San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-03

I
We're i'll state of panic that the utmost
efforts Of the trainmen. themselves pale
with alarm Coald quell MIR. Bascom
seemed raraly2rd with CONSERVATION.
and unable to think of any means of
avprtju@ the catastrophe
Badly frightened rs he was himself
yet Lance had been bordering deeply
| during the past few minutes. Now he
suddenly pulIpd Mr. BaScoms sleeve,
over the din, he said, just after we
cross the next bridge there is a heavy up
grade:'
Yes. yes! What of it,"
| Wasn't train stalled there II few
months ago, just after the oil train had
broken down."
Mr. Bascom nodded: he began to I'M
derstand.
We'll then, why cant we oil the
tracks and stall that engine
Mr. Bascom reflected for Il moment.
We can try. be said at length, his pale
| face clearing little 1t is at least a
| chance" and he hurried away.
Lance'S idea was this. as every one
knows when railway tracks are coated
| with ice the driving wheels of an engine
Will sometimes slip and revolve rapidly
| without moving the engine itself. The
same is true when the tracks are coated
with oil When the train is under head
way and on "a level this might not hap
pen, but on Il steep mp grade the head
way would be lost. and the wheels would
probably slip on rails covered with ice or
oil
Mr. Bascom re"ppeared, pushing his
way through the terror stricken crowd
of passengers, carrying two large oil
cans. each containing gallon or more
of the thick mixture Of oil and tallOw
which is nscd to Intricate the machinery
OF road engines 70 each can was at
tachcd a long curved spout, on the oppo-
site side a handle.
The express was already mounting the
steep incline, and behind it, not Il hun
bred Yards distant. rOared the pursuing
engine. its headlight streaming broadly |
in the anxious faces of the men gathered
on the rear platform Of the car. Mr..
BascOm handed one of the tallOw cans |
10 the bTakamen and then both men !;
dropped on their knees. and leaning far |
over the platform held the curved spouts |
Of the cans within a few inches of the |
rails.
AS the express sped on. Lance saw the |
thick fluid rush from the spouts upon |
the rails, which glistened in the glare OF J
the advancing engines light. Every |
one. passengers and trainmen, who had |
crowded to the rear of the car to witness |
the experiment. held his breath as the |
runaway engine rushed upon the long |
shining track.
On it came with undiminshed speed. |
then, yes, it was surely sO-the distance |
between the express and the engine was
widening! And now rs the ilnperiled |
train labOred up the incline, putting and |
painting like an exhausted runner, ali |
there uttered wild cry of joy and re
lief.
Engine No % had gradually lost its
headway. and now. kissing and snort
ing. stood still upon the oiled track. its |
wheels revolving uselessIy, with noise
like distant thunder.
A short Distance farther ON the OK.
r,a.s ,,,,s .I.n. .t,,,raI ond tbe orninoe,.
Van, I,.,.r. nl ,,,,,I,t;,,,, INTO +b,. st,IIad |
.m,,ina tnrnnf eff tbo .taa,p ran ln,.irg
the nnrsninr an,,int, ir,.naI,Ia If rn,,,a7,
.n.,r,, t,,im L.,,J ,,.I,a ,,,,i,,,.+,od |
the business took charge of 1t, and ran |
it back to the station whence it lad es- |
,..,,,ad
Tbar, ,,,.,s - ,naating IF cart.i,, ms
senrers ON the eyp~ass held ON the snot
and :, vota If tn.nks to tine condnrtor
A. p.,.,.,,,,, ,,.,...,i T,l,.,t ,.,,,,la,,,.,,,