St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-20
MAD ride ON AN ENGINE.
The Throttle Valve Pulled Out to its
Length.
THE MACHINE RAN WILD.
Quick Witted Men Creased the Track
and Saved Half a Dozen
Lives.
st. Louis Globe.Democrat.

LAX ABOUT IaSC Time, Sdlu rail-
road man on the Missouri Pacific train
the other day to correspondent of the
GlObe-Democrat,y ''but l have never
heard of trip that would beat one l
made myself some years ago, nor of any
half so exciting.
81 formerly lived at Garrett, Ind, the
terminus of the Central division and the
Chicago division of the Baltimore e.
Ohio railroad. | had little to do. and
made the railroad yards my loafing
headquarters.
cat that time the sBilly-O' had an ar
rangement with the Wabash to transfer
all New York freight at Auburn juno
ton, nine miles 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 a
few cars of merchandise to transfer.
There were six of US in the -party-four
yardmen. another fellow and myself.
1--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,
polled at the throttle valve, and the en-
CINE jumped forward as if shot from a
catapuit
1--WE did not think much of this at the
time, as Gent was fine engineer and
handled the engine to suit his fancy.
We went tearing over the crossings and
frogs in manner that was frightful.
The tender rocked as if OIL hinges.
''SOmething must be wrong, we
thought. as Gent was placing our lives
in jeopardy. Climbing over the coal.
we found the cab full of steam and Gent
and the fireman hanging at the side of
the engine.
Jump, boys said they, Jump for
Gods sake! The throttle valve is
pulled clear out. and the engine is run
ming Wild
ITO jump would have been instant
death. AS one of the boys said after
ward, the telegraph poles looked like
fine-tooth comb. The mile posts flew
by with unseemly rapidity.
1.-The yard foreman claimed that
mile was covered in thlrty-eight sec
onds, and not one 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!
1.-The steam guage registered ninety
pounds. There were no hopes of the
engine dying out in five or six minutes.
With presence of mind the forman
dashed off few words:
"'Engine wild. Telegraph Garrett to
clear track
"This he dropped as we passed st.
Joe, and the operator, clear to cOmpre
bend the situation, sent it to the dis
patcher on the east end without call
as we learned afterward.
''There was Garrett in sight. with its
tall chimneys belching forth smoke;
there were the yards filled with freight
cars and engines.
"As we got closer we could see men
hurrying hither and thitner. The other
yard engine was rushing maGly to the
west end of the yard. The main track
was clear.
I'VE passed the depot like a pursued
victim. Pale faces watched us in our
mad flight.
I'VE passed the railroad shops, and
hundreds came running to see the
cause of the connection.
1.-The engine was in culver, the bell
was ringing wildly with each sway of
the engine; the escaping steam whis-
tied as if demented and fires blaZed
''Then we saw som ething that made
US think we were doomed. The switch
to the coal-chute was open, and the long
ascent could only end in our destruc-
ton.
1--WE looked again and saw men work
ing on the track, and then we knew we
were saved.
"Wbat were they doing? Why bless
my soul, friend, those fellows were oil
ing the track up the chute. We struck
the ascent and slid up about 100 feet,
and then the old 642 stood still, and the
wheels flew around; sparks came from
beneath them as from an emery wheel.
"Gradually the engine slipped down,
the wheels still in the forward motion,
and thus the engine died out.
1--WE all suffered severe shock to our
nervous system, but had it not been for
the presence of mind OF the master me-
chanic, who ordered the Oil poured on
the chute track, might not have been
here to-day
'And how fast did you go?"
''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 eXhauSting itself rapidly"