The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-20
WHO PULLED rHF BELL RoPEY
An Old Engineers story of the Mys-
terious saving of Many Lives.
fbe Kaneoa Cif,, ofo-

An Old Engineers story of the Mys-
FERROUS saving of Many Lives
From the Kansas Citg Star.
A dozen railroad engineers and conduct
tors met by chance the other day and an old,
c-ray-haired veteran of the cab told a story.
He had been an engineer with a big repu-
tation as a runner" In the years gone by.
but on account of failing nerves and eye
sight, was now enjoying an easy berth
around the shops. He SAID:
at was when the old Y. NJ. g. B. was
first opened up, he began, 81 was pullln'
passenger, and took the first coach over the
road. / get good run, all day work, and
was holdin' her down as a good thi 2.
Bout year after we'd got to dom good
business had some extra runnin' and lost
NV turn for while and run nights all of
the time. 1t was my last trip before I'd
get back to my own run, and l was feelin'
glad to get on 20 the day trick again
We'd hal some mighty bad weather and
lots Of water fell. Our track was in pretty
good shape, though, and we didn't much
fear washouts. So we kept up with the card
pretty well On the night spoke about
was on No. 2. We mad heavy tram, but
the machine l had was able to get there
and was on time till we struck a freight
thai couldn't tale the siding. They
swung us down' and we side
tracked until the freight got away. l was
pretty warm over losing the time, and when
we lit out of there l pulled her right up to
the notch, and went for all she was
WORTH. We we're maxim about forty-five
miles an hour, and whe We reached the
'tiir east of Wildcat, worked steam all the
way down. We were bout haf way to the
creek when tho bell rang. l worked
mighty quick, but it was down hill and the
rails were wet, and l didn't get stopped
until the pilot was almost over the bridge
or where the bridge ought to bee 4use
when L stopped the headlight was shining
over a chasm. The bridge was washed
away. Cad! You can tell just bout how
| felt. Ny fireman nearly tainted, aud /
wasn't far behind him. Well, after we
stopped, the conductor, a smart chap,
with fancy lamp and rubber collar,
came a-runnin'' up, wantin' to know why l
stopped. v,. j., -
pull the rope forp / says.
az didn't says he.
"'Well, who didP says.
"No one,' says he, hot like.
"'Well, some one pulled it, or / wouldn't
STOPPED, says l.
The con looked at me minute, and
lust then the brakeman came up.
did you pull the rope, Joe? said the
con-
mo says Joe.
Just of a sudden thought struck me
and l told the brakey' to ask the porter
The COON hadn't pulled the bell, and the
passengers in his car were all asleep, until
jerked them eadwayS vita the air. | took
the conluc,o around to the front end and
showed him the bridge. He was scared to
DEATH AID we went back together through
the train to see who pulled the bell rope,
but every mothers son of them swore it
wasn't touched. began to get scared again
and told them ab ut the bridge, ID every
body came out to look at it. We couldn't
fad any one who gave the signal, aud after
we'd tagged back to the staLion got to
thinkn more ana more, md 1 came to the
opinion that the bell was rung by provi-
dence. There was $50 people on the train
and if tuat bell hadn't a rung I'd took
them all over into the Wildcat and dro pped
them about 100 fee into the water. They
wouldn't been anybody left TO tell about il
either.
The superintendent looked into the
thl g after reported, and had me and Joe
up on the carpet twice, bnt we both heard
the bell, and swore TO it. Same chap got
out long eXpla laiion that the bell rope
was tight FETCHED. aud we struck low
int coming down the hill, when one end
OF the coach sagged, and the rope helm
tight it rung the Oell but don't believe it.
1t was providence that did it. and | know
1t, and I've never swure an oath since, and
never will"