The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-02
PREMON1T1oNs OF DISASTER.
Railroad Engineers Usually Feel 1t in
Their Bones When Trouble is Ahead.

Railroad Engineers Usually Feel 1t In
Their Bones When Trouble is Ahead.
From the Chicago Tribune
"Most engineers have the power of feeling
in their bones when anything's goin' wrong.
Where do they get that power 'FRONT.' Ex-
perience."
The speaker was one of the veterans at
the Brotherhood headquarters in the Grand
Pacific.
Doesn't this feeling often disappoint
youm he was asked.
mo, never had it go back on me. You
know men have their unlucky spots. One
engineer will have all his trouble at night,
another in foggy weather, another on or
ders, and so on. Now, my dread is high
water. I'd feel easier on fast express on
a dark night with no lights, if the ground
was solid under me, than | am with every
thing else favorable and the ground wet. |
used to pull the Chicago express over the
Big Four road. They had some heavy rains
down among the Southern Indiana hills in
the spring of 1874, and there was where |
learned what my unlucky line was to be.
We got that express generally about 4
o'clock in the afternoon, but one day she
was two hours late and we didn't leave In
dianapolis till full 6 o'clock. Frank Wal
tiers, little black-eyed German, was firing
IOr Inc. FRANK ndu seen u lUlIlDbI VI INC
BOYS killed on the lower end an he was
wonderfully afraid of ghosts. He saw one
every time he looked out the window, an
that night was no exception. | was runnin'
big Hinckly engine and she was spry as
race-horse We had orders to be cautious
on account of the freshet, bat at the same
time had clear track and the temptation
to make up time was strong. | knew the
road an thought | could tell where caution
Il,,A. -
a fine piece of track and | was lettin' her
go for all she was worth. Frank had been
putin in coal and Just climbed up on his
box, when he turned towards me an almost
shrieked in a sort of whisper:
"'Buckp
"'What is it, Frankn SAYS /, laughin' to
myself, for l knew Franks weakness an
that he was going to tell me ghost story.
"'Theres light ahead he says. Il see
it bobbin' up an down an jumpin' every
which away
"'Guess not says l, for l didn't want to
encourage Frank to think about spooks.
Then he climbed down and began to
crack coal Hesdidn't want to look out
When he wasn't watchin me looked ahead
for I'd felt uneasy all the way, and there
sure enough, was light an we were right
on to it, too. | thought saw it pass under
the wheels, but | was using the exhaust and
couldn't see beneath me for the steam.
stopped as quick as l could an, by Jove,
my hair stood on end. We were right at
the edge of big washout, over which the
rails still hung. Two rods further and we
would have had a frightful accident. When
| saw what was ahead went back to learn
what was behind and there, comm thump
in her way down to whore we stood was an
old woman who lived close by in the woods.
She'd seen the roadbed go out before dark
an had come to warn us.
"An' what do you suppose Franks ghost
was? Why. an old tin contrivancs with
lot of small holes punched in it to let out
the light from a little tallow candle. 1t
was tough lantern, but it saved lots of
lives that night, and for its work got the
old lady comfortable living the rest of her
DAVIS u