The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1890-11-07
Observation-Disclosures
-. !sy 8 a Z. ? 8. s,S.'s! ...s! z: &C.
N n OVEN . Y i ER q $500.
Hi sllaa IERkly vi
!. oil. ON The tsAlLs. y,lI

ss8 OIL. ON E RAILS u S5s
$50 rs h III g.S
4 THO Itenlhrlablo NIannor IN which, a.
WILD Engine WAS Stopped.
S5 @ES5,i'gg,alk about fast thne,n soid q rail-
/ rond min on tho Missouri Paoiflc train
81 tito other day to his companion, nbut.
"A .liayo never heard Of d trip that would
\ beat ono / lnado myself some years ngo, q
ii nor Of any half SO exciting. formerly
Z lIvod at Garrett, Ind, tho terminus OF
the contral division Of tho Chicago Iii
vision Of tho Baltimore and Ohio rail-
4 road. I had little to do, md lnado the
railroad yards my loafing headauar,
tors At tllnt tilne tho :" Billy o" had
ail arrangement with the Wabash to
transfer all New York freight ut Auburn
junction. nine miles distant, TO tho Gust
& Of us. This was done by tho old switch
Is ongine, the GAP, which made the trip to
tho junction daily. ss5
tsWell, ono dayI climbed aboard a
box ear when tho engine lett with a few
cars Of merchandise to transfer. There
were six Of us In the party four yard
mon, another follow md myself. We
had q Jolly tinNo going down, made the
transfer and were TO como back light
y That is, with nothing but the engine. We
lad Ill crowded on tho tender, the sig
nal was given and Gent Potter, lilo on
gneer, threw himself forward pulled
at the throttle valvo and the engine
jumped forward as if shot from cata-
9pult.
I'VE did not think much of this at
the time, rs Gent was a fino engineer,
md handled the engine to suit his fan
cy. We went tearing over the railroad
crossings and frogs inca manner that
was frightful. The tender rocked rs if
on hinges Something must be wrong,
wo thought, us Gent was placing our
lives In jeopardy. Climbing over the
coal we found the cab full Of steam,
and Gent md the fireman hanging on
tho side Of the engine. M
Jump boys said they; Jump, fer
Gods sal1el The throttle valve is
pulled clear out. and the engine Is run
ming Wild
"To jump would have been instant
death. AS ono of the boys said after
ward, tho telegraph poles looked like u
J tno tooth comb. Tho mile posts flew
by with unseemly rapidity. The yard
foreman claimed tint milo was Gov
cred in thirty-eight seconds, md not
one would doubt his word st. Joe
was IN sight. Would tho track bo
clcar9 Only three miles to Garrett,
with its network Of tracks, switches
and spursI The steam gauge regis
tered ninety pounds There was no
hopes Of the engine dying out in five
or six minutes. With presence Of mind
the foreman dashed off u fcw words u:
Engine wild; telegraph Garrett to
clear. track.
''lhis he dropped as we passed ST.,
Joe, and the operator, clear to compru
hcnd the situation, sent 1t to the diy-
rpatcher on tho east end without d
call, : as we learned afftterWard. Theeirte'
wns Gnrrett III sight, withlts tall-c1lim-T
/, neys bolching forth smoke; there wero
(, the yards filled with freight cars and
I engines. AS we got closer we could
see the mon hurrying hitller and thith4
or. The other yard engine was rush
ing lnndly to the west end of the yaid.
The main track was clear. We passed
tho depot liko a pursued victim. Palo
faces watched us In our mad flight.
We passed the railroad shops, and
hundreds .camo running to sec the
cause OF tho commotfon. The engine
was In O quiver; the bell was ringing
{ wildly with each sway of the engine
tho escaping steam whistlcd MS If de.
incnted, and fires blazed from the hot
boxes. Then we saw something that
made us think wo were doomed.
"Tho switch to tho coal chute was
open, and the long ascent could only
end In our destruction We looked
again, SOW men working on tho track
and then we knew we wero saved
What We're they doing9 Why, bless
my soul, friend, those fellows wore oil
ing the track up the chute. we struck
the ascent and slid up about 100 feet;
and then the old 842 stood still eIld thu
wheels flew around :; sparks came from
beneath them like from IN emery
Wheel Gradually tho engine slid
down, tho wheels still in the forward
motion, and thus the engine died out.
Wo oil suffered a severe shock to our
nervous systems, but had It not boon
for tho presence Of mind OF the master
mechanic, who ordered tho oil poured
on tho chute track, I might not have
been here today" > Nj
"And how fast did you go2'
We'll the first six miles were made
IN less than five minutes; the last thrco
wore mndo In much slower time, as tile
steam was cxllausting itsolf apidlyn--
st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.
Now Trout.
In the last ten years five names have
been added to the list Of trout known
In Aynor{ooy, 1n1r n. m.