Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-01-13
THE PHANTOM TRAIN,
The Easineer's Story Of How Jack Ne
ceivod Notice OF His Death.

"NAtN NOd law IT. kAiNh'A.nAA - -
something l would willingly forget;
but it seems impossible. Fifteen years
ago was running on the East Ten.
neSsee road, between Knoxville and
Chattanooga. The scenery between
these twopoints is grand in places, the
mountains being in sight nearly the
entire distance | had left Knoxville
an hour late one afternoon in Novem-
ber, and at London the telegraph oper-
ator handed me an order TO make up
the lost time, as there was large
southern excursion on board who
wanted 10 make connection at Chatta-
nooga for Atlanta. had always been
ranked as one of the coolest men on
che road, as a man who never got cX-
cited. and ! once ran over burning
trestle without a muscle changing.
Yet this afternoon | was strangely
nervous. For the first time in my life
/ discovered had nerves.
Jack said TO the fireman, 4
am all in tremor. ] am not super
stitious, but ! feel as If something was
going TO happen.
Jack burst into a loud guffaw.
why, cap'n, you nervous; that is too
good" and he laughed again.
Il said nothing else, but the uncom-
Portable feeling continued. | did not
know il at the time. but | have since
found out that even the iron nerves of
an engineer must break some time.
Jack, in the meantime, was piling up
coal in the furnace. 'Cap'n. you are
cold, he remarked after few min
utes' intermisSion. Well have bet
ter tire, and we'll be in Chattanooga
in iiify.
"The grim November twilight hung
over the earth like a pail. We he'd
passed Athens, and with only Efty-six
miles 10 go 10 reach our destination,
For the first time since | mounted an
engine longcd for the trip. was
looking straight ahead, where the iron
bands fnrdown the track seem Ia unite
into single rail, when | was startled
by an exclamation from Jack. Cap'n,'
he screamed, look therel my God,
look there! pointing with trembling
hand TO the east, where in the
distance the mountains loomed up
grim and bare in their awful
grandeur. The look OF horror on
the poor fellows face was indie
scribable. But the sight ! witnessed
rs | quickly turned my eyes 10 the
east was enough to freeze the warm
blood which courses through your
veins, for there, above the mountain
tops, with a terrible distinctneSs. sailed
a phantom engine drawing "a phantom
train. The puts Of smoke came re-
gularly from the engine. could see
the glaring headlight. the lights in
the coaches, all as plain as il the train
was running on the side track by us.
| stood there watching the strange
sight, too amazed to utter word, how
long | cannot say, but suddenly il dis
appeared, and was recalled 10 myself
by several jerks at the bell rope made
by the conductor. | looked out and
saw that we were at Cleveland.
whats the matter with your
asked the conductor. coming 10 the en-
gine. What do you mean by trying
10 run by Cleveland that wayi Why,
man, you look as if you had seen a
ghost, he added aftera moment, catch
ing q glimpse of my face. | looked at
my watch and saw that il was exactly
o'clock. We had made up half an
hour, and we pulled into Chattanooga
an hour later, only few minutes be-
hind time. From the time of the ap-
pearance Of the apparition 10 the time
we pulled into the roundhouSe at Chat
tanooga Jack had not spoken a word,
but there was a fixed look on his face
| did not like. The affair was not dis
cussed between us Jack was strangely
taciturn, and. 10 tell the truth, / did
not feel inclined to talk about the
strange sight seen in the clouds.
There is not great deal more 10
tell. The run 10 Knoxville the next
day was made without anything oc-
curing worthy of comment, but on
the return trip to Chattanooga Friday,
two days after we had seen the appar-
ition. at 81 in the afternoon and two
miles cast Of Cleveland, a Wild freight
thundcrc1 sto Us. leaw il too late 10
do any good, but ] reversed my en-
gine aud then-iumpcd. happened
To Jump OF the right side and escaped
with n broken finger But Jack, poor
boy, had chosen the wrong side, and
the immense locomotive crushed him
TO a jelly. | believe that the acci-
pent happened at the spot where Jack
first saw the phantom engine and at
the minute, although two days later.
Poor Jack, the discoverer OF that won
derful sight, the warning was evident
ly intended for him.
IL did not make another run on
that futed line. asked 10 be excused
from duty pending the investigation
made by officials into the accident,
and on the day the investigation was
concluded and | was exonerated from
blame | walked into the supcrinten-
dents office and asked for my time.
You needn't feel bad about that
accident, remarked the superintend-
ent, kindly. i.
81 don't, | replied, but my nerves
are shattered and want 10 change my
location
IL saw q smile on the superintend-
ents face as mentioned my nerves.
but he gave me my time without q
word spent five years in the Rock
les in the vain attempt TO drive that
picture from my mind Finally /
came back east, but the Photographic
camera could not fix an object more
firmly than did the phantom engine
in mon pfnins of Ton naoeao A % ,tealf In