Evening journal., 1889-08-20
ONE CENT.
A WILD ENGINES FROLIC.
A Runaway Locomotive Stirs
Up the Natives.
THROUGH TUNNELS AND STREETS

Engineer Flickinger's Strange Act May
Have Saved Many Lives-Career of the
Runaway Iron Horse-End of Its Re-
markabIe Lease Of Freedom.
BALTIMORE, Aug. 2O.-At about a m
locomotive No SO Of the Northern Central
railway, which is large and heavy engine
used as a shifter, stood on one Of the tracks
just beyond Lafayette station on the north
western outskirts of the city Engineer Ben
Flickinger whose hair has become silvered
in the employ Of the company sat in the cab,
with one hand ON the throttle About 1OC
yards above the station the rails divide, one
pair making sharp curve to the left. The
fast Philadelphia express comes around this
curve at a few minutes after every morn
ing at pretty rapid clip. By an error ON
some ones part No So was standing directly
in front and not hundred yards away from
the headlight of the Philadelphia train when
it swung around the curve.
Both Jumped for Life.
Engineer Flickinger took in the situation
at glance There was no time to get out OF
the way except by going in the same direc-
tion as the express, and going very fast. The
shifting engine was facing west and the ex-
press was coming east, Eager to avoid a
smash up and possible loss of life, the engi-
neer told Fireman Cox 20 jump from the en-
gine. Then he pulled the throttle tine reverse
way and took flying leap, and backward
the engine flew toward the mouth of the tun-
mel at Fulton station. Flickinger made the
jump in safety and No IS started down the
track az tremendous clip, with the Philar
delphiR flyer close behind
The Wild Engines wild Run.
With full head of steam on. and not a
hand 70 offer restraint, No. KS as though ex
ultant in its unwonted freedom, began her
race with a defiant roar and rumble and ut
ter disregard for consequences. IL usually
requires four and "a half minutes for an or
dinary train 10 get through the first Of tn
three sections of the long tunnels between
Lafayette and Union stations, but 81 made
the distance in about thirty seconds Then
it shot into the yawning mouth Of No. 2 sec
ton, and all that the amazed track walker
bcheld was a cloud of inky smoke, picked out
with flaming sparks.
When the aying mass of quivering iron.
steam and noise flashed out Of the last Of the
tunnels and into that bewildering network OF
tracks just beyond Union station. the spec
tacle was, 70 say the least, unique, From the
smokestack poured clouds of dark smoke,
from every valve and escape pipe hissed jets
of steam. The furnace doors were swung aiaK
by the tremendous momentum, and the slum-
bering fires were famed to a white heat and
were sending forth tongues OF flame.
A Stampede on the street.
The engine stuck 70 the track and flashed
through Union station Just as passengers were
getting into the nine car vestibule train
about to 90 20 New York. The passengers
were streaming through the station gates
and climbing up tine platforms Of their train,
when suddenly they heard a roar like that Of
thunder Then they beheld black mass
belching forth steam and smoke, and then
nothing but an echo of that self same roar
and the lingering smoke were left
II required but the fraction of a minute
for the runaway to swing over the bridge
3 that spans Jones' Falls The rails led her
toward Calvert station In front, and
just beyond the last sharp curve in her jour
ney loomed up the depot. The rails pas
along North street 10 Centre, one of the
busiest thoroughfares in the city. As ths
wild engine dashed along, vehicles ON tbs
@ line made for the pavement and for time
there was a regular stampede
i The One Level Headed Man.
2 The man who kept his wits about him wa.
the switehman at Centre street. lie saw
that the engine was running wild, and h'
opened the switch, which sent the iron mon
a ster into lot of empty cars which faced the
{ big meat house OF Nelson, Morris a Co.
agents for Armour q Co In a twinklina
the locomotive and cars shot into the side OF
the warehouse, and there was a tremendous
Is report and a sound of cracking timbers, Of
/, falling bricks and escaping steam.
: A Battering Ram Was Nowhere.
{ When the frightened visitors rushed into
7 the yard an astonishing sight met their gaze
7 A big ragged hole had been knocked in ths
e massive wall Of the Nelson, Morris & Co
Z building The front end Of the car neares
4 the wall telescoped the rear end OF the for
4 ward car. No. 80 lay all tangled and twisted
e as completely wrecked as though she has
I passed under a steam hammer The rea
a truck, which had suffered the brunt Of tn
Z. tremendous collision, lay fully twenty fee
away from the body Of the tender, whiel
| WINS iafnnlaI into tha Front mort ~ nor. rIl