Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17

whether the number Il IS or IS 900, the comb
nation IL there, and that, in their minds, work.
the deadly charm. This superstition is MOI
only honored among the lowiy in the railroad
business, but even the great minds that CON
troll the principal systems Of the country &C
knowledge Its potency.
In the car record Offices Of any Of the BIG
roads, wherein records Of all the cars passing
over tho roads are kept, expressions can fire.
quently be heard, coming from the clerks, that
substantiste the fact that they, too, are believ.
ers in the numbers mystic power to do harm
or cause trouble. II . car Is lost and 'tracers
fail to locate it for some time they generelly put
IL down In their minds that thirteen comprises
part of the lost cars number and, strange to
say. they are generally right In their surmise.
At the great Baldwin locomotive works In
Philadelphia there il q standing order that no
locomotives are to be numbered thirteen I'M
less especially ordered by the purchaser. This
order Is seldom broken and several stories are
told around those works Of the different roads
that endeavored to break the spell by number
ing an engine thirteen and the quick return Of
the same in dilapidated condition, with hor-
rifying record, q candidate for the scrap pile.
Strange to say, when an accident happens to an
engine with the unlucky number no repairs are
made on 1t or any Of its makeup saved. The
charm goes with each piece comprising the en-
CINE and the scrap pile is the only sure relief.
THE FATAL WRECK AT HARRISBURG.
The Pennsylvania road il the latest corpora
ton to suffer for its hardihood in numbering
one Of its locomotives with the fated combine
ton Of one and three. The terribly fatal wreck
at Harrisburg, June 26 last, wound up that
engines career. When that wreck occurred
every safeguard known to scientific railroading
was in use on that road, and il ever an accident
could be ascribed to i'll luck that was one.
Engine Is was hauling the second section Of
the western express on the night in question and
running like the wind through the dark, stormy
night. The first section had passed Steelton on
time and the second section was about fifteen
minutes behind it. Operator Hayes, in the
signal tower at Steelton. gave the second section
a clear track. The first section was blocked by
freight just outside the big depot at Harris
burg, the next telegraph tower west Of Steelton,
and before it could get under Roadway again
the second section crashed into it.
Engineer Hugh Kelly, with acknowledgements
record, was in the cab Of No. Is. He had hi
eyes straight ahead, searching for the guiding
lights through the binding storm, and as the red
light burst on his gaze his faithful fireman saw
it, too, and cried out: Hard down, Hughey,
the reds agin' US"
On went the air brakes and back went the
lever, and as the wheels locked and the train
slid along with a mighty sweep Kelly opened
wide the whistle and sent forth one long, de-
spsiring shrek.
."It's all up, Hughey," said the fireman, and
the ss sEaSe &c engineers zinc only reply was:
opened wide the whistle and silently they
stuck to their posts.
That last weird scream Of the whistle broke
on the ears Of the crew and some Of the pas
sengers of the forward train but before they
understood its import it was smothered by the
terrific crash which followed. With a majestic
sweep the engine hurled itself into the rear of
the first section, and pushing, and smoking,
and snorting, and straining, and groaning it
went on and on. The rear car was lifted clear
from its trucks, dashed forward, and, with a
ripping and tearing Of timbers, was forced
bodily into the coach Just in front of it.
Driven by an irresistible force it plowed
through the end, crushing down every seat as If
they we're paper, and killing and crushing the
helpless, frightened passengers where they sat-
1t smashed the other coaches, broke the back
OF the baggage car, reared it up on an end, and
then IS stopped as if exhausted. There was
just one moment, during which only the fierce
Kisses Of the escaping steam could be heard, &C
companied by the painting and throbbing of the
wounded engine, and then from out the mass
Of wreckage there came the awful shrieks and
walls of the wounded and dying.
Engine Is had done its deadly work and like
many Of its predecessors was consigned to the
scrap heap. Thirteen passengers were killed in
that wreck, fact that also gave the supersti-
tious food for thought.
AN OLD ENGINEERS EXPERIENCE.
During the past week an EVENING STAR re-
porter ran across an old acquaintance, an engi-
neer now retired, and during the course Of con-
versation the unlucky thirteen subject was
preached. The old man is a fluent talker and
told many stories wherein the superstitious
idea was paramount. He acknowledged the
fact that engineers, as a class, were very super
ux.x, h<lJ A.
adherence. He had stood on the footboard
for many years, and on nearly every road in
the country he could tell where were located
the bad curves, the weak trestles and give the
history Of nearly every town of importance
He was library Of thrilling stories and an
encyclopedias Of railroad information. His
friends and acquaintance liked to hear him
talk.
ITO take out an engine numbered 49," he
said, Twas considered foolhardy thing to do
In my time and have known engines SO num-
bered to be boycotted and left standing in the
round house for months. No matter if the
number is painted over or rubbed out the en-
CINE has been hoodooed, as it were, and will
continue to be unlucky until smashed to pieces
II ran one Of those engines that had its num-
Der painted over for several months before
discovered the facts and then quit 1t was on
the Santa Fe road down in Texas. About three
months before l gave up my job, at q crossing
near Pecos, my engine struck a wagon and
killed farmer. On the return trip struck
q man on horseback and killed him, and then
on the next trip I struck woman who was
walking on the track and killed her.
These three accidents, coming SO close to-
gether, unnerved me and for some DAYS I re-
fused to run ON the road, but asked for Law
of and took q rest. returned to the road
about two weeks later and as we approached the
cut near which the accidents had happened I
saw two men and . woman standing directly on
the track. reversed my engine and brought
the train to . standstill just before We reached
| the place and then saw that there was no one
there. l asked the fireman If he had seen any
one, but the man said he had not.
81 felt rather queer and said nothing more
about II, but on my return trip saw the same
three people standing on the track in the cut
| Again I brought the train to standstill, and
again there was no one there. By this time the
fireman began TO have . suspicion that wa
getting unbalanced in my mind and kept {
| watch, but there was nothing the matter with
me. reported the occurrence to the superin.
| tendent and told him would 20 out again, and
| IL saw the apparition again would give ur
my place.
."0n the next trip the people were thu,
again, and quit. The superintendent ther
told me that 1t was my engine that caused tn
| trouble, and offered me . new one, but de
cliued and came mp north to settle down.
THE FArKD NuxBER AGAIN.
'Theb big wreck out at Cleves, Ohio, recently,
continued the engineer, 'they say was caused b,
| . misplaced switch, but I noticed the engine
number that csused the troubIe and that .o<<iAl