Connecticut western news., 1888-01-25


 each other, and fast asleep or dead. At that same moment the passenger train on the other roal whistled for the crossing.
 q am telling you, sir, that lived a year for every minute in the next five or six. knew very little about an engine, though had seen how they were re- versed and how the throttle was worked. If anything was done must do it, and do it quickly. Why I did not pull ahead I do not know. It struck me that I must back up, and flung over the bar, gave her steam, and she began to move. The steam had-1aa dayn, and we moved at snairs pee, and even when l 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 thesfoar of the passenger train, aud knerr that every second was hastening a terrible calamity, but did not leave the engine. Back l! backl backl we crawlcd, and of sud- den great light flashed in my eyes, there was a crash, and I saw cars mov- ing in front of rue and disappearing into the darkness. What had happencd2 We'll, had backed the freight until the locomotive of the passenger train only carried away the pilot as it crossed our line. That was ai1 the damage done, and no passenger had suspicion of his narrow escape from an awful smash-up.
 "When the train had disappeared and I could realize the situation, I began to investigate. ran back to the caboose but no one was to be found. shouted and screamed, but soon found that I was all alone. Then, climbing back into the cab, I sought to arouse the en- gineer and his fireman. Dead9 No. Drunk as two Lords! Yes, sir They were drinking men, though the 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 deviltry had suddenly pulled out and left all the train crew behind. Tho conductor could not readily find the station agent, and when he did rout him out and get him to the office I was out of mine and did not answer hls call. The two men had let the steam go down, and the train had crawled down to the crossing and been stopped where I 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. I 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 into the papers they were allowed to skip.
 'It was with this same night freight I had startling adventure the next summer. had gone to bed and to sleep before it came in. It was exactly 11.5O, as shown by the clock, when I got call on the, instrument, and as sprang out of bed 1 heard the operator at K, station eighteen miles be- low me, clicking off, For Gods sake stop and side track No. 9! There's a runaway engine coming up the line' I got this by ear, you understand, and I gave him an %. K.' as soon as he was done. In three minutes I was out doors aud had my 'Danger-S.opp signal set for the first time in months, and as 1 started down the track with my lantern could hear the rumble of No. as she crossed the bridge three miles above She was on time and booming right along, lut it was clear and the red light would stop her.
 '1 should have told you that there were two tracks in front of the station. One was the main track, of course, and the other long siding, with switch at either end. No. g had the right of way at night, and, instead of side-track- ing her, I proposed to switch off the runaway. I went down over the ties as hard as I could run, and just as I reached the switch I heard No. g blow for my station. While was un- locking the switch, the engineer called for brakes, and then I knew he had seen the light and would stop. I pulled the bar over, and then picked up my lantern and ran back, reaching the sta tion just as the heavy freight was coming to stands till. My purpose was to run down and open the other switch, and thus let the runaway out on the main track again, to run until her steam went down, but had scarcely moved hundred feet when I heard her coming. It was then too late, and I stood On the platform to see her go past. She was truly runaway. Sho had broken away from the accommod ation train, which came no further up than G., and was coming up with full head of steam and everything roaring. There was gross carelessness in bringing about this accident, Lut it was covered up and kept out of print. We could hear the runaway mile of, and we could locate her as she came through the woods by the shower of sparks flying from her