The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-30
a TERRIBLE RIDE.
How tho Passengers on u Wild Engine
Were Saved by an Oiled Track.


lN Were Saved by an Oiled Track.
Talk about fast time" said rail-
road man on tho Missouri Pacific train
the other day to his companion, but 1
have never hoard OF trip that would
beat one l made myself some years ago.
nor OF any half SO exciting. L formerly
lived at Garrett, Ind. tho terminus of
the Central division of tho Chicago di-
vision of tho Baltimore & Ohio railroad
had little to do, and made tho railroad
yards my loafing headquarters. Atthat
time the 'Billy-O' had an arrangement
with tho Wabash to transfer all Now
York freight at Auburn Jun ction, nine
miles distant, to tho cast Of us. This
was done by tho old switch on
gine, the 042, which made two
trips to tho junction daily. Well,
ono day / climbed aboard box-car
when tho engine left with u few cars of
merchandise to transfer There wero
six of US in tho party-four yardmen
another fellow and myself. We had Il
jolly time going down; made tho trans
fer, and were to come back light that
is with nothing but the engine Wo
had all crowded on tho tender; the sig
nal was givon, and Gent Potter, the en-
gineer, throw himself forward, pulled at
tho trottle-valvc, and the engine jumped
forward as If shot from cataDult. We
did not think much of this at tho time.
as Gent was fine engineer and handled
tho engine to suit his fancy. We were
tearing over the railroad crossings and
frogs in manner that was frightful.
Tho tender rocked as if on hinges.
Something must BIO wrong, we thought,
rs Gent was placing our lives in jcop-
ardy. Climbing over the coal we
found tho cab full of steam and Gent
and tho fireman hanging at tho sido OF
the engine.
Jump, boys said they, Jump, for
Z, Gods sakc Tho throttlc-valve is
pulled clear out, and tho engine is run
ming Wild
ITO jump would havo been instant
death. AS ono of the boys said after
ward, the telegraph poles looked like Il
tn comb. Tho mile posts flew
by with unseemly rapidity. Tho yard
foreman claimed that milo Was COW
cred in thirty-eight seconds. and not
ono would doubt his word. St Joe was
in sight. Would the track be clear?
Only three miles to Garrett. with its
network of tracks, switches and spurs.
The steam -guago registered ninety
pounds. There wcrc no hopes of the
engine dying out in five or six minutes.
With presence of mind tho foreman
dashed oil Il few words:
Engine wild. Telegraph Garrett to
clear track
This hc dropped as wo passed St.
Joe, and tho operator, clear to comprc-
bend tho situation, sent it TO the dis
patchor on the east end, without a call
rs NC learned aftcrward. There was
Carrot in sight, with its tall chimncvs
bclching forth smoke; there were the
yards filled with freight cars and en-
gines. As we got closer We could sec
mon hurrying hither and ththcr. The
other yard engine was rushing madl V TO
the west end OF the yard. We passed
the depot like pursued victim. Pale
faces watched us in our mad flight. We
passed the railroad shops, and hundreds
came running TO see tho cause OF tho
connection. The engine was in a
culver; tho bell was ringing wildly
< with each sway Of tho engine; the cs-
Gaping steam whistled as if dcmcntcd,
and fires blazed from tho hot boxes.
Then we saw something that made us
think we wcro doomed. Tho switch
to tho coal chute was open,
and tho long ascent could only
end i'll our destruction. We
looked again, saw mon working on the
track, and then we know wo were saved.
What were thoy doing? Why, bless
my soul, friend. those fellows were oil
ing the track up tho chute Wo struck
tho ascent and slid up about ono hun
dred fcot and then the old Gle stood
sIill and tho wheels flew around; sparks
came from beneath them like from an
emory wheel. Gradually tho engine
slid down, the wheels Still in tho for
ward motion, and thus the engine died
out. No all suffered severe shock to
our nervous system. but had it not been
for tho presence of mind of tho master
mechanic. who ordered tho oil poured
on the chute track, might not have
been hore to-day"
And how fast did you go -
WELL the first six miles were made
in less than five minutes tho last three
were made in much slower time as tho
steam was eXhausting itself rapidly. -
st. Louis Globe-Democrat
NAPOLEON'S HABITS.