Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-24
RACING WITH a cLouosuRsT.
Engineer Dsyi, Beat a Sand Creek Flood
by Just seventy seconds.

Engineer Dsvi. Beat a sand Creek Flood
D, Just seventy Seconds.
George Davis Is one OF the Oldest and best
known engineers in Denver He commenced
In 1910 on the old Denver Pacific aud was fir
ing for Ed H0~kins ON old No 30 when the
engine brought the first passenger train TO
Denver In 1910 In 1872 he was given charge
Of an engine, and continued in active service
on that line until recently, wheiwowing 10
sickness he was obliged 90 lay off: but the
company. approaching his valuable services,
have him employed IN the Union depot ex-
aiming train hands as 10 their knowledge of
train rules and duties.
George had the reputation OF being one Of
tho fastest runners on the road. aud on one
occasion, when pulling President Adams car.
speed Indicator In his car indicated seventy
miles an hour Tor "A short distance, but George
thinks the fastest time he ever made was on
the afternoon of July l2. 1873, when he ran
race with n flood ia sand Creek and beat it
by Just seventy seconds George can tell the
story best, however.
1T was during the time we were having so
many foods and the bridge over Sand creek
had been washed out few days before. aud
the track ran down over the sand In the bot
tom Of the creek. which was always dry ex-
gopt when there was u food
I've were an hour late that afternoon aud
when we reached Eaton, forty-eight miles
from Denver we were Just taking water at
the tank when d. B. Keller, who was the
agent at that place then, came rushing out to
me with a message, which read.
Make all possible haste 70 Denver Water
coming down sand creek
Trirhe message was signed 10y Col Fisher,
the superintendent, and knew IL meant get
nj ba I Ia
Iinc going over the track that afternoon
'as caution. We had no airbrakes in those
lays, aud had six stops 20 make, hut were
only lzty-four minutes from Eaton % Sand
creek
When we reached the bank OF the creek
it was nearly dusk, but could see the water
coming only few rods above foaning and
roaring, IA solid wall six feet high full OF tim
bers and wreckage from the Kansas Pacific
bridge fow miles above and | thought at
hrst would not chance IT, but just ~ ! was
about 90 blow for brakes | caught sight Of
Col Fisher on the other side, waving his hat
TO tns 10 come on 40 ! pulled her wide open
and We plunged down IN the hole and wrig-
gled up on the other side Just seventy seconds
before th, water struck the track and wiped
10 out OF existence with "A roar.
81 stopped as quick / could after we got
over. anu II YOU over eAN urllshted set OF
Passengers they were there You see they
didn't know anything about It until We were
down 10 the creek bottom when they saw
the water coming Scaredi Well you can
bet they were They had been uneasy all
the wav from Eaton, and had been coaxing
"a hU-kius-hs was the cOnductor-tO make
me stop running ~ fast, but when we swung
down into the creek bottom at the rnte OF
Hffy ul.-, nu hour they knew something
was up ana when they caught sight Of that
food they saw right away what the matter
was They got oat on the bank and acted
foolish. cheering me- and throwing their hats
IA the air and shasing hands with me- and
saying God bicss v1U and oil that kind Of
thing Oh, We had a hig time there for
while and % was DAYS tsfore we could run
trains arru=s the crres again " - Denver
Natra