The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-17
IN SOME TIGHT PLACES.
An Old Engineer Tells of Several
Very Narrow Escapes.


A justice of the supreme court is not more
taciturn than the average railroad engineer
And, not unlike the eminent jurists, when
once his habitusl reserve is cast aside he is a
veritable mine Of anecdote and wit.
\ Star reporter one afternoon during the
past week ran across one of these knights
of the Throttle in the neig hborhood of the
round house, on Virginia avenue, and, as
luck would have it. the Salvation car, as
the pay car is designated in the railroaders'
parlance, had just arrived, and he was IN a
good humor and laxative.
Come, John, you won't go out on your
run for two hours yet Tell me about some
of the tight places you've been in since be-
coming an engineer"
"Well, young man, we don't like to talk
about those things, but. as you appear to
be anxious for story, don't mind telling
you One."
Tell me about that long red scar there
under your chin. That must have been
quite 4 wound"
THAT was rather hard one, but when
received it it was a small affair in compari-
son with my other breaks and bruises. AS
you know, I've pulled throttle on the Bal
timore andt Potomac road ever since the first
rail was laid. Railroading to-day is child's
play to what it was then. Now our greatest
risk is broken rail or axle; then it was q
dozen different things to keep us alert, chief
among them being washouts, insecure
trestles, and mistakes in telegraph orders
incidental to single track road. over
work also played prominent Part. and 1t
was owing to the latter fact that this scar
adorns my meat chopper.
1t was during the busy days of the in
augration Of Garfield, and all the sleep the
Boys had secured for week was only cat
maps. L was coming north, out of Wash
ington. on the eve of Inauguration day. and
ex-President Hayes occupied a private car
on the rear OF my train. The cars were
crowded to their fullest capacity. and, with
this responsibility upon me, believe could
heve done without sleep for month
All the cars were in Washing
ton or bound north, the en-
gines coming south generally being
empty-that is, being without cars The
engineers of these empty engines would mo-
mentariiy relax their vigilance. owing to
the lesser responsibility, and it was during
one OF these moments that l got into the
highest place and received the closest call
OF my life. | received orders to pass two
empty engines coming south at Severn, O
small telegraph station about thirty miles
north OF Washington, and that they
would take the siding for me. NV
engine was doing nicely and we were
licking it along at a pretty lively gait,
when, just as | turned the Severn curve,
flip! bang came the two engines into me,
and when | woke up two weeks had passed,
an engineer and baggagemaster had been
buried, three locomotives and half dozen
cars smashed into splinters and lay on my
back in the hospital with leg, an arm and
three ribs broken, and my under jaw almost
torn of. The engineer of one Of the south
hO1pd M ipoo n OH t.a1o 10 y1~;t o.
hardly more than minute, ran by his
siding, and his life paid the forfeit.
why didn't | jump? Holy smoke, young
fellow, that never entered my mind. re-
versed my engine, put on the air, and by
that time we were piled up and l was I'M
conscious. The good Lord only knows why
my railroading DAYS didn't end there, but
they didn't, and fiatter myself can make
time with any of the boys"
"How about the little accident out at Nc
Gruder's curve; weren't you mixed up in
that AFFAIR." It occurred a good while ago.
but | never heard tie particulars"
well, should say was mixed up in the
affair. In all my years of railroading that
was the luckiest accident with the queerest
trimmings have ever known. The little
details that l am going to tell you in con-
nection with the affair came to me some
time after their occurrence.
''This time [ was coming south on the
New York express, and was due in Wash
ington at 80 o'clock at night. had
about twelve cars well filed With passen-
gers behind me. At that time there was a
telegraph station about q quarter of a mile
north of the curve called Wilson's The
express generally had clear track, and or
ders were never given 1t only when of great
Importance. Owing to this fact it made very
fast time, and at that point usually ran about
forty or forty-fve miles an hour. AS
swung in sight of this lonely little watch
box saw that the red signal was down.
and after fierce pull at the whistle | re-
versed the lever and put on the air. We came
to a stop in hurry, and thinking orders
were awaiting me, made break for the
Office to secure them without losing any
more time than necessary.
Pushing open the door saw the opera
tor lying back In his chair, as | thought
fast asleep. There was strong odor of
coal gas in the room, but in the heat of
passion at what l thought was case of
neglect of duty, paid no attention to this.
but grabbing him by the collar of his coat,
/ yanked him out Of the chair on to the
floor. As he was little slow coming
around | caught up bucket of water and
threw the contents over him, bringing him
to his senses instanter.
where's my orders! What's the red
down fore | shouted in his ears.
"'There's no orders. l must have gone
to sleep or tainted. Everything's all right
he replied in dozed sort of way.
with an oath-l used to swear then-I
rushed back to my engine, whistled for a
hagman. and pulled out, vowing vengeance
on that operator in the shape of report to
the superintendent upon my arrival at
Washington. That report never went in.
81 had gotten my train under way and
was going only about five miles an hour
when, just as we swung around McGruder's
loud crash and splintering Of buffers we
came to adead stop, with the front part of my
engine sunk about three feet below the track
In the mud and gravel. There is a dangerous
auckland there and 1t had washed about
fifteen fest Of the earth away from under
the track. Owing to our rate Of speed,
good shaking UP was about ell we got but
suppose for one minute that that red signal
had not been down on US at Wilson'S They'd
have picked us all up in pieces, as would
gone into that hole at the ratio of about
forty miles an hour.
both the day and night operators at Will
sons were practical jokers. A bright idea
struck the day man, and climbing noise
Isssly on to the roof of the Office he placed
a board over the chimney, shutting of the
draught of the stove. After performing
this brilliant feat he went home for
nights rest resolving to learn next morn
ing the result Of his Vaccinations. The
stove door was partly open, the gas from
the coal was forced out, it soon filled
4 IL 49, ~ex.~ tNxrI