The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-15
A STORY OF THE RAIL
How y Brave BOY Rlsked His Life to Save
Passenger Train.


. Passenger Train.
A few weeks ago there passed away
an old man of three-score or more, who
had led quiet and apparently unevent-
full life. From little before his mid
die age he had been follower of rail-
road work, and for years before his
death a well-known member of tho
'foot-board" coterie, %, as is more
commonly called, locomotive en-
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 a 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 intr',sted 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 Satur-
day night, and but few trains-save
the regular night express-were run
ming. Clothed with unusual RESPONSE
bility, the lad sat through terrible
binding snow and sleet-storm, hour
after hour, no shelter and no company
save the constant tick of the little in
strument.that held him in communities
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 fax
above as possible. There were no air
brakes IN those days. A heavy, bind.
ing, cherries fog has settled down
like a 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 be felt,
then family heard. Planting himself
firmly between the rails, the boy stood
a lamp in each hand, waiting to swing
at the first burst of the headlight
through the fog. Nearer and close1
came the heavy train. One second
two, three, and the headlight com
mences to tighten up the banks ant
rocks of the curve. The fog lifts, tn,
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 o
the curve. Faster swings the red light
No answering blast of the whistle. Tn
red light is on desperate, almost de
spairing swing. No answer yet. TIL
boy leaps over the outer rail into tn
ditch alongside, posing himself as h
jumps, and as the great glazing mon
ster is upon him his right arm puts al
almost superhuman force into the las
swing, the lamp leaves his hand, an
with a crash goes through the littl
glass door in front of the engines cab
right into the face of our old friend tn
engineer.
The lad sank back into the rock,
assures of the cut, the train rushes b.
him harmlessly, but with terribl
shrek of the whistle. The old chain
brake snaps like an overstrained mus
Gle and away rushes the express pas
that clicking instrument, on, on, int
the darkness, out of hearing and be
yond recall. Slowly and YEARLY tn
boy plods his way over the ties to hi
post at the instrument, bordering owe
his unheeded efforts and the result
"Hold the express at all hazards?"-
and where was that expressp There
| with his trembling fingers upon the kc
of the instrument, he sat trying to tel
his superior officer at the wreck tina
his efforts to hold the express ha'
failed. This he did without telling of tn
fate Of that red light. Voices are pres
emily heard through the darkness, an
ere long the swaying of several lighte
lanterns is to be seen as they com
from the direction of the lost train
A few seconds later the eager, perrin
faces of the trainmen appear, and tn
boy recognizes the familiar faces of tn
conductor and brakeman of the eS
press. The train had stopped, but onl
a few yards away from the wreck
and the men had come back 10 pic
up the operator, whom they sur
posed was mangled and dead |
the curve above. The engineer, the
say, had been badly hurt by some {
the broken brake-chain. The DO
is grateful and happy because (
is no worse. In minute or so the er
gineer-our old friend-makes his al
pearance. Face covered with bloo(
which he had vainly tried to wipe ava
with punches of greasy waste; lon
cut just under the roots of the hair tol
where he had been hurt. Throwing h
arms about the brave boys neck /