The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-08
A THRILLING NIGHT RUN
BILL JONES HAS AN AWFUL EXPERT
ENCE ON A SHORT LINE.


About Which the TrustfuI Passengers
Generally Know Nothing.
Bill Jones, the driver of the big express
engine, 1,786, wiped his hands on bunch
of waste and leaned back in his cab con-
tentedly smoking awaiting the signal from
the conductor to start. In front the green
light below the headlight, indicating that
another section of the same train would fol
low, shone brightly. while behind long
line of baggage day and sleeping cars
stretched out into the darkness beyond the
station.
At last the signal came. With alert
senses the engineman opened the throttle
and the train slowly started through the
maze of tracks in Harrisburg yard on its
long run to Philadelphia Little by little
more steam was put on, and faster and
faster the express ratified along.
On dashed the train, its course now lying
between the old canal and the broad Sus-
quehanna. A slight mist was rising from
the river, but far across twinkled the
dim lights Of another train, emphasized by
clearer light as the furnace door was
opened by the fireman. Bill Jones saw it
and smiled to himself 1t was the Balti-
more connection which had left Harris
burg five minutes before his train. He
jerked the cord, and shrill whistle sound
ed through the night. Two minutes later
an answering blast fioated sleepily across
the water
The express rumbled on, now at full
speed, whizzing by a coal train, which had
crossed over to the west bound track to let
it pass, and ratified through Middletown
past long lines of other freights held back
by the angry red of the semaphore so that
the express might not be delayed at the in
tersection-
ON SINGLE TRACK ROAD.
Far ahead the signal governing the east
bound track shone crimson. Suddenly it
turned into a white light and Jones re-
leased the air which he had just put on, the
train dashed forward and, with jolt,
rumble and twist sped across the main
line tracks, disappearing down the Mount
Joy branch, the single track line used for
passenger service between Lancaster and
Harrisburg.
Just twenty-five minutes from the time
the express passed the intersection it drew
up at Mount Joy, fourteen miles distant,
and took the siding to clear the Pacific ex-
almost oppressive, and the only sound
which broke the stiffness was the steady
working of the injector, resembling moth
ing so much as person painting after
long run.
From down the valley came faint whis-
tie, then a rumble, a roar, the flash of a
headlight and the rush of a heavy train
dashing by at full speed, with scarcely a
light visible in the long line of sleepers.
As it passed Bill reused himself and pulled
the whistle cord sharply three times to
warn the other engineer of the section fol-
lowing, and then he started his train again
for Lancaster.
Meanwhile the rear brakeman was stand
ing half doing on the platform of the last
sleeper. He heard Jones give the signal to
the engineer of the Pacific, and he saw the
red tail lamps of the other train vanish in
the direction of Harrisburg as he felt his
own train in motion. Then there fioated
back another signal. Toot, toot, toot
A BRAKEMAN'S DILEMMA.
The brakeman's heart leaped. That
meant there was another section OF the Pa
cific, also, close behind, and the engineer
had neglected to call Jones' attention to
the green lamps on his own engine until
aroused by Bills whistle. The brakeman
was in a quandary. Should he pull the
bell cord and stop the train only to find that
Bill already knew of the second section of
Pacific running that night and was sup
piled with orders, he would invite a repri-
mand for his officiousness. On the other
hand, if his fears were well founded and
the express was running on the single
track toward the opposing train
He resolved to run the risk of leaving his
post and go forward. 1t is no easy task to
thread ones way through three or four
sleepers, around staterooms and smoking
apartments, and it is still more difficult to
pass through an ordinary coach in the mid
die of the night, when passengers sprawl
into easy attitudes and extend their limbs
into the aisles.
Like an age it seemed to the brakeman
ere he gained the platform of the front car,
clambered over the rocking tank of the
engine and stood beside the engineer.
"Bill, did you notice Pacific carried sig
mails for a second section?" he yelled into
the engineers ear. MY God! no."
Then the man accustomed to dangers
made lightning calculation. There would
be at least twenty-five minutes headway
between the two sections caused by the
stop at Lancaster. Fully five minutes had
already expired, and he knew by the sur
roundings Mount Joy was four miles be-
hind.
SAVED BY A SCRFECH
Within the next five minutes the second
section, if on time would leave Lancaster
and run slowly to Dillerville, the junction
of the branch and the main line Could
he with eight cars run the seven miles and
get there ahead of the west bound train'
Ay, if it We're in the wood
He threw the levers as far as they would
so and the train bounded ahead go
back, jim" he shouted to the fagman,
"this is no place for you if we meet her"
and the man obeyed. Three, five.
seven, eigh inutes passed, and the heavy
train was sh oting forward nearly mile
every minute. but each second brought the
crisis nearer. he held down the whistle
cord. and a long, uninterrupted blast
sounded, but to the fevered senses of the
engineer it made no noise
He could see portion of the main line
now, but not where the passenger trains
run Then the engine swung Sround, and
directly in front was Dillerville tower, Civ
ing him the clear signal, while lying mo-
tionleSs just beyond was the second section
of Pacific, held back by the warning red Of
the semapho-e, The tower man had heard
the wild screech Of Jones engine and
stopped the west bound train in the nick
OF time
That happened ten years ago.-Philadel-
phia Times
Nothing Cheap About Him.