The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-01-19

me. pushed along to the cab, climbed
up, aud found the engineer and fireman
on the floor of the tender, arms around
each other, and fast asleep or dead. At
that same moment the passenger train
on the other road whistled for the
crossing.
81 am telling you, sir, that lived
year for every minute in the next five or
six. knew very little about an engine,
though l had seen how they were re-
vcrsed and how the throttle was worked.
II anything was done must do it, and
doit quickly. Why did not pull ahead l
do not know. 1t struck me that must
back up, and l flung over the bar, gave
her steam, and she began to move. The
steam had run down, and we moved at
snairs psce, and oven when pulled
her wide open, the engine scarcely had
power to back the heavy train. We did
move, however, although it was foot by
foot. I could hear the roar of the
passenger train, and l knew that every
second was fastening terrible calamity,
but did not leave the engine. Back!
back! back! VIC crawled, and of sud-
den a great light flashed in my eyes,
there was a crash, and saw cars NOV
ing in front of me and disappearing into
the darkness. What had happcncd1
Well, 1 had backed the freight until the
locomotive of the passenger train only
carried away the pilot as it crossed our
line. That was all the damage done,
and no passenger had suspicion of his
narrow escape from an awful smash-up.
"Whcn the train had disappeared and
l could realize the situation, l began to
investigate. l ran back to the caboose
but no one was to be found. I shouted
and screamed, but soon found that I
was all alone. Then, climbing back
into the cab, I sought to arouse the en-
ginccr and lis fireman. Dcad2 No.
Drunk as two Lords! Yes, sir. They
were drinking mon, though tho COM
pany did not know it. They had been
taken off another run two weeks before,
and coming down the line on this trip
had brought bottle with them. At
the station above they had reached the
limit, and in their drunken dcviltry had
suddenly pulled out and left all the
train crow behind. Tho conductor
could not readily find the station
agent, and when he did rout
him out and get him to the
Office was out of mine and did not
answer his call. Tho two men had let
the steam 20 down, and the train had
crawled down to the crossing and been
stopped where / found it. The men
were by that time too drunk to stand
up, and had grabbed each other and
rolled on the floor to sleep. l was yet
in the cab trying to kick some sense
into them, when the conductor and his
two brakemen arrived on hand car,
and after getting up steam we got the
train over the crossing to the station.
The two drunkards ought to have been
sent to state prison, but for fear of the
story getting iuto the papers they were
allowed to skip.
'It was with thi, same night freight
I had startling adventure the next
summer I had gone to bed and tc
sleep before it came in. 1t was exactly
1850, as shown by the clock, when
got call on the instrument, and as
sprang out Of bed l heard the operator
at k, a station eighteen miles be-
low me, clicking off, For Gods sake
stop and side track No. 8! There's 6
runaway engine coming up the line!
got this by ear, you understand, and
gave him an %. K as soon as he wa
done. In three minutes was out door
aud had my Danger-Stop! signal Sc
for the first time in months, and as
started down the track with my lanterr
| could hear the rumble of No. 0 as sht
crossed the bridge three miles above
She was on time and booming righ
along, hut it was clear and the red ligh
would stop her.
Il should have told you that ther
, were two tracks in front of the station
One was the main track, of course, ant
the other a long siding, with switcl
J at either end. No. 9 had the right o
} way at night, and, instead of side-track
ing her, proposed to switch Of
, the runaway. l went down over tn
tics as hard as l could run, and just a
/ I reached the switch / heard No.
blow for my station. While was un
: locking the switch, the engineer callet
: for brakes, and then l knew he ha
| seen the light and would stop. pulle
} the bar over, and then picked up m
lantern and ran back, reaching the sta
| ton just rs the heavy freight wa
, coming to a standstill. My purpos
t was to run down and open the othe
, switch, and thus let the runaway ou
, on the main track again, to run unit
i her steam went down, but had scarcel
| moved hundred feet when ! heard he
l coming. 1t was then too late
l and stood on the platforr
@ to sec her go past. Sh
was truly runaway. She had broke
4 away from the accommodation train
c which came no further up than c.
t and was coming up with full head {
, steam and everything roaring. Thcr
, was gross carclessness in bringing abou
t this accident, hut it was covered up an
D kept out of print We cou!d hear tn
runaway a mile off, and we could locat