Milford chronicle., 1891-01-30
A raAMp's mDE OF TERROR.
III clad and FOrlorn, He Stole q Place Z
a CowcAtch0r in Zero Weather.

III Chad and FOrlorn, He Stole = Place on
COwcatchSr in Zero Weather.
A poor, half starved tramp stole a ride
on the coWcatcher Of q New York and New
England railroad locomotive last Christ
mas night, and he is not likely soon to for
get his trip. As Engineer Potter, of the
limited express, drove his long train from
the west and halted his painting engine at
the station for few minutes preparatory
to beginning the long run to Boston, a
slight man, shabbily clad in a short, thin
coat, light trousers, shoes and felt hat,
came timidly across the network Of iron
rails to his cab and asked If he might ride
on the engine to Boston.
''No," said the engineer, the rules Of the
road expressly forbid it." Then the tramp
wanted to get aboard the baggage car, but
Mr. Potter was not at liberty to permit him
70 do so. He shivered and went away. Then
the locomotive bell changed. the passengers
(vho had alighted and gone into the depot
restaurant for supper hurriedly got aboard,
and the train moved off, quickening its
speed rapidly. It was a still night, with
the mercury almost at zero, and the moon
was very bright The engineer let his steel
horse 90 at the rate Of more than fiftymiles
an hour, and, though all the cab windows
were tightly shut, 50 cold was the air that
rushed into the engine that even the en-
gineer and fireman felt chilly.
As Putnam was passed the fireman fan
cied be heard an unusual sound above the
roaring Of flying wheels, and he hastily
drew aside one sash in q cab window. He
glanced along the curved side of the great
boiler and instantly uttered n cry Of aston
ishment. He saw the wretched tramp,
who had begged for a ride at Willimantic,
clinging like fiy to the front of the en-
gine, and whose faee, how turned toward
the fireman. was white with hopeless ter
ror. He was shaking Ike a leaf with the
trembling Of the locomotive, his clothes
fiu. tning in the hurricane like rush Of the
engino, and it was evident to the fireman,
at his first glance, that the poor fellow
could retain his grip on the engine only a
few moments longer
The cry Of the fireman brought Engineer
Potter also to the, side Of the cab in an in
slant, and even as the two men stared at
the wretch. tossing on the cowcatcher, the
latter made a desperate effort to cli-2b
higher upon the pilot to the hot aocQo
front. In doing so he grasped liyesas2s, I,
pipe. The pipe was blistering hot, but the
tramp dared not let go, for he would have
fallen to the roadbed or been ground under
the great driving wheels. Still he uttered
no cry, though the look Of agony in his face
told what he suffered.
The train was still laundering on at fifty
miles an hour, and the engineer dare not
apply the brakes, for he knew the sudden
Jar and jolC that would result from that
act would fling the wretch under the
wheels. There was only one way in which
the man could be saved, and Engineer Pot
ter saw it at once. So he went out on the
locomotive. the fireman following him,
crawled along its side, and yelled to the
man to hold up his hand The engineer
then fairly pulled the tramp, with the aid
of the fireman, into the cab. The man fell
on the floor Of the cab completely exhaust
ed. He received kind treatment during
the rest Of the ride to Boston, in which city
he was provided with food and lodging and
medical attendance.-COr.N New York Sun.