The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-11-20
THE MAD LOCOMOTIVE.
How a Child's Hand Shut the
Throttle Valve and Avoided
a Catastrophe.

"a story Of railroad adventure, chr
"If you please" I answered the vet
eran engineer, as we sat in the cool
shade to the east of a big Providence
roundhouse. / may say that Peter
Hank, the narrator of this exciting Incl
dent, is well known by me and esteemed
as a man of truth by everybody who
knows him.
II neve had but n son. All my
boys were girls. But when little Burn
side was born / tell you we were happy.
Yet j ever supposed that chap would
ave my own life and lots of other peo-
pies. That's just what he did, how
ever. You know l always run the ex-
press. We got a big engine some years
ago on the road. She weighs more han
any machine we ever used before. l
never liked her when / saw her in the
shop, that giantess, No. G43. She never
had any name. And that machine never
liked me. All because of this" The
engineer took his pipe from his mouth
to look me squarely in the eye. II was
in the shop one afternoon just to look
her over. That's when they were paint
ing her up. The painters and varnish-
ers were crawling all over her.
'sOf course she wasn't fired up. An
other engineer and | inst were walking
round her huge body. / said: Jake,
that critter will heat the first trip, and a
hot box on her will mean lots of work.
l 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. /
naturally enough took hold of her re-
verse lever. She threw that lever over,
sir, quicker'n lightning, and caught my
leg just under the knee, taking out a bite
as big as a walnut. Myi How she panied
mel 1t was weeks before my stiff leg
was all right
Then he resumed his pipe while that
soaked into me.
"Now, you newspaper men do not
take any stock in such things, / know.
But no railroad man would say / was q
fool if / thought hard of the machine.
And all railroad men have seen engines
act just as if they had spirits in them.
There amt an engine on our road or any
other which viii work as well for one
man as she will for another. Every en-
CINE has her favorites, for whom she viii
do anything, and her enemies, to whom
she acts like a she demon"
A fact, by the way, which the writer
has since verified on considerable inquiry
among locomotive engineers.
.sWell, sir, if you believe me. that No.
643 hadn't been out O. shop a week be-
fore the master mechanic sent for me
one night to take her. l remember l
was eating supper. 1t was my two days
lay off. little Burnside was sitting in
his chair beside me. He was just 8 years
old the Thursday before. 1t was a very
hot August night. was asked to put
the big engine through for a special.
There was a party of big fellows from
Washington who were returning from
the White Mountains. / was to drive
'em down to Wexford Junction for
Newport.
God help me, Susie! I said to my
wife, pushing back my chair. I don't
know why, but I'd rather be killed by a
pistol shot here at home than to go.'
"sYou foolish fellowf' she replied.
What ails your
81 don't know I said. But that
machine hain't been run q dozen times.
Besides she hates me. This IS to be a
show off run, like lightning, and l know
she'll kill US ALL
my wife she just rose up then. Be
ing a good Christian church member as
/ amt, she exploded on me.
"sPete, I'm ashamed Of you! You're
the best runner on the road, and this Is
an honor. Do you want to get dis
charged and lose our daily bread: God
will take care o my husband. Here.
It's a hot night, and you'll be back b.
II o'clock. Take the boy. Hes always
wanted a night ride
ssThat got me. I just rose up. She
put on the boys little cap and gave me
his coat, and l went of, taking the boy
I remember how he laughed. carried
him over the rails in the dark yard on
my shoulder, and he kept patting my
check and kissing me till I boosted him
into the cab Of No. 045. How proud he
sat up there on my box between my legsi
swell, again." continued Pete. rub
bling a fresh match On his overaIls.
nothing occurred as we coupled on and
ran quite o while. We drew four Pull
mans besides tho baggage car. 1t 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 oyertake.
No. 648 worked stiff, Is I knew she
would, but she was 60 big that when shs
~ et~yt<d nnzhi.s ennld t~orh1a her