Democratic messenger., 1892-07-23
FOURTEEN MILES OF FEAR.

Ride Back End Foremost Over n
Strange Railroad Track by Night.
Funny. isn't it, what daredevil acts
railroad men will often do?" asked a
little travelling man of few friends as
he dropped into one of the Grand Pacific
rotunda chairs.
"Yes. something like trying to run
two trains on the same track OF trying
TO see whether the rails or a mans leg is
the hardest" suggested fellow drum
mer.
mo. mean in the ordinary course of
business. The other day started for
Washington and | had a premonition
that the trip was not 10 be of the best.
for on the way to the depot purchased
a pocket comb of street vender, who
gave me quarter too much change
We got as far as Auburn Junction and
it was awful dark, when the station
agent informed US that there was a
wreck between us and Defiance. o.
Later he said there were two wrecks
and that three men had been killed. The
debris was piled SO high upon the tracks
that il would take the wreckers hours
10 ltltIA. SftM OuA
engineer in close conversation.
suddenly the conductor said. Bill,
there is nothing left us but torun around
on the Wabash tracks to Defiance
"'But the Wabash has no operator
here TO give us orders. answered the en-
gineer
"'Oh. I'll cut you off and we'll turn
eb., .tvYr,,.1 as l..
table and make our way over the fonr-
teen miles of strange track. As long as
your headlight shows mp you can creep
over the road. can't YOU:
The knight of the throttle was a
careful man. but he knew that the
United States mail was being delayed
and a couple Of hundred passengers were
angrily demanding that the trainmen do
something to hurry them on. III 90
you. he said, and the engine went down
TO the turntable to turn around. Upon
coming back it was discovered that it
would be impossible TO couple her TO the
hind end of our train. as the sleeper draft
irons were of different pattern and
higher than the coupler of the engine
Another pause for deliberation.
Finally the conductor advised the
engineer TO 90 back. turn around and
couple on in the original position
We'll Just cross over on the spur and
back up the fourteen miles. And we
did. That stretch of fourteen miles on
a night as dark rs pitch, over an un-
known road. without headlight and
with 200 passengers unaware of the risk
the trainmen were running to accommo-
date them and-well. toll you il was
exciting No orders. no nothing. as you
might say.
"a stood on the hind end, which was
then the fore end, with the conductor
and four brakemen. as we slowly dragged
our way through the darkness. The
fiagmen carried red lanterns and torpe-
does TO run ahead and flag should a
train be heard approaching. but il was
dollars to butternuts that had a head
light appeared around one of those un-
known curves no one of our train could
have reached the approaching train in
time To prevent her from crashing into
our train. I've done little railroading
in my time and have taken a train over
some risky places. but that fourteen
miles of backing up without orders,
without headlight to aid our progress
and on strange track. is about the
most squeamish ride | ever Travelled
That shows you how many risks rail-
road man will take to please the travel
ers Chicago News.