The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-05-20

The express should have stopped al
Beverly, but there was no time for that
now; and as the train roared by Lance
caught glimpse of white astonished
faces, waving arms and flashing lights.
Then all was swallowed in darkness
again
By this time the passengers of the ex-
press had learned of their danger, and
We're in state of panic that the utmost
efforts of the trainmen, themselves pale
with alarm. could quell. Mr. Bascom
seemed paralyzed with CONSERVATION,
and unable to think of any means of
averting the catastrophe.
Badly frightened as he was himself,
yet Lance had been pondering deeply
during the past few minutes. Now he
suddenly pulled Mr.. Bascom's sleeve,
and raising his voice so as to be heard
over the din. he said. Just after we
cross the next bridge there is heavy up
grader
Yes, yesl What of it?'
Wasn't a train stalled there few
months ago, just after the oil train had
broken DOWN.
Mr.. Bascom nodded he began to I'M
derstand
well, then, why can't we oil the
tracks and stall that engine?
Mr. Bascom reflected for a moment.
''We can try" he said at length, his pale
face clearing a little. 1T is at least a
chance, and he hurried away.
Lance's idea was this, as every one
knows when railway tracks are coated
with ice the driving wheels of an engine
will sometimes slip and revolve rapidly
without moving the engine itself. The
same is true when the tracks are coated
with oil When the train is under head
way and on level this might not hap
pen but on steep up grade the head
way would be lost, and the wheels would
probably slip on rails covered with ice or
oil.
Mr.. Bascom reappeared, pushing his
way through the terror stricken crowd
of passengers, carrying two large oil
cans, each containing gallon or more
of the thick mixture of oil and tallow
which is used to lubricate the machinery
of road engines To each can was at
tached long curved spout, on the oppo
site side a handle.
The express was already mounting the
steep incline, and behind lit, not a hun
bred yards distant, roared the pursuing
engine, its headlight streaming broadly
in the anxious faces of the men gathered |
on the rear platform of the car. Mr..
Bascom handed one of the tallow cans
+l,,. k,.,,l 4l1a,, 1N1+I
dropped on their knees, and leaning far
over the platform held the curved spouts |
of the cans within a few inches of the
rails.
AS the express sped on, Lance saw the
thick fluid rush from the spouts upon
the rails, which glistened in the glare of
the advancing engines light. Every
one, passengers and trainmen, who had
crowded to the rear of the car to witness
the experiment, held his breath as the
engine rushed upon the long,
shining track
On it came with undiminished speed;
hen, yes, it was surely so-the distance
between the express and the engine was
And now as the imperiled
rain labored up the incline. putting and
painting like an exhausted runner, all
here uttered a wild cry of joy and re-
ief
Engine No. 20 had gradually lost it's
Roadway, and now, kissing and snort
ng, stood still upon the oiled track, it's
wheels revolving uselessly, with a noise
ike distant thunder
A short distance farther on the ex-
,ress was also stopped, and the engineer {
an back and mounting into the stalled
ngine turned off the steam, rendering {
he pursuing engine incapable of further y
arm A train hand, who understood :
he business, took charge of it, and ran ?
/ back to the station whence it had es- Z
anad a
How the Kangaroo Uses It's Tail.
The common opinion that kangaroOs
Sc their strong, muscular tails as a
leans of propulsion in their flying leaps.
1hich often cover from twenty to thirty
9et each, is at once seen to be fallacious
y any one who joins in kangaroo o
unit. When sitting erect in attitude OF
bservation the tail is used as an i'm a
ortant factor in the support of the a
ody, and when the animal is feedin. +
It which times it moves about in lazy. p
rawling gait upon all four of its feet, 4
drags Imply over the earth. d.
In running, however, it is curved grace e
lilly upward to clear the ground, and p
ever once touches it during the kan s.
aroo's fight, being seen to fulfill The m
flee of balancing pole and preserving
lie animals equilibrium by shifting =
ositions according to the nature of the
Journal.