Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-27
SAVED.

cerning the Fountain of Blood. ."-f Cas-
sells Saturday Journal.
SAVED.
very Thrilling story oS n Runaway
Locomotive.
"Light. Engine 10 passed here at forty
miles an hour; nobody on her.
Such was the telegraph message flashed
over the wire from the operator at Web
ster to the train-dispatcher at Como one
night during the winter of 1883.
The dispatcher's heart leaped to his
throat, but in an instant he had regained
his control. He realized that he must be
cool and self-possessed; human lives
were endangered; by prompt action they
might be saved.
The passenger train from Denver was
due at Webster in five minutes. The
runaway engine was going in an oppo-
site direction down steep grade. A
collision seemed unavoidable. There
was just one hope Of averting it, and the
train-dispatcher clutched at it as the
drowning man will at the smallest object
on the water-the passenger might be
late.
ga, ga, ga" went the telegraph
sounder, calling the operator at Grant,
the next station below. Ii the passen-
ger train had not arrived at that point,
It was the intention of the dispatcher to
have the operator throw the switch and
send the abandoned runaway engine into
the river.
"Ga, ga, ga" called the sounder, but
no response came.
The dispatcher looked at his train
sheet. The last report he had from the
<sasv xxrnc of Div, Gha
was tlIen on time. II nothing had
occurred to delay her, she had already
met the light engine. As the scene
flashed like q vision over the mind Of
the dispatcher he grew sick and faint.
The passenger.train was heavily loaded !;
many lives would be lost. It seemed to
him as he sat there that he could hear
the terrible crash as the two locomotives
met on the heavy grade; he could hear
the shrieks and grosns of the bruised
and manglad passengers, and could see
the mass Of ruined coaches piled high in
the air.
The operator at Grant was evidently
asleep. Hoping against hope, he again
seized the telegraph key and began call
ing the operator at Bailey. "Ba, ba, ba, "
merrily cried the sounder, but no re-
sponse came. Again and again sounded
the call for Bailey, but silence was the
only reply.
IF THE COLLISION COULD NOT BE AvERTED
The next best thing to do was to care for
the victims. The foreman Of the round
house was summoned. A hot engine
was ordered out, the wrecking crew was
aroused from slumber and ordered to re-
port; the company physician and sur
geon with his knives and saws, his lint
and bandsges was ordered to the depot.
/ ready to start the operator ct Webster
announced the startling Information that
the passenger train was coming. A
moment later he announced its arrival
Anybody hurt2"
emo"
"where is light Engine 10?"
"She is here; towed in by the passsn-
ger.~
Ibid they get togsthsrY'
The informstion was as startling as il
was true. How had a frightful collision
been averted? By what interposition q
! Providence had the lives of the passen
gers been saved from an impending
| doom?
With the arrival Of the passenger train
at Como came the sequel.
Light Engine 10, in charge Of Engineer
Jack Hartzell, had orders to run from
Kenosha Summit to Webstsr, regardless
OF the passenger train, which was due
there near midnight. Besides himsel
and his fireman, Roadmaster Dan Kelly
(now a resident of Denver) was in tht
cab. -Four section men we're in the bach
part Of the coal-tank, separated from tht
men in the cab by wooden gate to hole
back the coal. This latter fact was un
known TO the dispatcher,
When half way down the steep noun
tain the engineer lost control of the en-
gine. He applied the reverse lever; M
effect. The speed and water-brske
were set, but the speed was not percepti'
bly, lessened. Some Of the intricate ma
chinery OF the little Mason engine wa
broken, and she was plunging down thl
steep mountain incline and around tn,
sharp curves at rate of speed tina
threatened destruction TO herself ant
death to her occupants.
Engineer Hartzell jumped and LANDED
on the ground uninjured, the fireman
came next, and then the roadmaster. Th
latter escaped with slight bruises,
By this time the section men in the coal
tank began to realize that the engine wa
running at frightful rate of speed, ant
one Of them remarked to his companions
''If Jack is going to run like this am
going to get off," He climbed over int
the cab, only to find 1t deserted. Hi
face blanched, and he was so terror
stricken that for several moments he di'
not move. Then he went back to hi
companions. The engine by this tim
had attained such q velocity that to ai
tempt to get off meant certain death.
ON RUSHED THE ENGINE
Down the steep grade with its fou
frightened occupants, who sat motionles
in the fearful anticipation Of momen
tary collision with the overdue passen
ger train.
Crash
The little engine was motionless. Th
occupants we're unhurt. There was NJ
! jar-could a collision have occurred
One OF the section men leaped to tn
ground. The engine was standing in
! little sag in the track with 100 feet @
upgrade ahead. Some more Of the in
} tricate machinery had broken and ha'
! caused the sudden stop.
The passenger train The though
flashed through the mind Of the sectio
: man, and with promptness born Of Ion
experience he seized q lantern from tn
! signal staff of the engine and starte
{ down the track.
, As he turned the first curve the head
light Of the delayed passenger trai
flashed into sight. The lantern wave
across the track.
"Toot, toot," responded the whistle
and the train came to standstill.
: It was probably the most miraculor
escape ever recorded in the annal Of raj
| roading.