The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-07
Observation-Disclosures
GOOD RAILROAD STORIES MADE
UP FROM ALL AROUND.

The Phantom Train in the Clouds That
Experience That Left an Engineer
Without Nerve.
From the Birmingham Age.
"You ask if l have ever had an adven-
ture on the railroad that would be interest
ing to the readers of the Age. could wish
you had left that question unasked, for it
calls up an occurrence that for fifteen long
years / have been doing my best to forget"
The engineer who made this mark is one
of the oldest engineers running into Biz
mngham. His train had just pulled into
the union depot and the reporter had
mounted the engine, which was being lei
surely run into the round house. The engi-
neer was attired in the rough garments
common TO the guild while on duty. Under
meath the tight-ftting cap perched on his
head could be seen plentiful sprinkling of
gray hairs, betokening the decline of life
81 would like to hear the story insnu-
ated the reporter, as he seated himself in
The cab and drew out his note book and
pencil, the time-honored though chestnutty
earmarks of his profession.
"Wen, you shall have it, although it is
seems impossible. Fifteen years ago l was
running on the East Tennessee road, be-
tween Knoxville and Chattanooga The
scenery between these two points is grand
in places, the mountains being in sight
nearly the entire distance. Ihad left Knox
vile an hour late one afternoon in Novem-
Der, and at London the telegraph operator
handed me an order to make up the lost
time, as there was large southern excur-
sion on board who wanted TO make connec-
ton at Chattanooga for Atlanta. | had
always been ranked as one of the coolest
men on the read, as man who never got
excited, and once ran over a burning
trestle without muscle changing. Yet
this afternoon | was strangely nervous.
For the first time in my life l discovered |
had nerves
Jack, said to the fireman, Il am all
in tremor. | am not superstitious, but |
feel as if something was going to happen
Jack burst into loud guffaw. Why,
cap'n, you nervous; that is too good, and
he laughed again.
II said nothing else, but the uncomfort-
able 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 t1e furnace. 'Cap'n,
you are cold,' he remarked, after a few
minutes intermission. Wen havea better
fire, and Wen be in Chattanooga in jiffy'
''The grim November twilight hung over
the earth like pail. We had passed Athens,
and with only fifty-six miles to go to reach
our destination. For the firit time since |
mounted an engine longed for the trip, |
was looking straight ahead, where the iron
bands far down the track seem to unite into
a single rail, when | was startled by an ex-
clamation from Jack. 'Cap'n,' he screamed,
'look therei my God look therer pointing
han RI IA ubor in,
the distance the mountains doomed up grim
and hare in their awful grandeur
The look of horror on the poor
fellows face was indescribable
But the sight | witnessed 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 distinct
ness, sailed phantom engine drawing a
phantom train. The puffs of smoke came
regularly from the engine. | 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. | stood there watch
ing the strange sight too amazed to utter
word, how long | cannot say, but suddenly
it disappeared, and | was recalled to myself
by several jerks at the bell rope made by
the conductor. looked out and saw that
we were at Cleveland.
"'What is the matter with your asked
the conductor, coming to the engine What
do you mean by trying to run by Cleve-
land that way9 Why, man, you look as if
you had seen ghost he added after
moment, catching a glimpse of my face.
looked at my watch and saw that it was ex-
actly 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
md or hot TonI~ hoI
spoken a word, but there was a fixed look
on his face l 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 the next day was
made without anything occurring worthy
of comment; but on the return trip to
Chattanooga on Friday, two days after we
had seen the apparItion, at 5:57 in the after
noon, and two miles east of Cleveland, a
wild freight Numbered into us. | saw it
too late t. do any good, but | reversed my
engine and then-jumped. l happened to
jump on the right side and escaped with a
broken finger. But Jack. poor boy, had
chosen the wrong side, and the immense
locomotive crushed him to jelly. | believe
that the accident happened at the very spot
where Jack first saw the phantom engine,
and at the very minute, although two days
later. Poor Jack. the discoverer of that
wonderful sight, the warning was evidently
intended for him.
81 did not make another run on that fated
line. | asked to be excused from duty
pending the investigation made by officials
into the accident and on the day the in
vestigation was concluded and was exon
Grated from blame, l walked into the
superintendent's Office and asked fer my
time.
"'You needn't feel badly about that ac-
cident,' remarked the superintendent,
kindly.
~ DON'T I replied, but my nerves are
shattered, and | want to change my loca-
tion.'
Il saw smile on the superintendent
face as l mentioned my nerves. but he
gave me my time without word. | spent
five years in the Rockies in the vain attempt
TO drive that picture from my mind
Finally | came back east, but the photo
graphic camera could not fix an object
more firmly than did the phantom engine in
the mountains of Tennessee fix itself in my
memory. l am only 40 now, but you can
see how gray / am. My hair was not turned
white in single night as the novelists
tell, but in a few months after the occur
renee the change was effected. as | used to
think and worry over it a good deal, and
that, too, when was only so years of age"
ba haA hoo.