Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-17
AN ENGINEERS GOOD ANGEL.
How Horace Seaver, of the Illinois
Central, Saved Train.
The Springfield Night Passenger
JeopardiZed by Burned
Bridge
Who Will Explain This 4?

Who Will Explain This?
Said gentleman we'll known through
out this state to reporter for the Inter
Ocean recently: True it is that there are
more things in heaven and earth than are
dreamed of in our philosophy
Pressed for an explanation of his words,
he continued:
1.-The passenger train of the Illinois
Central railroad that left Springfield, Ill.,,
Thursday night at 10 o'clock had most
miraculous escape from second Chatsmouth
disaster When about fifty miles from
Springfield the engineer was
SUDDENLY IMPRESSED WITH FEAR
that some impending danger was near at
hand. The rate of speed was near thirty
miles an hour. The only possible danger
that he could imagine was a small bridge
a short distance ahead The conviction of
danger was so great and impressed him so
thoroughly that he stopped the train and
went forward to ascertain if there could
was within 500 feet of the small bridge
and that it had burned almost entirely
| away, the fire still smoldering. Only a
| few of the passengers who happened to be
awake knew of the danger, until after
workmen had been summoned from Gil
man and temporary bridge constructed.
| The bridge was only about twelve feet
across. 1t seems to me it was a wonder
| full escape, and what has been haunting
me ever since | learned the details is
what told the engineer there was death
ahead?'
! The reporter at once started out to see
| the engineer of the threatened train and
found him at a pleasant home at No. ll3
| Eighteenth street In the person of
HORACE L. sEAvER.
Mr.. Seaver when called on had just
arisen from sleep after his eventful trip
He is a tall, hght-complexioned person and
/ impresses one as man of unusual cool
ness. Although it later developed that he
is a pleasant conversationalist he was
somewhat reticent about speaking of the
narrow escape he had had On being told,
however, what points the reporter was
already in possession of he consented to
give the facts, and did so in the main as
follows:
eve left Springfield at 10 o'clock Thurs
| day night with a crowded train, about two
| hundred passengers. We had the engine,
| baggage car, one coach and a Pullman
| sleeper. The passengers were mostly ex-
cursionists coming to Chicago to spend
the Fourth. We reached Guthrie in time
and pulled out for Melvin, i've miles dis
tant. Between the two places is a wooden
bridge spanning a ravine. The night was
| not very dark and we did not expect any
the run on time. We had just pulled out
10
speed,
WHEN FOR SOME UNACCOUNTABLE REASON
| began to ease up gradually. When
about two miles from the bridge | noticed
reflection in the sky to the northward,
but supposed it was from fire which
tramps had built near the track. We OF
ten pass such fires without paying any at
tention to them Ny fireman, Albert
Rose, was sitting on his seat and was
quietly enjoying the cool night air. |
kept easing up, keeping my hand ON the
throttle bar and not thinking of anything
in particular. In an instant saw before
my eyes as plainly as though the picture
were made of material objects the outlines
of the place where the bridge was located
two miles ahead 1t came upon me like a
flash. said to myself: That bridge is
gone and know it.. have had such ex-
periences before and | have come to rely
upon my feelings to large extent. | did
last Light With the full conviction that al
though | had not seen the bridge or the
place where it was knew it was gone.
| stopped the train ust as we we're within
thirty feet Of the bridge My fireman
looked ahead, and SO did I. The bridge
was in reality gone. We jumped out of
the cab and made an examination of the
place. Where the span had been there
there was nothing left of the bridge save
the rails, which still hung over the ravine
held together by the timbers and bolts.
The trestle was thirtyfive feet long and
eight feet high on either side of the track.
THERE Is A STEEP ENIBANKMENT.
Rose asked me how I happened to stop
the train; could not tell him. I do not
know. can only say that | knew that
bridge was gone. Conductor Edward Col
ms came forward to see what was the mat
ter, and when he looked at the swinging
rails ahead he could hardly speak. We
all thought of Chatsworth, and thanked
our stars that some invisible Influence of
power had saved 200 people.
1t was some time before the passengers
were informed what the cause for delay
was but when they found out they were
badly scared. We sent for section hands
to repair the bridge and settled down for
a long wait. The farmers in the vicinity
kindly did all they could for the passengers
in the way of furnishing breakfast.
You see do not deserve the credit for
the miraculous escape. The honor is due
to that mysterious prompting which led me
to the sure conviction that there was dam
ger ahead.
There have been other occasions in my
engineering experience in which this same
premonition, as you might call it, has
saved wreck. | have been on the ropd
twenty-five years and have never had a
smash up. Of course there is good deal
chat may be credited to good luck, but
there are several instances which 90 to
show that, in my case at least,
| PREMONITION Is A FACT.
Il remember once at Kankakee, when |
stopped to fill the tank. When we We're
ready to proceed placed my hand on the
throttle bar. Just as | was about to open
her ] said to myself: No, must not. but
jump out and see if everything is all
right. That is an extraordinary thing for
an engineer to do, but got out of the cab
and went In front of the cow-catcher.
There, lying On the track within two feet
of the engine was little curly-headed
girl peacefully sleeping between the rails
Of frog. If | had moved the engine |
would have cut her to pieces. picked her