Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-08-17
THE WILD ENGINE.
Thrilling Experience ola Western Railroad
Man

70
Talk about fast time, said 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 | made myself some years ago,
nor of any half so exciting. ! formerly
lived at Garrett. Ind. the terminus of
the central division of the Chicago d.
vision of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. | had little To do and made the
railroad yards my loaing headquarters.
At that time the 'Billy-O' had an
arrangement 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 GAP, which made two trips
to the junction daily. Well, one day |
climbed aboard a box car when the en-
CINE left with few cars of merchandise
to transfer. There were six of us in the
party-four yardmcn, another fellow
and myself. We had Jolly time going
down: made the transfer, and we were
to come back light that is with moth
ing but the engine. We had all crowded
on the tender; the signal was given and
Gent Potter, the engineer. threw him
self forward. pulled at the throttle valve
and the engine jumped forward
as if shot from catapult. We did not
think much of this at the time, as Gent
was fine engineer and handled the en-
CINE TO suit his fancy. We went tear
ing over the railroad crossings and frogs
in a manner that was frightful. The
tender rocked as if on 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 steam and Gent and his fireman
hanging at the side of the engine.
Jump. boys" said they, Jump for
Gods sake, The throttle valve is pulled
clear out and the engine is running
wild"
ITO jump would have been instant
death. As one of the boys said after
ward. the telegraph poles looked like Il
fine tooth comb. The mile posts flew
by with unSeemly rapidity. The yard
foreman claimed that a mile was COW
cred i'm IS seconds and not one would
doubt his word. 81. Joe was in sight.
Would the track be- clear? Only three
miles TO Garrett, with its network of
tracks, switches and spurs. The steam
gauge registered 90 pounds. There
were no hopes of the steam dying ont in
five or six minutes. With presence of
mind the foreman dashed of a few
words:
Engine wild. Telegraph Garrett to
clear track.
This he dropped as we passed ST..
Joe. and the operator. clear to comprc-
bend the situation. sent il TO the dis
patchcr az the east end without call
as We learned afterward. There was
Garrett i'm sight with IFS tall chimuey>
bclching forth smoke: there were the
yards filed with freight ears and cu-
giucS. As we got closer We could see
men hurrying hithcr and thithcr The
other yard engine was rushing madly Co
tine west end of the yard. The main
track was clear. We passed the
depot like % pursued victim. Pale
faces watched us boo our mad flight. We
PASSED the railroad shops and hundreds
came running 90 ~cc the cause of the
commotion. ThccnginewaS in CULVER:
the bell was ringing wildly with each
sway OF the engine. the escaping steam
whistlcd as if dcmrutcd and fires blazcd
from the hot boxes. Then We saw some
thing that made u> think we were
doomed The switch 90 the coal chute
was open and the long ascent could
only end in our destruction. We looked
again. saw men working ou the track,
and then we knew we We're saved.
What were they doing: Why,
bless my soul friend. those fcl-
lows were oiling the track mp the
chute We struck the ascent and slid
mp about 100 feet. and then the old Gi2
stood still and the wheels few around:
sparks came from beneath them like
from an emery wheel. Gradually the
engine slid down. the wheels still in the
forward motion. and thus the engine
died out. We all suffered a severe
shock to our nervous system, but had il
not been for the presence of mind of
the master mechanic, who ordered the
oil poured on the chute track, ! might
not have been here to-day.