Omaha daily bee., 1892-02-02

OF Calico Junction Bill, Browns got old
nineteen wide open, God, but how he'll
sail across the hatsl"
De Forest glanced Mt the clock again.
1t was l2:40. He sighed heavily and
continued:
Look at No 1 sailing through j.
Why, she should stopl But IT won't
matter. Everybody knows enough to
keep out of her way
Then the poor fellow subsidized mo-
ment. 1t was only for a moment. how
ever He was standing beside his desk
with his wild eyes upon tho train sheet.
Suddenly he became possessed OF his
mental faculties again, and sank into
his chair all a-trembling and with sweat
standing upon his forehead.
Look, look, boys!" he moaned.
There's McGill flying around the curve
Just beyond the flats from the west and
No. from the east. Don't you see
them? They should have met at J."
a moment later ne shouted: Did
you hear that crash? Do you SEQ the
frep''
1t was 1850 by the clock. De Forest
was all in heap in his chair. He was
laughing ironically. 1t was the laugh
of n maniac, His companions were
motionless. None dared to interrupt
mum ioi i'dA vi Nlplcutt. dIlOuS
stations had been calling De Forest to
get orders for other trains, but for "a few
minutes the sounder made noimpression
upon him. But when the day operator
at ! called, De Forest pulled his
chair up to the table instantly and an
swered. The operator at j was eX-
ceedingly nervous, it was easy to tell by
the way he handled his key. The mes
sage was this:
Extra east-bound freight No. 100
collided with west bound express No.
on the curve just west of the big flats
about l2:45. Both trains in tho ditch
and on fire AT least dozen killed out
right and many badly injured. Track
completely blocked. MCGILL."
De Forest took the message without
break. He was as firm as rock, and
not nerve in his body so much MS
quivcred. He was the De Forest of old
again. In moment tho wire was hum
ming with orders. Wrecking crews
were ordered out from all nearby
stations, and orders we're issued to the
wrecking trains stationed at either end
OF the division 10 proceed to the scene
of the wreck. Physicians and surgeons
were summoned, and special train was
made up and started for the wreck, with
orders to pick up wrecking crews and
uSolobdutc It's ~ pdoScu bhc NdllouS
stations.
Sandwiched in between all these
numerous orders came additional de-
tails from the scene of the disaster.
Message after message came to De For-
est, giving particulars. and each one in
creased the number of killed until they
footed up an even twenty. Then the
names of the victims, so far as could be
learned began to come in, and later Il
description of the unidentified dead. 1t
was plain, however, that the dispatcher
did not pay any attention to the names
of the killed and injured. He received
them mechanically.
De Forest remained all night with his
hand upon the key to tho telegraph in
strument From the time the official
news of the accident came to him over
the wires from j he never looked up
from his desk, never spoke word to his
colleagues. He appeared to be totally
oblivious to the presence of any one.
AT exactly7 o'clock in the morning
Dispatcher Thatcher arrived to take his
regular trick. The track had been
cleared sufficiently to let trains by, and
everything was running on time. De
Forest arose when Thatcher entered
and put on his overcoat The Wild look
returned to his eyes. He glanced at the
clock and passed out of the office.
He was never seen again, and not q
word was ever heard of him.