The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-23
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES.
An Old Engineer Tells of Some OF
His Adventures.
An Unsuccessful Attempt at Suicide by a
Man Now Prosperous-The Closest Pos
sibde Escape From a Terri
bic Collision.

Alderman De Witt c. Kellogg was
not always grocery man, or a politi-
clan, more than he has always been an
Alderman. 1t has only been within
the present year that that Alderman
SHE'D his castori into the political arena.
For twenty years previously he was
one of the most reliable locomotive en-
gineers that ever leaned out of a cab
window and raced over the earth from
town to town, from county to county
and from State to State.
The engineer Alderman sat in the
Council chamber yesterday morning,
entertaining cluster OF his brother
Aldermen with stories of narrow es-
capes during the years he was on the
road. They were intensely interesting,
as the speaker was full of animation
and not at loss for words.
Coming into Detroit, and while ap-
preaching the Grand River avenue
crossing" said he, ''you can see down
the street long way. One day no.
tlced fellow drive slowly toward the
crossing. | footed the whistle to let
him know we were coming, and the
fellow took his whip and touched up
che morse with it. The horse was a
hne-looking animal, young and full of
life, and the buggy new one, alto
gethera very handsome rig. The horse
trotted faster toward the crossing and
we We're pounding along at a good
speed ourselves. As we got closer I
measured the distance and saw that
if both Of us kept up the same gait we
would surely come together on the
crossing. jerked the whistle several
times to warn him; he looked at us
coming, but I'll be hanged if he didn't
touch up the horse again. On we both
raced, and about one hundred feet from
the crossing | saw we were going to
collide without a doubt. 1t was too
late then to stop. just as we dashed
upon the crossing his horse swerved
around, threw the buggy on the track
in front of us, and the next moment
buggy, man and horse were pitched
crashing into. the cattle guard and
ditch. | stopped as soon as 1 could
and backed up. The fellow was just
crawling out of the wreck His face
was as white as his shirt-bosom. The
horse was dead, with a spoke of one
of the wheels sticking through his ribs
The mans hat-a big white one
lodged on the pilot of the locomotive
Ipulled it off and handed it to him.
His hand trembled so that he could
hardly hold it.
Didn't you hear the whistler l
asked him.
eyes he said, but I thought
could beat you across
''Now here is where the rub comes
in. Railroad money seems to be re-
garded as prey for any body who can
get it. A few weeks afterwards gem
tleman called on Superintendent Blodg-
EFT. In case an engineer strikes any
thing he is required to make out a
written report of it, with full partitu-
lars. had done so in this case The
superintendent visitor stated that he
had been struck by Lake Shore train.
his horse killed and his buggy smashed
into kindling wood. Hehimself, fortu-
nately, escaped with his life The
horse and buggy he estimated to be
worth $3.50, and he came to see if he
couldn't get little something from the
company for their loss. He was will
ing to come down to $3.50
"'Did the engineer blow the whistler
asked Blodgett. y
"'No, he did not said the man. 4
can bring half-a-dozen people who will
swear that the whistle was not blown.
1.-The superintendent called a clerk
and sent for my report. He read to the
man his answer to my question as to
whether he heard the whistle or not,
and then the clerk was directed to
show the gentleman how the door
looked on the outside. He went and
the road was sued.
"a man who is now on the police
force here continued Aid. Kellogg,
chad the closest escape from being cut
into mince-meat that ever saw. He
got to drinking, then left his family
and stayed away about year. He