New-York tribune., 1891-12-26
AN ENGINEERS MAD Rum
he THOUGHT DEATH WAS BEFORE HIM. BUT
THE BRIDGE STOOD FIRM

TIE BRIDGE STOOD FIRM
| aUove I ever been frightened on my engine'
| Well I should say ! have been-so much that
have felt nv cap rise of my head as my hair STOOD
| ON end Get up In the cab here and I'll ten you
about the only time ever said prayer IN my NE
| 81 was running on the old g. j. and a. hmi-
road before IL was consolidated with the Lehlsh
Valley The road In those days wa. not so prosper
ous as IL is now and did not have all the material
| that we should have had TO work with An engine
was often kept running until she actually broke
down on the road before she coud be taken 10 the
slop for repairs. But that is not what was going
| TO tell about They good old days, ana we
had lots OF fun mingled with tho hardest KIND OF
| work. I suppose that makes 1t all even We mad
| one terrible enemy in the winter. That was the
snow. Along the lnkes are long stretches OF level
country over which the wind blows the snow in the
| veest possible manner. II would Ill up the cuts
and make huge drifts on the track, compelling the
road to suspend business sometimes for three or four
| days. until the track couh be cleaed.
"Onc night there came tremendous fall Of snow.
| Trains were stalled oil along the line. and pas
| senger train was caught somewhere near C'verts
Early In the morning all the available engines were
| ordered cut with snowpoughs and gangs OF men
| to clear away the snow. / had a big six-1leel
mogul one OF the heaviest engines the road. and
| Of we were expected to do some elective
work. We put big supply Of coal in the tender
and started out TO clear the track The snowplough
was built up about ten feet high, and was made Of
boiler iron fastened on strong nbers. 1t botcd
to the front end OF nat car md tons Of old scrap
iron were piled on the to mako II heavy, so ID
would not rise from the rails when we struck big
bank. wel We got out OF Ithaca all right. The
| old mogur went along poughing through the snow,
pushing II aside and throwing II around as IL 1t were
only fun for her We got mp over the hill without
| any serious delay, but there was a cut inst the
other side Of the summit that was com
pletely filed with snow. saw 1t and
pulling the old 'mogul's' throttle wide open made a
running Jump for it. The snowplough was driven
about halfway through the cut, and then We got
| stuck We backed on and tried again. but 1t was no
| use; couldn't get through. Word was telegraphed
| back, and In an hour so three locomotives were
| sent to our assistance. We coupled together when
they arrived and made another effort. with the in
| creased power We pushed our way through clean
| as pin.
"Thers is another cut Just west OF Toughannock,
| similar to the we had Just cleared only 1t is a
little deeper, IL anything The boys held consulta
ton and decided TO go ahead and way through
this cut II We could. pulled the whistle, signalling
to the other engineers to on and in moment the
four big mosuls,' with the snowplough ahead, were
going like streak for the snOwcut couple OF miles
away. On the other side Of Toughannock Station is
Toughannock Gorge, over which an iron bridge.
The gorge is not wide at that point, but very deep
with little stream Of water sparkling and glmmerins
In the bottom like tiny limo Of glittering silver
You see, the gorge between tho engines
and the cut, and no one had thought Of
ths bridge when We decided TO charge on
the cut It's dangerous thing a rule, to run two
engines coupled together bridge, let alone four,
| and u great snowplough with all the weight that
could be piled on It, We were within hundred
yards Of the bridge before thought Of It, but when
did my heart went down In my boots. There was no
use trying TO stop. That was simply impossible
felt sure that my time had come. sat down on my
box and hung to the lever with both hands.
could hear the engines behind putting and snorting
their little driving wheels going around fast that
you could scarcely SEQ them. Above all could hear
the big No. 10, the last engine the string, working
with the fury Of devil doing her best to push the
rest of along little faster. What l suffered in
those few seconds / cannot describe These gray
hairs, Think caused by that terrible strain
We drew and nearer the span. looked across
the boiler at my fireman. thinking 1t would be the last
time should sec him on earth There he stood grH
ming like a Jack lantern, his white teeth shining be-
meath the black his dirty face, wping his oily
hands with piece Of waste utterly unconscious OF the
awful death that awaited him.
"Poor fool,' 1 thought. "you had better die In
peace.n / could not warn him of the danger II
would. We were now very near the bridge. In an
instant should all be dead. l closed my
eyes and began to pray. The snOwplOugh struck the
span and after it. we came felt it trembe as the
the gorge as it echoed back the noise made by the
train All the engines seemed to leap through the
air as they ran on the bridge. and before lad time
to realize what had happened. we were safely on the
other sde tearing toward the object Of our at
tack. like so manv agents from HI
ave had fearful time clearing out that cut We
got stuck dozen times and could not get either way.
but when the engine got together while we were
being shoveled out and l told them OF our cs-
cape there than pale face in the group.
You asked me II / had been frightened Well.
that Is the time, and want minute OF such
agony as suffered that day againnot for the world