Telegram-herald., 1890-11-18

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esrS
Just before we reached il sAw
n4a dart IA between I've of the cars h
escape tae he2a-lighL
Il thonght him either : trainmRn
or = tramp bat haye slaoe changed NY
mind
I'VE were half LAY down tbs Hayer-
sack grade, witA straight stretch %
,rack ana long curve before as when
Matt locked across and said;
I'm afraie the little passebo&rd was
oaly d scare. IL
There vas the dash Of a light be
hind, the rattle Of coal. and Bob Dun
can. the forward brakeman, stood in
the cab His face Was as white as =
sheet
"'Shut her down-shut her down, for
Heaven sakel" he shouted. A freights
broke loose and is comiRg down the
grade two miles = ninater
Before you could snap your fingers
ny face was as pale as Bob's
Matt Irwin never lost his head, and.
with GOODNESS that comes 10 few men
in time Of danger, he asked: How do
you know?'
"'SecR her by a flash Of lightning.
oConnor and Billy have jumped!
And then he swung out on the step
and disappeared
Jump, il you want to, Harry. called
old Matt. Pm going 70 stick to herr
Il gave one look at the Egyptian dark
ness and concluded that / would stay
with Old Matt.
Keep your eye peeled for her." he
cried, and commenced 10 let 67 out
There she isn / shou ted.
"And there il was. suro enough. 1t
had just come ont OF cut One Of the
boxes was on fire. the fame streaming
back half a car length and cutting
through tho air like meteor.
She's four miles behind said old
Matt, and coming four feet TO our one.
II we can get around the carve there s
show OF her jumping.
And thon began that terrible ride.
He hooked 81 up to the first notch
and opened the throttle.
With seven ears behind we shot
down the grade of one hundred and sew
enty-fve feet to the mile.
''67 set low In her frame; but every
low joint rung her bell for an eighth OF
a milo She jumped and swayed and
threatened to leave the rails. The wind
shrieked around Us like a thousand de-
mons, and the rain poured against the
windows in a perfect stream.
"'There's danger ahead and death be-
hind. shouted the old engineer. If the
rain loosens q bowlder and drops il on
the track
II shuddered. There was the blasted
pine that marked the curve. The next
second we reached It, For q moment
thought it was all over. Then 67
righted. There was sharp jerk. We
forged ahead faster, and our seven cars
cleared the road bed and went down the
bluT with crash that was heard high
above the storm, leaving q clean track
for the runaway behind, that was COM
ing as swift and sure as death.
III the runaway get around the curve,
the probabilities were that we would be
knocked from the track into the river.
I'VE were very near TO the bottom
81 :, 81 fs,l1 Il -
river, and engineers were cautioned not
to run over fifteen miles per hour.
"But orders were not respected that
night We were making thirty miles
an hour when q fash Of ligh ming
showed me that dark string of cars
coming around the curve. The blazing
box was on the opposite side and in
visible.
''Old Matt gave OF the steam so sud
denly she seemed to jump from under
us; but the runaway was not more than
half mile behind and coming with the
speed of tornado.
There was no getting out Of the way.
In moment IL would be on Us. i'm
agined | could see the black mass com
ing down on US in the darkness. when
heavy rumble was heard, followed by
a tremendous crash.
"The rain had loosened the rock and
dirt overhanging tho track. and It only
needed the jar OF the passage OF 60 to set
1t in motion.
Something like thousand tons Of
debris rolled on to the track directly
behind US, and into this those runaway
cars plunged.
But we did not fDd this out until
afteTward. Matt kept CT up 10 what
was tremendous speed on that
track. She plunged and rolled and
rang her bell continually. A dozen
times 1 thought we were going into the
river
I'VE pulled through al right; but
that was ny last trip When got oh
the engine ny hair was strcakcd with
gray. and now 30 is as whito IA snow.
For some time Is was thought that
the runaway cars had broke loose, bu;
I the company became suspicious and had
the case looked into with the result OF
running down some tough characters.
who finally confessed to cutting them
Loose with tha intention Of ditching IS
between Havorsack grade and the bot.
ton and securing the treasure
old Matt has retired from the road.
but do net think that either be or
l. -