The Republican., 1890-09-12
Saved By An Oiled Track.

Saved By An Oiled Track.
"Talk about fast time" said IL rail-
road man on the Missouri Pacific
train the other day to his companion,
"but have never heard of a trip
that would beat one I made myself
some years ago, nor of any half so
exciting. [ formely lived at Garrett,
Ind, the terminus Of the central di-
vision of the Chicago division of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. l had
little to do, and made the. railroad
yards my Ioafng headquarters. At
that time the 'Bily.O' had an ar
rangement with the Wabash to trans
fer all New York freight at Auburn
Junction, nine miles, distant, to the
east of us. This was done by the old
switch engine. the 642. which made
two trips to the Junction daily.
| Well ,One day | climbed aboard Il box
car when the engine left with a few
| cars of merchandise to transfer.
There were six Of us in the party
] four yardmen, another fellow and
myself We had ii jolly time going
down made the transfer and were
to come back hight that is with
nothing but the engine. We had all
crowded on the tender, the siguai
was given, and, Gent Potder. the en-
gineer threw himself forward, pulled
at throttle valve, and the engine
jumped forward a4 If shot from cal-
apult. We did not think much of
this at the time, as Gent was fine
engineer, and handled the engine to
suit his fancy. We were tearing
oyer the railroad crossings and frogs
in a manner that was frightful, The
tender rocked as ifon hinges. Some
thing must be wrong. we thought,
as Gent was placing our lives In
jeopardy. Climbing over the coal
we found the cab full of stea m. and
Gent and the fireman hanging at the
size or the engine.
"Jump. boys,' said they Jump,
for Gods sake The throttle valve is
pulled clear out and the engine is
running Wild
"T0 jump would have been death.
AS one of the boys said afterwards,
the telegraph poles looked like fine.
tooth comb. The mile posts flew by
with unseemiy rapidity. The yard
foreman claimed that mile was
covered in thirty.eight seconds, and
not one would doubt his word. ST..
Joe was in sight. Would the track
be clear? Only three miles to Gar
rett, with its network of tracks,
: switches and spurs. The steam
gauge registered ninety pounds,
There were no hopes of the engine
dying out in five or six minutes.
) With presence of mind the foreman
dashed off few words:
"'Engine wild. Telegraph Gar
rett to clear track
"This he dropped as we passedi st.
Joe, and the operator, clear to COM
prehend the situation. sent it to the
despatchers on the east end, without
'call,' as we learned afterWard.
, There was Garrett in sight, with its
5 tall chimneys beIching forth smoke ;
there were the yards filled with
: freight cars and engines. AS we got
closer we could see men running
hither and thither. The other yard
> engine was rushing madly to the
west end of the yard, The main
. track was clear.
, We passed the depot like pursued
) victim. Pale faces watched us In our
+ mad flight. We passed the railroad
shops, and hundreds came running to
see the cause of the ,1mmotion. The
! engine was In culver. the bell was
| ringing wildly with every sway OF
the engine. the escaping steam Whis-
: tied AS If demented, and fire blaZed
, from the hot-boxes. Then we saw
D something which made us think we
were doomed. The switch in the
coal chute was open, anu the long
: ascent could only end in our destruc-
/ ton. We looked again, saw men
t working on the track, and then we