Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-02

Of her clear youBg voice. But no atten-
| tion was paid To her signal, the train
coming madly on, with such a rattle and
clash that it drowned the sound Of her
| voice.
The roaring, rushing train was now up
on her and she barely had time to spring
from the track and escape with her life.
With a rafting crash and an awful rush
of air the kissing, throbbing monster
sped swiftly past her, while the clank,
clank, clank OF the car-wheels passing
over loose splice near by was SO rapid
that 1t resembIed the rapid hamm ering on
the anvil in blacksmith shop.
For moment Lilly was unnerved and
bewiIdered, but suddenly arousing her
self to action, she rushed into the Office
and Selling a piece of friedrich that did
duty for a stove-leg, she turned and
hurled it through the window of the ca
boose, which was just passing. An in
slant later the red lights on the rear end
of the train had disappeared around a
curve in the cut, and the rattle of the
runaway train quickly lessened in the
| distance.
Lily's heart throbbed painfully and
she was seized with sudden fit Of SILVER
ing which most persons of delicate organ
| izations are subject to when under great
| excitement. As soon as she had some
! what recovered, she went into the office
and calling the train dis patcher, who an
swered at once, she said:
| No. % passed at fall speed and No. p
not yet atrivedp
"My Godr telegraphed back the dis
| patcher as swiftly as his frightened ipg-
ers could form the letters, "the crew must
| \ mil 49, ~ +L,o o,,T
ard pile up fifty feet high! Heavens,
| this Is horrible!"
| Lily then went on to explain that she
had attempted TO awaken them by throw
ing brick through the caboose window
and on hearing this the dispatcher open
d his key without waiting for her to
finish and said excitedly:
run to the east end of the siding, and
if you see them backing up throw the
switch and let them in on the siding
No. 81 is not due here fer five minutes
and there is a chance for them yet"
Il have no switch key" said Lily.
"Break the lock with hammer, E. rock,
OF any thing" was the quick reply. "Run
A."
Lily seized an old axe that was lying
handy, and, with vague idea that she
might also need the red light, she took it
In her other hand and flew up the track
with the speed of the wind, at the immi-
nent risk of falling and breaking her
neck in the inky darkness.
Oace she stumbled and fell, and the
lantern was dashed from her hand and
went rolling along the ground far beyond
her reach by the sudden impetus which
her fall had given it; bat without pausing
TO regain it she sprang to her feet and
/ wounded on.
The switch at the east end of the sid
ing was fully half mile from the office,
| and about the same distance from the be-
ginning of the cut. If No. % could back
in on the siding in time, they would be
safe; but if they attem pied TO back down
the main track past the telegraph Office,
they were liable to be overtaken by No, q
before going half the distance; as, aocor
ding to the dispatcher's, No. % should
now be very close.
As Lily reached the switch, pair of
cleaning red .lIghts ssuddenly appeared
arOu-d the curve in the cut: and she
knew that the train was already rapidly
backing up, and that she had not mo-
ment to lose.
! Feeling for the lock in the darkness
she then struck it several heavy blows
|
Luckily one of the blows taking effect the
broken lock dropped to the ground. she
then grasped the switch lever and at
| tempted to throw it over, but it resisted
| her utmost efforts to remove it.
The train was now only short dis
| lance away, and with the energy of des-
| pair she placed her feet against the
switch standard, and, putting forth her
strength in one mighty effort, the obsti-
nate lever came over with a sudden jerk
| and No. % glided safely in on the siding.
The shrill scream of whistle was now
| heard in the cut, and as soon as the train
was clear she again exerted all her
strength and threw the switch back into
it's former position.
A headlight now flashed around the
curve and a moment later No. 81 rushed
roaring by.
Lilly, by her bravery, promptness and
presence OF mind, had averted a terrible
calamity.
At the official investigation which took
place few days later, the entire crew of
the runaway train acknowledged that they
we're asleep, and that the coBductor had
been awakened by brick thrown in at
the caboose window.
The only excuse they had for their neg
lect of duty was that they had been on the
road for thirty two consecutive hours
with out sleep or rest, and that they were
completely worn out.
Notwithstanding the fact that the man
agement of the road was responsible for
requiring the men to run this long double
trip, the entire crew were summarily dis
charged for criminal neglect of duty, as
though mans endurance was as an infal-
hble bank, to be grawn on at pleasure!-