The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1890-11-07
7nhl1sflRa M RB.kly,
Oil ON The RAILS.
Tho Remarkable Nrnnncr In which
.. M. Wild EngIno NNns Stoppod.

+ Il u F. - ( \
Tho Remarkable nrnnncr In which u
wild Engino HHns stopped
Talk about fast time" said n rail-
road nan on tho Missouri Paciflc train
tho otllcr day to his companion, "but
I.havo never heard Of a trip TINT would
beat ono Imndo mysolf somo years ago,
nor Of any half 50 exciting. formerly
lived at Garrctt, Ind, tho terminus OF
the central division of tho Chicago di-
vision of tho Baltimore and Ohio rnii-
road. had little to do, and made the
railroad yards my loaflng headqual-
tcrs. At tint time tho "3illy-O" had
MI arrangement with the Wabash to
transfer all Now York freight ut Auburn
junction, nino miles distant, TO tho Gust
Of us. 'This w,.s done by tho old switch
onginc, the G42. which made tho trip to
tho junction daily.
WELL one day ! climbed aboard n
box ear whom tho engine lott with II few
ears Of merchandise to transfer. There
were six Of us IN tho party-follr yard
men, another follow and myself. We
had II jolly time going down, mado the
transfer and were to come back light
TINT is, with nothing but the engine. We
had MI crowded on tho tender tho sig
nal was given and Gent Potter, tho cll
gineor, threw himself forward, pulAad
at the throttle vnlvo and tile engine
jumped forward rs if SHOT from cat:.-
pult.
''NVo did not think much of this at
the time, MS Cont was a iino engineer,
and bundled the engine to suit his fan
cy. We went tearinG over the railroad
crossings and frogs III u manner that
was friglltful. Tho tender rocked rs if
on hinges. Something must be wrong,
wo thought, us Gent was placing our
lives in jeopardy. Climbing over the
conl wo found tho cab full Of steam,
md Gent and the fireman hanging on
tho side Of the cngiBc.
Jump boys, said they; Jump fer
Gods sal1cl Tho throttle valve is
pulled clear out. and the engine is run
ming Wild
ITO jump would have been instant
death. AS ono Of tho boys said after
ward, tho telegraph poles looked like II
fine tooth comb, Tho milo posts fley
by with unsecmly rapidity. The yard
foreman claimed TINT milo was GOV.
cred in thirty eight seconds, and not
ono would doubt his word st. Joe
was IN sight. Would the track be
clcar9 Only three miles to Garrett,
with its network Of tracks, switches
and spursl The steam gauge regis
tered ninety pounds. There wns nc
hopes of tho engine dying out IN five
or six minutes. With presence of mind
tho foreman dashed off II few Words
Engine wild; telegraph Garrett t.
clear track
This lie dropped as wc passed ST.
Joe, and tho operator, clear to compru
hcnd the situation, sent 1t to the dis
patcher on the east end without q
call, as we learned nfterward. Thcre
was Garrett III sight, with its tall cninl-
ncys bclching forth smoke; there wero
the yards filled with freight cars and
engines. AS we got closer we could
see the men hunying hithcr and thith-
or. Tho other yard engine was rush.
ing madly to the west end OF the yal d.
The main track was clear. We passed
tho depot like n pursued victim. Palc
faces watched us in our mad flight.
NFo passed tho railroad shops. ana
hundreds came running to SEQ tho
cause of tho commotion. The engine
was in quiver; the bell was ringin;,
wildly with cach sway Of the engine
tho escaping steam whistlcd rs if do.
,nented, and fires blazed from tile hot
boxes. Then we saw something that
made us think wo were doomed.
"Tho switch to tho coal chuto was
open, md the long ascent could only
end In our destruction. We looked
ngaln, SOW men working on the track,
and then wc knew we werc saved.
Whit were they doing2 Why, bless
my soul, friend, those fellows were oil
ing tho track up the chute. We struck
tho ascent and slid up about 100 feet /;
and then tho old 842 stood still ond tn
wheels flew around; sparks came from,
beneath them lil1o from nm emory
wheel. Gradually tho engine slid
down, tho wheels still IN the forward
motion, and thus tho engine died out
NVo all suffered sovcro shock to our
nervous systems, but had 1t not been
for tho presence Of mind OF the niaste,
mechanic, who ordered tho oil pourt.
on tho chute track, might not have
been here today"
"And how fast did you go9''
well, tho first six miles were made
IN less than five minutes; the last thrco
wcre made In much slower time, rs the
steam was cxlausting itself rapidly. -
st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Now Trout.
In the last ten years flvc names have