The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-08-18

on the end of tie just the other side
of the Rogue bridge. Twas coming up
from Toledo, my regular run, and was
trying to make up fifteen minutes time
which we lost in leaving Toledo. There
was a fifteen-mile stretch between here
and Wyandotte In which we did not
have to make stop and the boys used
to call it the race course. Well, was
booming over the race course at about
forty miles an hour. When saw this
man, / blew the whistle and noticed
that he looked around at US. Now,
when man looks at my engine / never
pay any more attention to him as 1t
may be presumed that most Of man
kind have enough gumption to leave
the track and allow a locomotive to
pass BY without trying to modest it.
As we neared the bridge, which was at
the end of a curve, noticed the fellow
still sitting there and remarked to my
fireman that / did not think he was
quite clear. blew again. just as we
rushed upon him what do you suppose
he did? The - fool threw himself
| backwards over the rail. Great God
that was all l had time to think Of.
You gentlemen, who may never have
been on a locomotive under those cir
cumstances can not understand the
horror Of the sight. But he was not
killed-how did he escape? The heel
of the pilot struck him and the next
instant he was flying down into the
swamp. We were going at such high
speed that think it was three-fourths
of u mile before we came to stop.
backed up and the fellow had crawled
out of the mud and water and taken a
seat on the other side of the track. l
thought he was killed, you know. l
suppose he was going to try it again
with the next train. We loaded him
into a baggage car and brought him to
town. He let on that he could speak
German only, and we could not get
much out of him. There wasn't, though,
a scratch on him.
IA year or so afterward," the Alder
man went on as his auditors drew a
sigh of relief, "a man walked up to my
engine, down at Brush street depot,
just as was about to pull out. / was
down on the ground looking the old
machine over to see that every thing
was all right. ag
How dor he said.
"How are you, SIR" replied. He
was dressed in policeman's uniform.
didn't know him from Adam.
know me?" he gently inquired.
II do not" said, you have the best
of me-
"Well, I know you," he said, as he
walked up to the pilot and STOPPING
down looked at it intently.
"Well." said.
This is the engine that came neal
killing me-cutting my head of. This il
the spot, guess. which struck me-" and
he pointed to the heel of the pilot.
Recollection of the incident ther
flashed on me, and we had q talk about
it. He said he did not have the hear
to return to his family, and sat dowr
there, having made up his mind Il
throw himself under the first trair
that came along. He got start, some
how, braced up, reunited with hi
family and is now doing well and il
happy. But he had close call, boys
the closest l ever saw. The tear
came into the policeman's eyes as h
stopped down and looked at the wheels
But old 235 never committed murdel
as long as had hold of her throttle.
"Were you ever in collision?" in
quired one.
mot quite" responded the enginee
Alderman, ''but I was once 80 might,
close to it that measured the distanc
between me and the spot where
thought should die. 1t is terrible
riding over the track with another en-
! CINE and death staring one in the fac
a few yards ahead.
II was running No. 4 out of Toledo,
resumed the speaker proceeding t
Q narrate the experience, ION the da,
when this !. happened. We usual
Q waited at the wagon works for tn
Canada Southern, No. 3, If she was onl
Il few minutes late. but If she wa
!. much overdue we would pull out AMI
. pass her up the road. Beyond tn
wagon works the road takes sharI
and rather long curve, and No. an
l No. ran in opposite directions on th
curve and on the same track. w
l were dead on time that day and mum
Der 9 was no where to be seen or heard
9 An engineer would have been pr
, down as insane il he left the WACO
n works at that time without orders.
+ had careful conductor. receive
: the signal to pull out. The conduct<
y was on the other side Of the train frol