Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-09


Her office was nothing more than
roughly built shanty, seven or eight feet
square, with small window in each end
and one in the door which faced the rail
road track 1t had been hurriedly put to-
gether with green lumber while the road
was in course of construction, with the in
tention of only using it temporarily until a
better one could be built, but as usual in
such cases, it had done duty for its original
purpose ever since.
The rough, unpainted boards were now
bady warped and shrunken by long expos
ure to the elements, and in many places
large knots had fallen completely out.
No doubt in the winter time the bleak
mountain wind cheerily whistled through
these many apertures, and while one side
of the unhappy operator was being nicely
Drowned like a piece of toast by the red
hot stove, the other side would be refriger-
ated like frozen rabbit.
1t was about l o'clock in the morning
when Lily received an order from the
train dispatcher which read as follows:
To Operator, Flood,oood: Hold No. q until No.
% arrives. E. h. C.
On receipt of this order she Immediately
displayed the red signal light, which is
furnished all telegraph stations for this
purpose, in conspicuous place, in plain
sight of passing trains, and also where it
could be seen from the Office window.
The necessity for this order and position
of the two trains, briefly stated, are as fol-
lows:
No % had arrived at Silver Creek, ten
miles west of Floodwood, few minutes
after No. q had passed Redwood which
was thirteen miles east of Floodwood. AS
No. % was late and could go no further
on the schedule, according to the rules of
the road, they would be compelled to lay
at Silver Creek until No. q arrived there,
unless they could get orders by telegraph
to meet them at some other station. Flood
wood being the only intervening telegraph
office between the two trains, the dispatcher
gave the above order to that station, and
as soon as it was properly acknowledged by
Lily he sent another order to No. % at
Silver Creek, which read in this manner
To Conductor and Engineer No. 22-Meet No.
81 at Floodwood. Approach carefully.
The intelligent reader will readily un-
derstand that by means of these orders the
two trains would meet each other at
Floodwood in perfect safety, notwithstand-
ing that one of them knew nothing of the
arrangement.
To explain: If No. q should arrive
first, they would be stopped by the red
light, which showed that there were or
ders for them at this station. The con-
ductor and engineer would Immediately
proceed to the telegraph Office, where the
oil of+ =
order to hold them for No. 22 This would
% arrived. If No. % should arrive first
the execution of the order would be yet
more simple. No. % would take siding,
and as soon as they would clear Lily
would be at liberty to take down the red
signal lantern, and allow No. q to pass
without stopping. No. % having arrived,
the object OF the order was already full
filled. If both trains should happen to
arrive at the same time, the red signal
would stop No. q, and as No. % had in
structionS to approach carefully" they
would do so, expecting to find No. q oc-
cupying the main track.
Lily perfectly understood the import
ance of the order she had Just received.
and during the long hour which wore
slowly away she kept careful watch of the
signal light, which, however, continued to
burn as brightly as ever. At last she
heard 4 rumbling noise away in the west,
which gradually became louder and louder
and more distinct. By this time she knew
that Ne. % was coming and would prob
ably get in on the siding before No q
should arrive.
The Iumbling became louder and louder
each moment; the earth began to tremble
and the peculiar vibration in the air which
gives warning of a rapidly approaching
train hummed loudly in her ears.
She began to feel anxious as they were
evidently coming at high rate of speed
and not approaching as carefully as their |
not heard the whistle which is always |
sounded by trains when approaching
station, and this omission increased h ,r |
fears that something was wrong.
But she was given no time for further re-
Election, as the train now dashed around a |
curve not hundred yards distant, running
at full speed.
Lily few out and stood between the |
rails swinging her lamp wildly across the
track and shouting at the top of her clear |
young voice. But no attention was paid |
to her signal, the train coming madly on, |
with such rattle and clash that it |
drowned the sound of her voice.
The roaring, rushing train was now
upon her, and she hardly 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 clang,
clank of the car wheels passing over a |
loose splice near by was so rapid that it re-
sembled the rapid hammering on the anvil |
in blacksmith shop.
For moment Lily was unnerved and
bewildered, but suddenly arousing herself
to action she rushed into the Office, and
seizing piece of firebrick that did duty
for stove leg, she turned and hurled it
through the window of the caboose that
was Just passing. An instant later the red
lights on the rear end of the train had
disappeared around curve in the cut, and
the rattle of the runaway tram quickly
lessened in the distance.
Lily's heart throbbed painfully and she
was seized with sudden fit of shivering,
which most persons of delicate organiza-
tions are subject TO when under great ex
element AS soon as she had somewhat
recovered she went into the office, and cali
ing the train dispatcher, who answered at
once, she said:
No. - passed at full speed and No. 81
not yet arrived !"
My God !" telegraphed the dispatcher
as swiftly as his frightened fingers could
form the letters, "the crew must be asleep.
They will strike in that cut and pile up
fifty feet high! Heavens! This is hor
riblew
Lily then went on to explain that she
had attempted to awaken them by throw
ing brick through caboose window, and
on hearing this the dispatcher opened 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.