The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-06-27
FOURTEEN MILES OF FEAa.

| strange Railroad Track by Night.
Funny. isn't it. what daredevil acts
railroad men viii 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 or irving
to see whether the rails or mans leg is
the hardest" suggested a fellow drum
mer.
No. mean in the ordinary course of
business. The other day started for
| Washington and | had IL premonition
that the trip was not to he of the best,
for ON the way to the depot purchased
pocket comb of a street vender. who
gave me a 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 1T would take the wreckers hours
to clear them. saw our conductor and
engineer in close conversation.
suddenly the conductor said. Bill,
there is nothing left rs but oruu around
ON the Wabssh tracks to Defiance
"'Bnt the Wabash has no operator
here to give us orders answered the en-
gineer.
'''Oh. fli cut you off ;tn6 well turn
the engine around ut the rouutlhouse
table and make our way over the four
teen miles OF strange track. As long as
your headlight shows mp you can creep
over the road. cant you?'
The knight of the throttle WAS a
careful man, but he, knew that the
United States mail was being DELAYED
and q couple of hundred passengers were
angrily demanding that the trainmen do
something to hurry them on. I'll 90
you, he said, and the engine went down
to the turntabie TO turn around. Upon
coming back it was discovered that it
wonld be impossible to couple her to the
hind end of our train rs the sleeper draft
irons were of different pattern and
higher than the coupler of the engine.
Another pause for deliberations
" "'rinaily- the conductor advised the
engineer to go back, turn around and
couple on in the original position.
Wen just cross over ca the spur and
back up the fourteen miles And we
did. That stretch of fourteen miles on
a night rs dark as pitch. over an un-
known road. without Il headlight and
with scO passengers unaware of the risk
the trainmen were running to accommo-
date them and-well. | tell you it was
exciting. No orders. no nothing, as YOU
might say.
''l 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
faglnen carried red lanterns and torpe-
does to RIM ahead and flag should q
train be heard approaching, but it was
dollars to bntternufs that had u 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 train over
some risky places, but that fourteen
miles of backing mp without orders,
without y headlight to aid our progress
and on q strange track. is about the
most squeainish ride ever travelled
That shows you how many risks rail
road man viii take to please the travel
ers. Chicago News.