The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-06
CHASED BEwILD ENGINE.
An Engineers Ting Story of a Rail-
road Incid en- the Mountains.

"W ell, yes, saAe engineer, putting
contentedly upon nlpe and gazing with
loving pride at his ese as it stood in the
yard near the Cniolpot, waiting for its
train. 1--WE do see soliran1e sights along
the road after dark whether a night
run makes a man srsti tious or not /
would not like TO say.had a peculiar ex~
perience myself on mountain some
wears ago, one which, me to ask for a
day run, although die get it. At that
time | was taking the lime east, leaving
here about O'CLOCK In evening aud get
ting into Altoona q Iii after midnight.
That night we pulledlt Of the Union
depot half an hour lathe Pan Handle
connection being that nh behind time.
THE first section, VIII | took out. con-
sisted mostly of baggegud express cars,
there being but two Assenger coaches
coupled on behind. ThAeepers were on
the second sctlon whidollowed usIabout
twenty minltes later. u know how wild
and lonely ne country isong the Pittsburg
division, am that outs of Greensburg
and JohnsDwn there's nettlement worth
mentioning When we cached the mar
rows east Blairsville tersection a rain
storm set d. The winthowled through
the foresttnd blew a rsalar gale, the oc-
casional cash of falliutree on the noun
tain ahVe US showit how the storm
was rging Jack my fireman,
got scaed and b(ged me 20 stop
the tralnpr fear we wtld run into log
or landlide. | didnidare do it, for as I
said befd we left Pittpurg half an hour
late, andp far had nomade up minute,
and besiB 1t wouldn'tio to get on to the
time of ? second secton. l shut off steam
q little SHAT in casewe should strike any
thing. wwould not b likely to roll down
the rockfnto the Clnemaugh river. We
passed tbugh the Packsaddle all right,
howeve1n reached Johnstown near mid
night. lis was years before the great
food, anil was glad when we came in
sight of furnace fires and electric lights
of the irdworks, for somehow felt nervous
and out sorts.
"Whetwe got away from Johnstown
and beg to climb up the mountain we
were agt in the wilderness, for, as you
know, tfbtretch of track ON the western
slope bepen Cresson and Johnstown runs
through bout as desolate section as you
would fiji anywhere. We were the only
crew on hill that night, and / said to
Jack thi there must be a block on the
west bou track on the other side of the
mountaii for we usually passed half a
dozen tins Of empty coal cars after
leaving ,hnstown. Well, we found there
had be, land slide near Alle-
grippus when We reached Gallitzin,
but it had been cleared away,
and threewestbound extras had already
cached To summit. 1t takes three engines
. bring D an ordinary freight from AL
BONA, wv in front and one behind. The
70 helpts are cut OFF at the top of the
ountain md run back hight to Altoona
r anottr trip. When we reached the
pnmit, therefore. there were six empty
gnes waiting to follow US down. You
pat to keep move on, one of the freight
we're goiu' 10 chase you down into AL
Iva Yard ahead of the second section
laughed, and when my train got fairly
fr the summit and began to slide down
grade, shut off steam. | knew the
fnes which would follow US would be
y far enough III the rear by the signal
4 in the towers, We soon plunged into
tunnel and ratified along at lively
g with that clicketty-clack of the wheels
va makes it pain to every one that the
u is running down grade by its own
WHIT. kept the air on pretty closely
a. so held the train under control,
iqn the brakes failed to work
" needed, going down there, it
wy be good-by John when the first curve
"+achsd. | got thinking of that as we
sVk down tho track that night, and fell
tohGering what iG would be like to see
anytime or car roll down the mountain To
tldJton hundreds of feet below. The air
Walisty, the rain having ceased, but now
anqea a gust of wind would blow away
thelg, and for an instant the mountain
tophd sides could be seen. Then the fog
wol fall again and shut out everything,
| 80 tt the track right ahead could not be
| seen
ut above Allegrippus, the point where
The ack bends around and runs down 20
tne Arseshoe Bend, is a signal tower, and
oe!otthe curve is another. We got the
whit at the upper tower, and, reducing
Speedrolled on. A gust of wind blew away
tle II Just as we were rounding the bend,
ana to wild mountain scenery was clearly
outllnd in the darkness. We moved
slowlylown to the curve, for the rules are
very srict about keeping control of the
Train ahpg there. We rounded the Horse.
Shoe am pu5 on little steam to get back
u fairspeed again. Jack was sitting il
tne cab half asleep, for the fireman has g
rest on q down grade. | saw ahead tht
clear signal az the Kittaning Point tower.
something made me turn my head and
LOOK across the valley to the other side from
which we had just come.
AS gaZed the midst Gle ared away, and
suddenly headlight flashed into view and
an engine was outlined against the SKY be-
yond. In a second it disappeared, but a
rattle aud roar and faint light as from an
open furnace door told me that the locomo-
i've had turned the bend and was conf G
uo"n the mountain at terrific speed. The
course Of the engine was then nearly
parallel with ours, but l knew that mo-
ment later it would skim around the curve
ana be right behind. For an instant was
almost d, paralized with surprise and fear.
Inc Idea OF an empty engine dashing down
a grade IN your rear, with speed
Iour times that of you own, il
something to benumb ones brain. A
person accustomed Co act upon the
impulse OF the moment does SO almost IN
consciously, aud in this Instance threw of
1he bra es and put on full head OF steam,
eVel while my eyes we're fixed on the engine
penlnu. My engine gave a jump, and
knew that IL less time than it takes to tell
~. We would be making mile a minute. Ii
we engineer of the helper was running
rapidly but carefully, under the impression
tnaI we were far ahead, the danger signal
~ 1he tower would warn him and he would
9I'op, but If he had lost control of his egine-
l thought of the high embaukment ahead
ane tremhled as tina idea of rolling down
me en- m auntain again came into my brain.
ne wild and prolonged footing of g
whistle sounded in the rear and re-echOed