Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-02
A MAD RIDE.
How the Passengers on a Wild Engine
Were Saved by AN Oiled Track.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
Talk about fast time" said railroad man
on the Missouri Pacific train the other day to
his companion, 'but have never heard Of
trip that would beat one made myself some
years ago, nor Of any half so exciting
| formerly lived at Garrett, Ind, tho terminus
of the central division of the Chicago division of
| the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. had littl @
| to do and made the railroad yards my loaflng
headquarters At that time the Billy o. had
an arrangement with the Wabash to transfer
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. WE'LL
one day climbed aboard 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 follow and myself. We had jolly
| time going down; made the transfer. and were
| to come back light, that is with nothing but
| the engine. We had all crowded on the ten
| der; the signal was given, and Gent Potter, the
engineer, threw himself forward, pulled at the
| throttle valve and the engine jumped fOrward
| as if shot from a catapult We did not think
| much of this at the time. as Gent was fine
| engineer and handled the engine to suit his
| fancy. We went tearing over the railroad cross
! ings and frogs in a manner that was frightful
The tender rocked ~ if on hinges. Something
must be wrong, we thought, as Gent was plac-
ing our lives in jeopardy. Climbing over the
coal we found the cab full of steam and Gent
and the 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 afterward, the tele-
| graph poles looked like a fine tooth comb
The mile posts flew by with unseemly rapidity.
| The yard foreman claimed that mile was
| covered in thrty-eght seconds and not one
| would doubt his word st. Joe in sight
| Would the track be clear? Only three miles to
Garrett, with its network of tracks, switches
| and spurs, The steam gauge registered 80
pounds. There were no hopes of the engine
| dying out in five or six minutes. With pres
ence of mind the foreman dashed off few
| words:
"'Engine wild. Telegraph Garrett to clear
track
This he dropped as We passed st. Joe,
and the operator, clear to comprehend the sitn-
alton. sent it to the dispatcher on the east end,
without II call as we learned afterward There
was Garrett in sight, with its tall chimneys
belching forth smoke; there were the yards
filed with freight cars and engines. Az we got
| closer VIC could see men hurrying hither and
thither. The other yard engine was Iiishing
madly TO the west end of the yard. The main
track was clear. We passed tho depot like a
pursued victim Pale faces watched us in our
| mad hight. we passed the rhiirOau shops and
hundreds came running to see the cause of
the commotion. The engine was in culver
the bell was ringing wildly with each sway
of the engine; the escaping steam whistled
as il demented, and fires blnzed from the
hot boxes. Then we saw something that
made us think we were doomed. The switch
to the coal chute open, and the long
ascent could only end in our destruction. We
| looked again, saw men working on the
track and then We knew we were saved
What were they doing? Why, bless my SOUL
/ friend, those fellows wero oiling the track
up tho chute. We struck tho ascent and
slid up about 100 feet ana then the old 642
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
severe shock to our nervous system, but had
1t 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
today"
And how fast did you go2''
We'll, the first six miles were made in less
than hve minutes; the last three we're made IN
much slower tune, as the steam was exhaust
ing itself rapidly"