The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-04
REoKLEss RAILRoApINe.
A wild Run on n Far western Road aud
Narrow Escape from Calamity.

Wild Run on Far western Road and n
Narrow Escapo from Calamity.
Americans, " said an old traveller, faro
inclined to smile at Jules Vernes story
in Around the World in Eighty Days
of the trans-continental train that was
run across the shaking bridge at light
ming speed out west, and as the story
goes, the bridge fell in the chasm with
a crash just as the train cleared IT..
These people declare that 1t is fling at
American carelessness. AS matter of
fact there are just as foolhardy things
done frequently on western railroads,
and nothing is ever thought of it.
II had an experience several years
ago that, / think, parallels that of
Phineas Fogg and Passepartout. There
are two lines of railroad running be-
tween Denver and Leadville. They are
the Denver & Rio Grande, and the
Denver & South Park. They are both
single tracked and narrow guage. They
follow different routes to point about
twelve miles below Leadville, in the
Arkansas valley, from which point they
use a single track into Leadville. don't
know how it is now, but in those days
each company ran one train each way
daily. The train that left Denver in the
evening over the South Park was due
in Leadville early the next morning,
but before it reached the mining city 1t
was obliged to wait on a siding in the
valley until the down train over the Rio
Grande passed. The city of Leadville
is perched on plateau, several huu-
dred feet above the valley, and the rail
road winds down this slope. A person
standing out in the valley can see the
train winding down the hill, and it
comes down with reckless rush, but
the siding is placed under the brow of a
small hill that shuts off view of the
winding road to the city
"It was a frosty morning in summer
when we reached this siding. Every
ones appetite was whetted to razor
sharpness by the crisp mountain air,
and every one was impatient to get
in. But the Rio Grande was delayed.
The men got out and stamped up and
down and swore. Some one suggested
that they walk up to the point where
they could see the hill and ascertain
whether the train was coming, but the
conductor warned them to stand by the
train, as they would pull out the instant
the Rio Grande passed. The point from
which the hill would be visible was
about two hundred yards ahead of our
engine. After waiting several minutes
longer the conductor yelled to the en-
gineer: Jim, pull up and see if the
blanl1ed thing is coming Every one
scrambled on board. 1 was no tender.
foot, and probably for that reason
stood on the lower steps of one of the
platforms ready to jump. We pulled
up to the point from which the winding
track was visible, and just as we
reached it there was cry of horror
and shout of My God! there she
comesr Sure enough, the down train
was almost on top of us, and coming al
lightning speed Our engineer reversed
his lever quicker than he ever did be
fore, and in an instant we were shooting
back to our siding. We reached it ano
the switch was barely closed as the Ric
Grande went laundering down. AL
right, Jimr yelled the conductor, an6
as white-faced tenderfoot, who ha6
jumped clear over my head when a col
lision seemed inevitable, climbed or
board, he turned to him and sneered
"Folks with white livers ought to stay
east of the Missouri "-Philadelphia
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