Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-05

number OF railroad men sat In the
rotunda of the Laclede the other night
exchanging "reminiscences, says the St
Louis Globe Democrat. The converse
ton gradually drifted into stories hav-
ing q supernatural tinge, and among
these was the following related by a
well-known conductor:
"Some years ago." he said, "in the
town of Garrett, in Northern Indiana,
the headquarters of the Baltimore n
Ohio railroads Chicago division, there
lay sick an engineer named Boardman.
He was wildly delirious and his rawlings
took serious aspect at times Ono
evening he was told that Engineer
Moses had been called to take out mis-
engine, No, ne, on an extra run, fol-
lowing No. 5. Engine 7l3 was the pride
of the road and of its engineer, then so
seriously sick. 1t had not been sent out
before, the foreman of the roundhouse
wishing to crafty the wishes OF the
engineer, but on this occasion 1t was
necessary, as a special train containing
an opera company had to make Wash
ington In twenty hours, run of s5S
miles from Chicago, and no other engine
on the Chicago division was equal to the
speed demanded by the company.
"Boardman, lying in his bed, was sud
denly gifted with a supernatural power,
and in his rawlings would say:
"'Hicksvillei Hal How she spins!
Runs up the ST. Joe grade like the
windI Twenty-Five miles; one stop for
water. one stop for railroad crossing and
thirty minutes gomez
Then he would be quiet as the grave
for q moment
"'IIolgatel Listen at her spin!
She's got tho crossing. There she goes.
Defiance to Ilolgate was like step to
her.
His Watchers looked at one another.
Could he have the power OF second
sight to watch the movements OF the
train? Ono OF the boys was sent to the
dispatcher's office, but a few blocks
away. Before he returned Boardman
had called out water station, and said:
"'Four minutes lost. Why couldn't
she do without water? All, hal Watch
her pound sand now. Isn't she u
beauty?'
1.-The man had returned from the tel
egraph office and, in whisper, told the
other watchers that he had followed the
train correctly. A feeling of awe came
over the boys. The sick engineer was
in seeming trance. His breath came
slower and moro laborious. The boys
crowded nearer and were about to raise
him In tho bed, so that he could catch
his breath easier. and the family were
called, when he sat erect, looked wildly
about him, and cried:
"'rifnnl Red light Stop for ordersi My
Godt Here he held up his hand as II reading
an order.l Train No. second ave, engine No.
TIA Prepare 70 meet thy God
40. X. CocKRELL.'
''Then he sank back in the bed, dead.
The Mortified boys stood amazed and
speechless. 1t was presentimeht One
rushed forth to the dispatcher's Office
and cried to tho east-end man:
"'For Gods sake, Dixey, stop second
Eve at Republic
''Quick over tho wires the call went,
and was answered, and then this mes
sage: Stop second fve.' There was q
wait OF breathless anxiety when the
news came back: Second five is
stopped. Conductor wants to know
what for BY this time the story was
known in the dispatcher's office, and the
answer was sent to Republic: Had a
terrible presentiment. Tell conductor
to proceed cautiously to Chicago juno.
tion.'
Hardly had the answer gone when
Attica called up and said:
Stop second Ave at Republic. First
Ave ditched mile west Of here; engine
and three cars OIL. Cow on track. En-
gineer killed by jumping
''And the man who had saved prob
ably FIVE score OF lives lay q corpse al
his home, with his sorrowing family
surrounding him. The opera company
made up purse, which. together with
the life insurance he had carried, made
the engineers family Independent To-
the rest OF their lives"