The Helena independent., 1890-09-18
THE MAD LOCOMOTIVE.
A Story Of Railroad Adventure
as Related by an Old
Engineer.
He Disliked the Big Namelese
Engine and She Cordially
Reciprocated.
On His First Trip With Her She Ran
Away From Him-His Little Boy
Saved Him.
IA story of railroad adventure, eh?''

"A story of railroad adventure, eh7''
''If you please" answered the veteran
engineer, as we sat in the cool shade to the
east of big Providence roundhouse. I
may say that Peter Hank, the narrator of
this exciting incident, is we'll known by me,
and esteemed as man of truth by every
body who knows him.
II never had but one son. All my boys
were girls. But when little Burnside was
born, tell you We were happy. Yet Inever
supposed that chap would save my life and
lots of other peoples. That's just what he
did, however. You know. / always run the
express. We got big engine. some years
ago, on the road. She weighs more than
any machine we ever used before. never
liked her. when saw her in the shops, that
Riantess, No. CAB. She never had any name.
And that machine never liked me.
All because of this:'' The engineer
to look me squarely in the eye. II was in
the shop one afternoon, just to look her
over. That's when they were painting her
up. The painters and varnishers were
crawling all over her. OF fcourse she wasn't
fred up. Another engineer and just were
walking around her huge body. I said:
Jake, that critter will heat the first trip,
and hot box on her will mean lots of
work. hope may never be asked to run
her. Well. sir, believe it or not, know
she heard it and was mad. When climbed
into her cab, just to look at her there, l
naturally enough took hold of her reverse
lever. She threw that lever over, sir.
quicker'n lightning and caught my leg just
under the knee, taking out n bite as big as
a walnut My! How she panied me! It was
weeks before my stiff leg was all right"
Then he resumed his pipe while that
soaked into me.
''Now. you newspaper men don't take any
stock in such things, know. But no rail-
road man would say l was fool if l
thought hard of the machine. And all rail-
road men have seen engines act just as if
they had spirits in them. There amt An
will work as we'll for one man as she will
for another. Every engine has her favor
ties for whom she will do anything, and
her enemies, for whom she acts like She
demon"
A fact, by the way, which the writer has
since verified on considerable inquiry
among locomotive engineers.
"Well. sir, if you believe me, that No.
CAB hadn't been out o shop week before
the master mechanic sent for ME one night
per. 1t was my two-days' lay-off. Little
Burnside was sitting in his chair beside me.
He was just eight years old the Thurs
day before. It was q very hot
August night. was asked to put the big
engine through for q special. There was a
were returning from the White mountains
was to drive 'em down to Wexford juno
tion for Newport.
"'God help me, susie' said to my wife,
pushing back my chair. Idon't know why,
but I'd rather be killed. by pistol shot here
"'You foolish Fellow, she replied. what
~ don't know said. But that ma
chine hain't been run dozen times Be
sides, she hates me. This is to be show
of run, like lightning, and I know she'll
kill us all
my wife she just rosa up then. Being
good Christian church member as amt.
she exploded ON me.
"'Pete, I'm ashamed of you! You're the
hest runner on the road, and this is an
honor. D. you want to get discharged
and lose our daily bread? God will take
care O. my husband. Here! It's hot
night. and you'll be back by eleven O'Clock.
Take the boy. He's always wanted night
.That got me- l just rose up; she put
on the boys little cap and gave me his coat.
and / went off, taking my boy. l remember
how he laughed. l carried him over the
rails in the dark yard on my shoulder, and
he kept patting my cheek and kissing me,
till boosted him into the cab of No. 6i3.
How proud he sat up there on my box be-
tween my legs.
well, again." continued Pete, rubbing
fresh match on his oyeralls, nothing oc-
Cured as We coupled on, and ran quite a
the baggage car. It was hot and dark We
had the right of way, but were to approach
Wexford cautious, for there We should find
the regular New York express, which we
should overtake. No CAB worked stiff. as
knew she would. but she was SO big that
trouble her much, and she just tossed the
load along as light as feather. l no.
ticed that the throttle-valve worked pretty
hard when had to shut off steam once OF
twice slowing through station. Still
could jerk her in and ont we'll enough with
terrible thing, sir, though. For. you
see man can't be sure. Suppose
you couldn't shut off. Suppose your
throttle got stuck, full head on, going at
fifty mile an hour, and you a-coming into
station, for instance, even if there was
nothing standing there, tell you you'd
feel about as the Almighty would if the
earth got loose and He couldn't stop her. -
Then Hank puffed smokeless whiffs.
well, again." he resumed. presently.
Inc eXClGemeut OF ulS own memory 0AO
brought the sweat-drops to his forehead;
his pipe had gone out the third time.
''That throttle-valve did stick on me!
That's just what did happen. We were, l
calculated, about eight miles from Wick
ford. Somehow. though. there wasn't any
station to slow me up, yet had feeling
and awful feeling, too. that could not if
would shut her off. 'Pshawr said to nv
self. and l played with the boys curly
head with my right hand. But my left
hand kept pressing and trying that throttle,
harder and harder. l couldn't stir her!
I reached over, and put my right hand
on the lever. I could not move her!
got off my box. l seemed to be in per-
feet frenzy. sprung at that valve with
both hands and all my weight. She didn't
move q hair! And the way we we're kiting!
Probably We were flying over fifty miles an
hour! ! yelled at the fireman:
"sGiye us hand, Georger
HE knew it all in q second, and tumbled
in from the tender to put both his hands
beside mine.
"'Nowr shouted.
1--WE threw our weight against it. Blu,
that old beast Just shook herself and
jumped and jumped, as much as to say
You can't shut off my winds
"sPete. cried the fireman, there's "Nick.
ford' on the switch! We've only two miles
more to live!'
..Then we struggled like two mad bulls
We pulled. Then we showed. We planted
our feet and pulled and showed. We had
y n