The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-21
RAILROAD STORIES.


l Elrm{U<H4M A&t.
You ask If have ever had an adj
vantage on the railroad that would be
interesting 10 the readers Of the Age.
/ could wish you had left the question
iunasked, for IL calls up an occurrence
that for fifteen long years have been
doing my best 70 forget
The engineer who made this remark
is one of the oldest engineers running
Into Birmingham. His train had Just
pulled into the Union depot and the
reporter had mounted the enigma,
which was being leisurely run into the
round house The engineer was attired
in the rough garments common to the
guild while on duty. Underneath the
itight-fitting cap perched on his head
could be seen plentiful sprinkling of
gray hairs, betokening the decline OF
life.
| II would like to hear the story"
insinuated the reporter, as he seated
himself in the cab and drew out his
note book and pencil. the time-honcred
though chestnutty earmarks OF his
profession.
We'll. you shall have it. although it
| i something I wonld willingly forget.
But it seems impossible. Fifteen wears
| ago I was running on the East Ten
nessee road, between Knoxville and
| Chattanooga. The scenery between
these two points is grand in places,
the mountains being in sight nearly
| the entire distance. had left Knox
vile an hour late one afternoon in
November, and at London the tele-
graph operator handed me an order to
make up the lost time, as there was q
large Southern excursion on board
| who wanted to make connection at
Chattanooga for Atlanta had always
been ranked as one OF the coolest men
on the road, as a man who never got
excited. and once ran over burning
trestle without a muscle changing.
| Yet this afternoon | was strangely
nervous. For the FIRST time in my
| life | discovered | had nerves.
"'Jaek, said 10 the fireman, i am
all in tremor. | am not supersti-
| tious, but | feel as il something was
going to happen
Jack burst into loud guffaw.
Why. Cap'n, you nervous; that is too
good, and he laughed again.
said nothing else, but the uncom-
Portable feeling continued | did not
know it at the time, but ] have since
found out that even the iron nerves OF
an engineer must break some time.
Jack, in the meantime, was piling up
coal in the furnace. Cap'n, you are
cold, he remarked after a few min
utes' intermission. Wen have bet |
ter fire, and well be in Chattanooga in
1.-THE grim November twilight hung
over the earth like a pail. We had
passed Athens, and with only fifty-six |
miles to go to reach our destination. |
For the first time since mounted an
engine / longed for the trip. l was
looking straight ahead, where the iron |
bands far down the track seem to unite |
into a single rail, when | was startled
by an exclamation from Jack. |
Cap'n,' he screamed, look there my |
God, look theren pointing with tremb- |
ling hand to the east, where, in the dis |
lance, the mountains doomed up grim |
and bare in their awful grandeur. The |
look of horror on the poor fellows face |
messed as | quickly turned my eyes to |
the east was enough TO freeze the warm |
blood which courses through your |
veins, for there, above the mountain |
tops, with a terrible distiuctness, sailed |
phantom engine drawing phantom
train. The puffs of smoke came reg
ularly from the engine. l could see |
the glaring headlight. the lights in the |
coaches, all as plain as if the train was
running on the side track by us. l |
stood there watching the strange |
sight too amazed to utter a word, how
long cannot say, but suddenly it dis |
appeared, and | was recalled to myself |
by several jerks at the bell rope made
- -. lie conductor. ! looked out and
saw that we were at Cleveland.
What's the matter with your"
asked the conductor, coming TO the |
engine. What do you mean by try
ing to run by Cleveland that way? |
Why man you look as ii you had seen |
a ghost" he added after moment. |
catching glimpse of my face. / |
looked at my watch and saw that ii |
was exactly O'Clock We had made |
up half an hour, and we pulled into |
Chattanooga an hour later, only few |
minutes behind time. From the time |
of the appearance of the apparation |
to the time We pulled into the round |
house at Chattanooga Jack had not |
spoken n word, but there was fixed |
look on his face | did not like. The !
affair was not discussed between us. |
Jack was strangely taciturn, and, to |
tell the truth, | did not feel inclined |
TO talk about the strange sight seen in |
the clouds.
There is not great deal more to |
tell. The run to Knoxville next day |
was made without anything occurring |
worthy OF comment, bat on the re- |
turn trip to Chattanooga on Friday, |
two days after we had seen the appa- |
rition, at 5:57 in the afternoon, and |
two miles east of Cleveland. a wild |
! freight Numbered into us. | saw it |
too late 10 do any good, but | reversed |
my engine and then-jumped. | hap
pened to jump on the right side and |
escaped with broken finger. But |
Jack, poor boy, had chosen the wrong |
side and the immense locomotive |
crushed him to a jelly. / believe that |
the accident happened AT the very spot |
where Jack first saw the phantom en- |
CINE and al the very minute, although |
two DAYS later. Poor Jack, the dis |
coyerer of that wonderful sight, the |
warning was evidently intended for |
him.
Il did not make another run on that !
fAted line. | asked to be excused |
from duty pending the investigation |
made hy officials into the accident. |
and on the day the investigation was |
concluded and was eXonerated from |
blame. walked into the superiniend- |
eni'S Office and asked for my time.
You needn't feel badly about that |
| accident, remarked the superintend- !
ent kindly.
81 don't. replied, but my nerves
are shattered, and want TO change |
my location
II saw 3 smile on the superintend- |
ent's face as | mentioned nv nerves. |
| bat he gave me my time without a /
word ! spent five years in the Rock
| les IN the vain attempt TO drive that I
/ picture from my mind. Finally (
came back East. bat the Photographic /
camera could not fix an object more 1
firmly than did the phantom engine |
in the mountains o. Tennessee fix /
| itself in my memory. / ana only IS 1
now, bnt you can see how gray | am. /
My hair was not turned white in a 4
single night, as the novelists tell. bat 4
IN a few months after the occurrence !
the change was effected. as used TO I
think and worry over 1t a good deal. !
and thai, too. when | was only thirty 4
years of age
For some minutes the engine had 1
been standing still in the yard. bat the l
reporter did not notice when il
stopped, 50 thrilling was the veteran
A. ~