur-
day night, and but few trains-save
the regular night express-were run
ming. Clothed with unusual response
bility. the lad sat through a terrible
binding snow and sleet-storm, hour
after hour, no shelter and no company
save the constant tick of the little in
strument,,th held him in communica-
ton with the outer world.
One o'clock has come. The night
express should be there. Orders have
come from the wreck: 'Hold the ex-
press at all hazards" A glance at the
watch tells the boy that he must take
his lamps and meet the express as far
above as possible. There were no air
brakes IN those days. A heavy. bind
ing. cherries fog has settled down
like thick cover over deep cut in the
rocks. The snow from above was still
coming down in sheets. Flowing his
way through the wet snow over the
uneven surface of rails and ties went
the boy in the direction of the express,
whose faint rumble could first he felt,
then family heard. Planting himself
firmly between the rails, the boy stood.
lamp in each hand, waiting to swing
at the first burst of the headlight
through the fog. Nearer and closer
came the heavy train. One second,
two. three, and the headlight COM
mences to tighten up the banks and
rocks of the curve. The fog lifts, the
light CLEANS on the wet, shining rails.
Swing goes the red lamp as the blind
ing glare of the powerful headlight
shoots into sight at the upper end of
the curve. Faster swings the red light.
No answering blast of the whistle. The
red light is on desperate, almost de-
spairing swing. No answer yet. The
boy leaps over the outer rail into the
ditch alongside, posing himself as he
jumps, and as the great glaring mon
ster is upon him his right arm puts an
almost superhuman force into the last
swing, the lamp leaves his hand, and
with crash goes through the little
glass door in front of the engines cab,
right into the face of our old friend the
engineer.
The lad sank back into the rocky
assures of the cut, the train rushes by
him harmlessly, but with a terrible
shrek of the whistle. The old chain
brake snaps like an overstrained mus
Gle and away rushes the express past
that clicking instrument, on, on, into |
the darkness, out of hearing and be- |
yond recall. Slowly and YEARLY the |
boy plods his way over the ties to his
post at the instrument, bordering over |
his unheeded efforts and the result
''Hold the express at all hazardss"-
and where was that express? There,
with his trembling fingers upon the key
Of the instrument, he sat trying to tell |
his superior officer at the wreck that |
his efforts to hold the express had |
failed. This he did without telling of the
fate of that red light. Voices are pres
emily heard through the darkness, and
ere long the swaying of several lighted
lanterns is to be seen as they come
from the direction of the lost train.
A few seconds later the eager, peering
faces of the trainmen appear. and the
BOY recognizes the familiar faces of the
conductor and brakeman of the ex-
press. The train had stopped, but only
1 few yards away from the wreck.
and the men had come back to pick
Up the operator, whom they sup
posed was mangled and dead in
he curve above. The engineer, they
say, had been badly hurt by some of
he broken brake-chain. The boy
s grateful and happy because it
s no worse. In a minute or so the en-
old friend-makes his APP
,earance. Face covered with blood,
which he had vainly tried to wipe away
With punches of greasy waste; a long
,ut just under the roots of the hair told
where he had been hurt. Throwing his
rms about the brave boys neck he
whispered through his sobs of Joy, as
he tears trickled down his blood-cov-
red cheeks:
&" l was asleep and you risked your
life to save US all. Thank God, you
brew 1t straight and true. will be
iifferent man from TONIGHT