Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-07
FOURTEEN MILrs OF FEAR.
aide Back End Foremost over
Strange Railroad Track 10y slight.

A Ride Back End Foremost over
Strange Railroad Track 10y slight.
"Funny, isn't Il. what daredevil acts
railroad men will often do" asked "A
littlc travelling man Of few friends as
he dropped into one OF tho Grand Pacific
rotunda chnis.
YES, something like trying TO run
two trains on the same track or trying
10 sec whether the rails or q mans log "a
the hardest suggested n fellow drum
NOR.
mo, moan ia the ordinary course Of
business. Tho other day | started for
Washington and | had q pranoniiion
that tho trip was not 10 DO Of the best,
for on tho way 10 the depot purchased
u pocket comb Of street vondor. who
gave mo % quarter too much change
We got as far as Auburn junction aud
It was awful dark, when tho station
agent informed us that there was u
wreck between rs and Dchanco. o.
Later he said there were two wrecks
mud that three mcIbhad been killed. The
debris WINS pilod 80 high upon tho traclm
that II would take the wrcckurs hours
TO clear them. saw our conductor aud
engineer IN close conversation.
"suddonly tho conductor said, BIN,
there Is nothing left us but tornn around
on tho Wabash tracks 10 Defiance
"'But the Wabash has no operator
hero 10 give Us orders, answered the en-
ginoor.
"'Oh, I'll cut you OH and won turn
tho engine around at tho roundhouso
table and make our way over tho four
teen miles Of strange track. As long ns
your headlight shows up you can creep
over tho road, can't your
"Iho knight Of tho throttle was
careful man, but he know that tho
United States mail was being delayed
and couple % hundred passengers werc
angrily demanding that tho trainmen do
something TO hurry them on, m so
you, he said, and tho engine went down
TO tho tuntnhlo 10 turn around. Upon
coming back Il was discovered that it
would DO impossible to couple her to tho
hind end Of our train rs tho sleeper draft
irons were Of different pattern and
higher than tho coupler Of tho engine
Another pause for delibcrarion.
FINALLY tho conductor advised tho
engineer to go back, turn around aud
couple on In the original position
Wen Just cross oycr'on tho spur and
back up the fourteen miles. And we
did. That stretch Of fourteen miles on
night rs dark rs pitch. over an I'M
known road, without headlight and
with 200 passengers unaware OF the risk
the trainmen were running to accommo-
date them nnd-wcll, / toll You it was
exciting. No orders, no nothing, as you
might say.
81 stood on the hind end, which was
then the fore end, with tho conductor
aud four brakemon, Us we slowly dragged
our way through tho darkness. The
ilagmon carried red lanterns and torpo-
does TO run ahead and flag should a
train DO heard approaching, but It WIS
dollars TO butternuts that had head.
light appeared around ono Of those uu-
known curves no. one Of our train could
have reached the approaching train in
time 10 prevent hor from crashing into
our trim. I've dono little railroading
in my time and have taken train over
some risky places, but that fourteen
miles Of backing up without orders,
without headlight 20 aid our progress
and on strange track, Il about tho
most squonmish rido | ever Travelled.
That shows you how many risks rail.
road man will take to please the travel.
ers. "-Chicago Nowa.