The Bossier banner., 1891-02-12
FROM RAILS OF STEEL.
An Old Engineer Tells Of Some
Narrow Escapes.

Justice of the Supreme Court is not
more taciturn than the average railroad
engineer. And, not unlike the eminent
iurists. when once his habitual reserve
i cast aside he is a veritable mine of
saecdote and wit
Washington Star Reporter one
afternoon during the past week ran
across one of these knights of the
Throttle" in the neighborhood of the
round house" on Virginia avenue, and,
Is luck would have it, the Salvation
cal, as the pay car is designated in the
nilroader's parlance, had just arrived
and he was in good humor and talka-
tive
Come, John, you won't go out on your
run for two hours yet. Tell me about
come Of the tight places you've been in
since becoming an engineer"
well, young man, we don't like to
talk about these things, but, as you
appear to be anxious for story, don't
mind telling you one"
Tell me about that long red scar
there under your chin. That must
have been quite wound.
That was rather a hard one, but
when received it it was a smaller af-
fair in comparison with my other breaks
and bruises. As you know, 1 have
pulled throttle on the Baltimore &
Potomac road ever since the first rail
was laid. Railroading to-day is child's
play to what it was then. Now our
greatest risk is broken rail or axle;
then it was dozen different things to
keep US alert, chief among them being
Kashouts, insecure trestles and mis-
takes in telegraph orders incidental to
single-track road. Overwork always
Played prominent part, and it was
owing to the latter fact that this scar
adorns my meat-chopper
1t was during the busy days of the
Inauguration of Garfield, and all the
sleep the boys had secured for week
vas only cat-naps. was coming north,
out Of Washington, on the evening of
Inauguration day, and ex-President
hayes occupied private car on the rear
o. my train. The cars were crowded to
tneir fullest capacity, and with this re-
spoasibiHty upon me believe l could
nave done without sleep for a month.
All the cars were in Washington or
ooand north, the engines coming south
generally being empty-that is, without
cars The engineers of these empty en-
glnes would momentarily relax their
slgAance, owing to the lesser response
piiity and it was during one of these
Monehts that got into the tightest
pace and received the closest call of
NY ilte. received orders to pass two
smpty engines coming south at Severn,
asmall telegraph station about thirty
mlies north of Washington, and that
Faey would take the siding for me. NY
engine was doing nicely and we were
Asslng 1t along at pretty lively gait,
snhh' just as turned the Severn curve,
~ Dang came the two engines into me,
aaa When woke up two weeks had
passed, an engineer and baggage-master
haa been buried, three locomotives and
sualf.dozen cars smashed into splinters,
ala lay on my back in the hospital
slsa leg, an arm and three ribs
ssvken and my under jaw almost torn
y Inc engineer of one of the south
souhd engines had relaxed his vigil
sAaee for hardly more than a minute,
forfeit - = " 1-' "-~ 'A'
why didn't I Jump Holy smoke,
sOuhg fellow, that never entered my
lllo. ! reversed my engine, put on the
~, ana BY that time we were piled up
sna was unconscious. The good Lord
a Knows why my railroading days
s.an end there, but they didn't, and
-ssser myself that can make time
WIN any of the boys"
now about that little accident out at
'0faaer's curve; weren't you mixed
Y n that affair? It occurred a good
aai.e ago, but / never heard the par
Heu should say was mixed up in
iss.s 49, analr' In all my days of railroad
saat was the luckiest accident with
- queerest trimmings / have ever
aa0Wn, The little details that / am 90
g tel you in connection with the
49, came to me some time after their
nls time was coming south on the
NJ ~ 1ork express, and was due in
,ngton at 1880 at night had
Ssss S.sse sWelye cars filed with passengers
A1 ne At that time there was a