Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-18
TALES OF EMc,Mes
rh~v Suffer from Nervous Pros,ra,,on an.,
are Almost Human,


s"S suffer from Nervous Prostration and
are Almost Human.
Says an old engineer in the New York
World:
Il don't think any Eastern railroad
engineer has forgotten the terrible Rich
mono switch disaster on the Providence
una Stonington road. It had o very
pathetic feature about it. A little
orook became swollen by the rain and
carried away a railroad bridge. The
Train came rushing along that night and
was hurled into the chasm. Giles, the
engineer, when he saw the danger
aaead, instead of leaping from the en-
g,ne as ms fireman did, grasped the
lever and reversed the engine. But it
was too late. The train was going at
such 81 eed that the locomotive leaped
clear across the stream, aud they found
dlles lying under his overturned engine
with the lever driven through his body
and one hand clutching the throttle
valve with the grasp of death. Giles,
when he came into Providence. was &C.
customed to give two peculiar whistles
as signal to his wife, who lived near.
the railroad where it enters the suburbs
OF the city, that he was all right and
would soon be home. The absence of
those whistles was the first intimation
which was received at Providence of the
disaster. When the engine which made
that terrible leap on that stormy night
was rebuilt and put on the road again.
there was at first great trouble in get
ting engineers for it, with such super
etltlous horror was it regarded. To-day
there are people ready to swear that
they have heard whistles, such as Giles
used to blow as signals to his wife,
sound through the suburbs of Provi-
dence when no train is coming up the
road. And am not prepared to say
they are wrong"
What other curious facts have you
observed about engines?"
j 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 locomotive after q prolonged re.
sponsibility has been put upon it-such
as hauling the Paymaster, OF the Presi.
dent of the United States, or bridal
party, in which the bride was the daugh.
ter of the owner of the road. Why, the
story is told in Chicago about the ia
nous George Gates, one of the most
fearless men who ever sat in cab. Old
Commodore Vanderbilt liked to trave
fast, and when he went out on specia
train the track was kept clear, and the
engineer knew that the quicker he go
over the ground the better his chic
would be pleased. Gates was brough
East to take the train from Cleveland t.
Chicago. He knew every inch of tn,
road and got through to Toledo in grea
shape. Another engine had been or
dered to be ready, but by some misun
Outstanding the right one was not fire,
up. The one he was offered was ma
chine that Gates was afraid OF. Or
may have been that a freight engin
was offered through the blunder OF til
round-house men. Whatever the res
son was, Gates refused to take the ne,
engine and decided to run his ow
through to Chicago. He knew the ris
and took the precaution to get the D.
vision Superintendent to order the bes
locomotive in the shops fired up and
follow the special train as relief. TIL
trouble came about forty miles fror
Toledo. Suddenly the engine qui
working. The train came to stor
George sprang out of the cab, locke
the engine over and through, nothin
appeared to be wrdng, he couldn't ge
her to start. He told me she tremble
like horse that had been over-ridden
How properly an engine is called til
iron horse. When the relief engine al
rived the Osceola was pulled on sid
ing and the new engine took the trail
into Chicago. Now, I understood thi
utter collapse. A full weeks rest wa
necessary to restore the engine.
"The most remarkable fellow we eve
had on our road was Billy Tinker. H
took more chances and had more mario,
escapes from death than any man eve
knew. He believed that locomotiv
was rational. His brain was thoroughly
healthy, but in the cab he acted yer.
strangely. He talked to the engine al
time. He spoke to her when grad
was approached, just as good cross
country rider does to the horses that h
expects to take bad fence or broat
ditch. 1 don't think he ever prayed
but he had mortal fear of switch 6s
just outside Anderson. and actually Sc
cured influence enough with the com
pany to have that switch taken out. III
insisted that he'd be killed on it, if
we're not removed. He was great fel
low, Tinker. I remember that he car
ried fine Jnrgenson watch in heav.
copper case that he had had made TO
il. He has retired now and lives il
quiet up on Lake Erie somewhere. II
bet he is still within sound of locomo
tives whistle"
wiles of Western Whisky.