Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-06-17

course such men are always In trouble,
''They burst cylinder head by leav-
| ing the water-cocks closed to spite the
engine, or they allow the bearings to
heat, swell and jam. The element or
danger is largely increased when such
a man is in the cab. Anything is liable
| to happen If he has a cranky engine
that can get just as stubborn as her
master. I often am impressed with the
idea that some engines are mortal.
Speaking of mortals, did you ever hear
of a haunted engineer"
mo. Are there such beliefs among
engineers9"
Exactly the same superstitions that
sailors have about ships. Take the case
of the Matt Morgan, belonging to the
Shore line and running from New Har
ven to Boston by way of Providence. ]
never have seen the beast but I'd go to
| New Haven to see her. She began her
career with a homicide. Ten years ago
she blew up while standing in the track
near the station in Providence, killing
her engineer. She was promptly rebuilt
and sent back to service. On the first
trip that she made after being rebuilt
she went tearing into Providence in the
night with the train swinging behind
and the sleeping town echoing to the
shrin whistle.
On approaching the station the engi-
neer leaned forward to shut Off the
steam, but to his horror ghostly form
appeared at his side and a ghostly hand
grasped his wrist and held him fast.
When the station was reached the ghost
disappeared and the engineer stopped
the train some distance beyond. AT
10 se y1.ak Ali
He says the same thing still happens at
intervals"
81 have heard that most engineers
have a superstition regarding certain
switch somewhere on their run. What
do you know about that?" was the next
inquiry.
''It is true of nearly every express
engineer know. Yes, among the best
of them. Did you ever hear Of dear old
John Brunton, of the Cleveland, Column
bus s. Indianapolis? He made the same
run I'm now doing for over fifteen
years. He was thoroughly religious
man, respected by everybody. He was
as brave as a lien, but whenever he ap-
preached the switch, two miles east of
Silver Lake, he'd get right down on his
knees and pray for the safety Of the
train-the human lives committed to
his care.
'"rhe switch was at the head of
very long and heavy ELL, and to ruin
off the embankment thirty or forty feet
high meant death to nearly everybody.
I don't think he ever prayed personally
for himself, but he certainly felt the
awful responsibility for the hundreds
of travellers behind him. Strange as it
may seem, 1 never heard even an oiler
in the shops, much less any of the
many firemen who had been in the cab
with John, refer slighting1y to his
prayers"
"What other curious facts have you
observed about engines?"
"I am almost afraid to tell you this;
but in my forty years experience
have detected, on several occasions.
evidences of something like nervous
prostration in a locomotive after pro-
longed responsibility has been put
upon it-such as hauling the paymas-
ter, or the president Of the United
States, or bridal party, in which the
bride was the daughter Of the owner of
the road. Why, the story is still told in
Chicago about the famous George Gates,
one Of the most fearless men who ever
sat in cab.
"Old Commodore Vanderbilt liked to
travel fast, and when he went out on a
special train the track was kept clear,
and the engineer knew that the quicker
he got over the ground the better his
chief would be pleased. Gates was
brought east to take the train from
Cleveland to Chicago. He knew every
inch of the road, and got through to
Toledo in great shape. Another engine
had been ordered to be ready, but by
some misunderstanding the right one
was not fred up. The one he was
offered was machine that Gates was
afraid of.
| Cor it may have been that freight
engine was offered through the blum
der of the roundhouse men. Whatever
the reason was Gates refused to take the
new engine, and decided to run his
own through to Chicago He knew the
risk and took the precaution to get the
division superintendent to order the
best locomotive in the shops fired and
to follow the special train as relief.
The trouble came at little village
about forty miles from Toledo. Sud
aenly the engine quit working The
train came to stop.
George sprang out Of the cab,
looked the engine over and through,
nothing appeared to be wrong; he
couldn't get her to start. He told me
she trembled like a horse that had been
overridden. How properly an engine
is called the iron horse. When the re-
lief engine arrived the Osceola was
pulled on siding, and the new engine
took the train into Chicago. Now, 1
understood this utter collapse. A full
weeks rest was necessary to restore
the engine"-N. Y. World.