The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-05-19

whose face was as white as snow, ran along
side, and called to me:
There's a wild engine behind you for
heav-"
He ran back to the conductor, and in ten
seconds that official rushed up and shouted
TO me:
It's runaway engine; pull out at oncer'
He yelled, "All aboard!" sprang for the
steps of a ca, and awav he went, some of
the people getting off or on being flung
down as they jostled each other. After we
left the station where the freight was side
tracked a brakeman ran down the track to
open the switch. AS he did so Roby
mounted the engine with cooked
revolver in hand and drove the engineer and
fireman of. He had previously uncoupled
her from the train without being detected.
he ran the engine out on the main line and
half mile beyond. Then he filed up the
fire box, saw that she had plenty OF water.
pulled the throttle wide open, and jumped
OIL. That is how we came to have a runaway
engine behind Us. AS soon as the engineer
was driven from the cab he ran into the
station and informed the operator, and about
the time the runaway started of we got the
news. We were about six miles ahead of
her. That meant about six minutes.
When l pulled out | supposed the pro-
gramme was for some of the station folks to
run down and open the switch so that the
runaway would be ditched, but it appeared
that the agent was so dreadfully ratified that
he did not attempt this step until too laie.
The switch was forty rods from the station,
and just as an employe reached it the runa.
way came roaring past. My next stop was
ten miles distant. / reasoned it out in
about a minute that if the runaway was
ditched the fact would be telegraphed
ahead. If she wasn't, that fact would
also be clicked over the wires, and
| would get some sign or signal as we passed.
If she was following us there would be no
time to switch in, and my hair stood up az
the idea of trying to outrun her. l made
the ten miles in twelve minutes and half
A mile away began footing the whistle,
and as we neared the station, still flying, /
leaned out to look for the agent, He was on
the platform. If he held up his hand 1
would stop. But he did not. On the con-
trary, he waved his arm down the line for
me to keep on, and l knew that we were in
for it. The runaway could not be over three
minutes behind, and there would not be
time TO turn her in on the siding here.
The next stop was eleven miles away, and
it was good place TO track Little by little
L gave her more steam, and after the first
mile knew that we were Keeling off mile
every minute. There was train enough to
hold us steady, and the track was straight,
and but for the awful roar it would have
been easy TO imagine that we were flying.
Inc agent anead would let me know by sig
nal, as the other had done. He was on the
platform, with a great crowd behind him,
and he mOtioned me on. The runaway was
still after u.s. She must have gained some.
but how much could not say. 1t was eight
miles and a half TO the next station, and |
could not do better than forty-fve 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 got the signal on the bell rope to stop,
and as soon as had slowed down a little a
brakeman came over the tender with instruc-
tions to stop at the station.
The conductor, knowing that we could not
outrun the wild engine, and that there was
no show to ditch her, could think of but one
plan to save the train. He called the pas
sengers from the rear coach and cast it off
This was on the eleven-mile run, and the
coach had about two minutes to lose its mo.
meDtum before the runaway struck it. The
pilot ran under the platform, the end OF the
coach was lifted up, and next moment en-
CINE 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.