Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-22
A WILD ENGINE BEHIND.


had ruu out of Columbus, Ohio, Ten OF
twelve yea $ @g0. and several thing, con.
spred to brin. shout the incident ! am
about TO relate. bad rasre renger run oi
nearly three years had locomotive named
after railroad official, Ben DaI is," and
got to know tha: piece of machioety better
than any man ever knew his borse.
One Of our freight engineers was man
named Gt orge Roby. He came cn to cur
ro. ID from New England, and gave satislac-
ZION for about three months. Then whisky
got The better of him, and he went to the
dogs. One day. after his fireman had
brought the train into Columbus, with Roby
drunk and asleep in the cab, he got his dis
charge. The idea somehow lodged in his
head thai the officials were down on him,
and be swore he would have revenge. One
afternoon he was noticed to he drinking
heavily, at station eighteen miles from
Columbus. | was due there at 7:2S, and it
was two-mnute stop. A mixed fieight
always side. tracked there for us to pass,
and then followed us down the line.
| was there on this special evening on
time, as usual, having baggage, express and
three coaches. IL began TO drizzle just be.
fore we reached the station, and saw that
we were in for dark night and slippery
track. ! did not see Rohy, nor did any one
tell ME lie was there. I noticed that the
freight train was unusually long, and that
it was pnllei by one Of the bigses. engines
on the road We were of on the second.
1t was run of seven miles to the next stop,
anl my schedule was thrty-seven miles an
hour We had not get come to q stapdstill
at the next stop when tho telegraph opera
tor whose lace was as white as snow, ran
alongside aud called TO me: "'rhere's wild
engine behind you.''
He ran back to the conductor, and that
official rushed up and shouted 10 me. TITS
a runaway engine--pull out at once!" He
yelled 'Ail ahoard?" sprang for the steps
Of car, and away we went.
After we lett the station where the freight
was side.trackcd brakeman ran down the
track to open the switch. As he did so
Eoby mounted the engine with revolver in
hand and drove The engineer and fireman
oil. He had previously uucoupied her from
the train without being detected. He ran
the engine out on the main line and half a
mile beyond. Then he file! the ire box,
saw that she had plenty ol water, pulled
the throttle wide cpen, and jumped oil.
That was how we came 10 have Il runaway
engine behind Us. About the time the run
away started of we GOT the news. We
were about six miles ahead of her. That
meant about six minutes.
When pulled on, supposed some ofthe
station folks would run down and open the
switch so that tho runaway would be ditch.
ed, but il appeared that the agent was so
dreadfully ratified that he did not attempt
this step until too late. The switch was
forty rods from the station, and ust as an
employee reached it the runaway came roar
ing past. My next stop was ten miles dis
taut. If the runaway was ditched the fact
would be telegraphed ahead. If she was
following us there would be no time TO
switch in. and 10y hair stood up at the idea
of trying 10 oulrur her. | made the ten
miles in twelve minutes and q half. A mile
away | began footing the whistle, and rs we
neared the station, still flying, leaned out
to look for the agent. He was on the plat
form, aud as he waved his arm down the
line for me to keep on knew that we were
in for it. The runaway could not be over
three minutes behind. aud there would not
be time to turn her in on the siding there.
The next stop was eleven miles away,
and it was good piece Of track. Little by
little | gave her more steam, and after the
first mile knew that we were reeling oil a
mile every minute. There was train enough
to hold rs steady, and the track was
straight, and but for the awful roar it would
have been easy to imagine we were flying.
The ogent ahead was on the platform, with
d great crowd behind him, and he motioned
me on. The runaway must have gained
some, but how much l could not say. 1t
was eight miles and half to the next sta
tion, and I could not do better than forty
five or forty eight miles an hour on the up
grade. The runaway must catch US in the
next six or seven miles. We had gone
about FIVE miles when l got the signal on
the bell rope to stop at the station.
The conductor, knowing that we could
not outrun the wild engine, called the pas
sengers from the rear coach and cast it of,
The pilot Of the wild engine ran under the
platform, the end of the coach was lifted up
and the next moment engine and car were
in the ditch. Neither one of them was ever
repaired, the wreck being too complete
nor did the officers of the law ever succeed
in laying hands on Roby.
ADVICE TO MOTHERS.