The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1890-10-31
a RIDE THAT RAISED HAlR.
How the fassenGers on wiId Engine
Were Saved by an oiied Track


Talk about fast time. said n rail-
road man on the Missouri Pacific train
the other day TO his companions. -but
| have never heard OF Il trip that would
beat one | made myself some wears
ago. nor OF any half 40 exciting. /
formerly lived mt Garrett. Ind. the
terminus Of the central division OF tho
Chicago division oF the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. | had little to do aud
made the railroad yards nv loating
headquarters. At that time .Billy-O'
had an Arrangement with the Wabash
to transfer all New York freight nj
Auburn Junction. nine miles distant.
to the east of us. This was done by
the old switch-engine. the 642, which
made two trips to the junction daily.
Well one day ! climbed aboard a box
car when the engine left with few
cars OF merchandise to transfer. There
were six of us in the party-four ward
men. another fellow. and myself. We
had jolly time going down; made the
transfer, and were to come back light
that Is. with nothing but the engine.
We had all crowded on the tender. the
signal was given. and Gent Potter. the
engineer. threw himself forward pulled
AT the throttle valve aud the engine
jumped forward as If shot from "A cata-
pult. We did not think much OF this
at tho time, as Gent was a line enoi-
necr and handled the engine TO suit hjs
fancy. We went tearing over the rail.
road crossing and frogs in a manner
that was frightful. The tender rocked
as If on hinges. Something must be
wrong. we thought. as Gent was plac-
ing our lives IN jeopardy Climbing
over the coal we found the cab full al
steam and Gent and the fireman bang
ing ut the side of tho engine.
Jump boys. said they; Jump for
Gods sakei The throttle valve Is pull.
ed clear out and the engine is running
Wild
To jump would have been instant
death. As one of the boys said after
ward. tho telegraph poles looked like
tine tooth comb. The mile posts
hew by with unseemly rapiditv. The
yard foreman claimed that n mile was
covered in IS seconds. and not one
would doubt his word St. Joe was In
sight Would the track be clear9 Only
three miles TO Garrett. with its net
work of tracks. switches. aud spurs.
The steam gauge registered ninety
pounds. There was no hone Of the
engine dying out In tive OF six min
ntes. With presence of mind the fore
man dashed OF few words:
Engine wild. Telegraph Garret
10 clear the track.
This he dropped rs we passed. st.
Joe, and the operator. clear TO COM
prehend the situation. sent it 10 the dis
patcter on the east end. without a
cali. as we learned afterward. There
WAS Garrett In sight. with its.tail
chimneys bclehing forth smoke; there
were the yards filled With freight-cars
aud engines, As we got closer we
could see them hurrsing hitter aud
thither The other yarsl engine was
rushing madIy 10 the hest enh Of the
yard. The main track was clear We
passed the depot like a pursued victim.
Pale faces watched us in our flight.
We passed the railroad shops. aud hum
dredS came running to see the cause of
the eommotion. The engine was ia a
CULVER. the bell was ringing wildly
with each sway of the engine. the es-
Gaping steam whistled as il demented.
and ire blazed from the hot boxes.
Then We saw something which made
us think we were doomed. The switch
10 the coal chute was open. and the
lOu= RctcHt NpAii unity tuu III our ue-
strnction. We looked again. saw men
working on the track. and then knew
we were saved. What were they do
| inga Why. bless my soui. friend. those
fellows were oiling the track of the
chute. We struck the ascent aud slid
up about 100 feet, aud then the old 6ls
stood still and the wheels flew around:
/ sparks came from beneath them like
| from an emery wheel. Gradually the
! engine slid down. the wheels still in
4 the forward motion. and thus the en-
/ gine died out. We all suffered a So
we're shock to our nervous system. but
had it not been for the presence OF
mind of the master mechanic. who or.
dered the oil poured on the chute
track, | might not have been here to
day.
How fast did YOU gosa
well. the first six miles were made
| in less than five minutes; the last three
were made In much slower time. as the
steam was eNhansting itself rapidly
/ Globe Democrat