Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-05-02
A Runaway Train.

had himself received it from an officer
of one of the great railroads that
cross the Allegheny Mountains.
"There," said the officer to my in
Gormant, as they were both going |
about a great central station where
cars and locomotives were made, re-
paired and kept; "there is the very
man. fine wants any favor of the
road he has only to ask for it. The
rest of us come and go; but he-he
stays and may stay, service or no
service, till death removes him. The
road is grateful to him and will al
ways hold him in honor"
Many years have elapsed since the
incident happened; many more since
the telling of the tale to my friends.
The details and the coloring vary
somewhat as they pass from mouth
to mouth. Nodoubt, when you have
finished the story, you will say, 'Why,
that was the very thing / would
have done myself" But would you
! have done it? Here is the story:
Puff Puff! Puff 1t was hard work;
for the grade was steep and the train
long and heavy. The engine painted
as if its strength was failing And
no wonder. For miles and miles up
the slopes of the Allegheny Noun
tains it had been tugging its precious
burdens, and there were many more
miles before it should reach the sum-
NIT and tarry awhile to regain its
strength.
Much of the way was little more
than a shelf cut into the mountain
sides, with rising walls of rock on one
hand and deep rayines on the other.
And far up among the mountains, Of
| ten on the opposite sides of huge and
| gloomy chasms, the observant travel
er would catch glimpses of what
seemed to be the curves and embank-
ments of another road. Later he
would be himself borne over these
verychasms and whirled around these
very curves.
These changing scenes kept the
passengers in a tremor of half joyful,
half anxious excitement.
"How beautiful that wooded slopel'
"Shall we ever get to the top of the
ridge?"
down here among the treesl See
this silvery cascader'
"Ah. here we go through tunnel!'
"That great boulder looks as
if the slightest jar would bring it
down upon u.s."
"What if the roadbed should give
way here like an avalanch?"
"0h, here comes some trestle-work
How frail it looksl And what dir
w height fit should break under
us-oh, dear!''
Just then a quick, sharp whistle
was heard. To those who heard it
it said imperatively, down brake,
and be quick about it, tool in
stantly the brakemen were straining
at their posts as il every life wer,
threatened. Indeed, it was stheil
duty on these hard, treacheroui
grades to stand by the brakes anC
use them at n moments warning
: People thrust their heads out of tn
car windows, and some hurried t
: the platforms, and there was a dea
of nervous questioning. What wa!
the matter? Had an accident hap
pened? Was there any danger? No
body seemed to know. Not even TIN
: brakemen were informed. And j
was the gift of blessed Providenc
) that the cause was not revealed, els
| that moment of uncertainty ant
!. subdued alarm would have been on
!. of anguish and disaster.
: Free the engine from the trainl'
e he shouted to the fireman. The en-
e CINE was uncoupled. and the trail
was left behind. Now jump 70
f your life!" There was no time 70
j. parley. The fireman leaped, fell an
a scrambled to his feet again. The
n the engineer put on full steam. Free
y from its burden of coaches the loco
!; motive responded at once.
n "Now fight the battle for us!" e2
e claimed the engineer as he spran
e from the steps. His quick eye ha
5 chosen a favorable spot on which t
e alight. Though thrown headlon
with some force, he was on his fee
+ promptly enough to see his train TO
by lessening speed, under the FIJI
control of the faithful brakemen
t That something serious had hal
5 pened or was about to occur bega
d to be clear to the passengers. On
or two had seen the firemen juml
e two or three, the engineer; and large
IL numbers from the soiled and bruise
" and dazed, were trying to raise I
u their feet by the side of the track. A
a was excitement and tumult. Son
lie began to leap from the ears. Fort
% nately there was little dangernow, {
d the motion of the train had near
ceased.
ID Up the track, meanwhile, went Il
Is iron monster to meet the foe alon
It Down the track, into full sight, can
A. the wild freight cars with speed !
e; great that they almost rose from Il
r rail as they rounded the curve. Nea
Up er and nearer, the speed of each i
Id creasing. When they flew at eat
IN other in Almighty, tiger-like rage, as
there were blood to be shed and nerv
)t to he torn asunder. The crash shoe
Al IAN. A ..,.n.A ,.s,,,,. nlntaI