The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1890-12-05

hot and dark. We had the night Of way,
bdt were to approach Wexford cautious,
Tor there we should find the regullr New
York express, which we should overtake.
No. 643 worked stiff, as l knew she
would, but she was so big that when she
got started nothing could trouble her
much, and she just tossed the load along
az light as a feather.
Il noticed that the throttle valve
worked hard when had to shut off steam
once OF twice slowing through a station.
Still / could jerk her in and out well
enough with one hand. An ugly throttle
is a terrible thing, sir, though. For, you
see, a man can't be sure. Suppose you
couldn't shut off. Suppose your throttle
got stuck, full head on, going at fifty
miles an hour, and you a-coming into u
station, for instance, ven if there was
nothing standing there, l tell you, you'd
feel about as the Almighty would if the
earth got loose and he couldn't stop her."
Then Hank pulled smokeless whifs.
"Well, again." he resumed presently.
The excitement of his own memory had
brought the sweat drops to his forehead;
his pipe had gone out the third time.
THAT throttle valve did stick on me!
That's just what did happen. We were.
| calculated. about eight miles from
Wexford. Somehow, though, ther =
wasn't any station to slow me up, yet +
had a feeling, an awful feeling, too, IN -
1 could not if | would shut he,a1a~1
'Pshawr l said to myself, and | :.
with the boys curly head with MS
hand. But my left hand kept I.sua
and trying that throttle harder
harder. couldn't stir her! Lresho''J
over and put my right hs6d con,
lever. could not nov heH
my box. | seemed tolSe inv
frenzy. Isprang TT Che valvfas
hands and all my weight. AZ
move a hair! And the way We
ing! Probably we were fyir1
miles an hour. Iyelledat IL
"'Give us Il hand, Geo,f
"He knew it all in a ses55h1
bled in from the tender -
hands beside mine. Chel
"'Now!' 1 shouted.
I'VE threw our weight a
that old beast just SHOOK
jumped and jumped, as mucl
You can't shut off my Windy
"'Peter cried the fireman, :
Wexford on the SWITCH WEI
two miles more to live! -
Then we struggled like two mao
bulls. We pulled. Then we showed.
We planted u feet and pulled and
showed. We had no air brakes in them
days. But if we had. l VOW | blieve to
have put 'em ON would have knocked
out the cylinder heads or broke Il driving
rod, and sent us all to eternity.
Cali this while there sat my pretty
boy, as calm, as laughing, because he
thought this was all play. But l knew
we'd all got to die, and | caught up the
boy. | held him, kissing him. 1t all
took but a moment. There, less'n a
mile ahead, stood the rear of the New
York on our track at the station. |
could see her red light. You better
blieve l forgot all about the big men
behind. was thinking, should l throw
OuC LILY DOy III tlc '.OL hIlCSS.
Papa said Burnside. what makes
you look so?
Because, boy. we can't stop the
engine. We're all going to be killed in
a minute. unless | toss you out there
"'No, papa said he, reaching out his
pretty hand. Let me try it.
well, l did. | don't know why. l
was holding him, you understand. And
sir, the moment that child's hand struck
hat throttle valve, she shut off as easy
as drawing your BREATH"
The engineer said he actually tumbled
over on his seat as if he had seen a mir
acle. The train slowed up in answer to
the brake whistle, and stopped just in
front of the station. The matter may
may not have had any miraculous
element. The good mother urged the
boys going. The behavior of the metal, |
one moment binding by heat or other
expansion, the next moment releasing
itself helped by the tremendous steam
pressure in the dome, is one of the many
well known ~curiosities of metal action.
"Would you really have thrown that
boy from the cab if she had not stopped"
l asked.
Certainly. 1t would have been the
only chance of saving his life. l should
have chosen a bunch of green, growing
brush and landed HIN safely up against
the bending branches. Then | should
have jumped myself. We always jump
when we can do no more good here.
fireman has three times saved his
life so. have once, of which I'll tell
you some day. Good-by. Here's my
machine, just out of the yard."-Rev.
Emory j. Haynes in New York Ledger.
Sardou's Lucky Step.
Victoriap Sor1O1 pOrrInr1v pa11ad tho |