Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-06-21

the whistle until after L had reversed
her. Galloway-Alex. Galloway wa:
No. 9s elgineer-saw me about the
same time | saw him. What he did
don't know; l suppose he did the same
a. l, but this do know, and that is that
when those engines came to a stop the
pilots were, by actual measurement,
Just eight feet apart. Alex. and !
climbed down and shook hands acros;
those eight feet.
| ''Of course | was overdue when We
ran into Detroit" he continued, ''but
it was not until | had looked over my
engine, washed and changed my clothes
thstI began to feel the effects of my
narrow escape. l broke completely
down, and recollect walking into SUI
perintendent Blodgett's office with my
knees so shaky that they would hardly
hold me up"
"Well, said / to Blodgett, you've
heard about it. Am to blame?"
Heard about what?" he said.
90 come. now; know you know all
about 1.-THE narrow escape on the
curve. Am l to blame?"
al don't know"
"I'll take the matter in my own
hands then, Mr.. Blodgett. | resign.
and you must get somebody else to
take out my engine in the morning"
Don't do that. Kellogg" said he,
wait and see before you resign. You
are excited now; you will think differ
emily when YOU are composed"
No. sir" | said, a know what I'm
doing, and mean what | say. l didn't
see any flag out at the wagon works. L
have been on this road a good many
years. Mr.. Biodgett, and if there was q
flag out there and | didn't see it, it is
high time that | should resign before
something serious does happen"
This is a sensible way to talk, Kel-
logg," said he. Now you think this
matter over until morning, then let me
know"
You see if l was to blame" ex-
planned Kellogg aside, Il did not want
togive them an opportunity to discharge
me-"
Il concluded TO investigate myself
said Kellogg, land told the superin-
tendent that / would call at his house
at nine o'clock that night and inform
him of my final decision. He said that
would be satisfactory, and jumped on
a street car in the evening and rode out
to West Detroit to intercept Galloway
on his return to Detroit. Alex showed
up all right and on time, though | could
see that he was still a little shaky."
How is it, Alex?' asked, climbing
into his engine, was the flag outg'
Gle ran into Toledo right after | left,
and would know whether the flag was
out or not.)
No he said, '.Kel, it WASN'T
Il thought not" | said, land that
saves me. Where was Brown"
Brown. the narrator explained. was
the chief train dispatcher of the di-
vision and a very careful and reliable
man. 1t was his duty to have the flag
put out if he wanted No. i TO side-track
for No. 9. He had not done il.
Where was Brown" repeated Alex.
When [ ran in Brown was in dead
faint on the platform and they were
throwing water in his face, which was
as white as Il sheet, trying TO bring
him to-"
Brown was checking off some cars to
make up train. a duty that was then
on dispatchers, and his brain
being mixed up in the combination he
forgot all about Us for the moment and
neglected to send out the flag. In the
meantime | ran In and seeing no tag
the track was clear to the
first siding and pulled out. A moment
after | left Brown rushed out or the
platform and cried.
Where is No. ~"
There she goes around the curve"
was the answer.
Great Cod said Brown and fell in
a dead faint on the platform. He eX-
pected there would be an awful
slaughter in few minutes more. He
was powerless to prevent it and he
knew that No. 9 was on that curve too.
Did you resign"
No. went around and told BlOdg-
TT that | had proved there was no
flag out and would stay
Did Brown resign"
No; but he was laid off for ten days.
hen reinstatei and some OF the work
AIKEN off OF him. An assistant chief
dispatcher was appointed, whose duty
vas to look after the train lists. This
was u concession that Brown had too
much to do. Many accidents on the
'ailroads are due to the overworling
u the emDloves. '-DstrOH Free Press. |