The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-21
DEAD MANS CROSSING.
WHAT THE FLAGMAN OF NUMBER
SEvENTY-NlNE BEHELD.

Incident of n Stormy Night in Winter.
Ghosts on the Track-Silent Figures
Moving Through the SnOw-Their Mys-
terious Burden-The Case Investigated.
Old 70 was putting steadily away that
cold December night, dragging half a
hundred heavily loaded box cars along
at a steady twenty mile gait. 1t was
showing heavily, and cold north wind
whirled the flakes in every direction. The
snow melted in the warm cab and wet
everything In front the headlight only
made the snow storm visible. In such
weather ordinary lamp signals are useless.
as they cannot be seen until close at hand.
! The only method available to warn ap-
| preaching trains of danger is by torpedo.
Suddenly the shrill call for brakes rang
! out from the engine, and the men out
! along the train knew from the manner in
| which the cars were humping together the
engineer had put on the steam brakes hard,
and that no time must be lost in stopping
the train. The one man of the crew who
most of all dislikes to hear the call for
brakes is the rear fagman, who must at
once bestir himself from the comfortable
caboose and travel backward to signal fol-
lowing trains. Tom Baline, the fagman
of 20, felt particularly disgusted when he
heard the warning from the engine that
night, but being too well trained and too
conscientious to even think of violating
the rules, he at once put on his rubber
overcoat, felt to make sure there were tor
pedoes in his pocket and grasping his
lantern dropped from the rear step as the
train came TO standstill
He dragged himself through the closely
packed snow, pressed firm by the engine,
while the wind blew flakes in his face and
chilled him to the bone. When he had
gone back several hundred feet he turned
and looked for his train 1t was invisible
He concluded he had gone far enough, and
he therefore clamped torpedo TO the rail
ana peered around to see ther any
shelter was possible. For " moments
he could not recollect the spot, but as his
lanterns rays fell upon broken pine by
the railroad he started. He was at Dead
Mans crossing.
Rumor said the road was haunted, and
the country folk avoided it after nightfall.
A TRYING EXPERIENCE.
He concluded that he might go back
toward the train a short distance and still
be able TO protect it while being away
from the crossing When Ietracing his
steps he saw a sheltered spot by a huge
rock near the track, and at once took refuge
there. Not a sign of life could be seen any
where, and the driving snow had already
nearly obliterated his footprints. AS was
natural, Toms gaze gradually centered on
the haunted road few rods away, which
was plainly visible on account of the neigh
boring forest bringing the open space into
relief
Even as he gazed figure seemed to re-
solve itself from the shadows and moved
across the tracks. Another followed, and
then came a little knot carrying what
seemed to be bier, upon which rested a
shrouded form. Without word and
without sound the strange procession
moyed across the rails and disappeared in
the gloom. The fagman stood petrifed
with astonishment and fear, and it was
only when the four muffled blasts of the !
distant engine summoned him he found |
his senses, and Grasping his lantern ran
down the track toward the caboose with |
the speed of deer.
A few days after Tom was relating his |
adventure with much gusto to crowd of /
listeners in the Tompkinsville tavern |
Some of the audience were clearly i'm |
pressed by the tale Others insisted the |
fagman was the victim of an optical delu- /
sion, or that he had been dreaming. One |
small, wiry man, stranger, made no COM |
ment, but after the crowd had dispersed |
followed Tom and began conversation |
with him, and evidently told the trainman |
which caused that worthy to |
gasp with astonishment A passer heard !
the stranger remark, well, we will see
the trainmaster and get you leave of alb
sence, and then we will investigate"
THE GHOSTS EXPLAINED.
The following night two men got off the
late express at the station nearest to Dead |
Mans crossing, and at once started out |
along the track. They were Tom and the
stranger. Coming to the overhanging rock
they sat down and waited. Hour after
hour passed, heavy trains rumbled by, but
nothing rewarded their vigil. The next
night the same thing occurred, and again
the third evening their watch was in vain.
The fourth night the sky was clouded, and
as the midnight hour drew near the pair of
watchers felt in their bones something un-
usual was about TO occur. Long they sat
in the gloom, and finally, when both were
nearly mapping, they heard a noise in the
direction of the crossing A moment later
a shadowy figure emerged from the woods
and stood motionless upon the track. Ii
then beckoned and started on. Another
figure appeared, and then the mysterious
burden was seen by the watchers.
"Now," whispered the stranger, and at
the same moment two revolvers rang out,
and almost instantly Tom ignited rail
road fusee and started on run for the
crossing. The shadows dropped their bur
den and fed, leaving the object on the
track. Ere the assailants reached the
crossing No. carne dashing around the
curve, and striking the bundle with hol-
low "plunk," tossed it to one side, Tom
meanwhile waving his fusee like mad
aha, so thought." " laughed the stranger
There's precious lot of whisky wasted
that time" And, indeed, the fumes Of
liquor were almost overpoweriag
Tom and the detective both left on the
express to return the next day with a
large force of men. The still was located
without much difficulty, although no ar
rests could be made. Tom was well re-
warded for the assistance he furnished,
and as the ghosts and "spirits" had been
laid, the road soon lost its i'll
omened name.-Philadelph Times.