The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-11-16

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Jump off when she plunged into the burn
ing bridge. passed the man who was
waving with all his night for msto stop
| and asked for Gods sake toll me what
was the matter.
His roplv was: "Bosa here's dem pond
lillies you wanted"
He had built a large fire on a pile of
the gravel in the middle of the track at
the end Of 3 long trestle aud was waiting
for me TO come. You can just imagine
my feelings o. relief and disgust at the
same time. Since then I have swore of
on pond lillies and Alabama girls and
married and settled down to life in the
shops, instead of the rail.
THE LIGHT THAT FAILED.
In lifetime of service on the rail
reaching back to years previous to the
war Joseph B. Travis, the veteran eugin.
eer, has story Of thrilling experiences
that would FIJI volume In themselves.
Now he has grown gray Ia the service
and has lost the impetuoaity and fire of
his younger days, he lives to tell the sto.
riss Of the rail that abound In exciting
situations and that make tho blood tingle
while they arc being told. Mr.. Travis is
scholarly and refined engineer. He
went on the road when It was 81 big
thing to be railroad engineer az to be
Congressman, because engineers were
rarer, and he yet carries himIelf with
the dignity of his former years. He
walks as straight ss an Indian, and as
psrtly as a school boy.
he began life on the rail on the 1lli.
nois Central road nearly forty years ago.
He came South a few years afterwards
and the opening of the war found him on
the Western and Atlantic road. BE en-
tered the service of the army and was
afterwards detailed to work as an engin.
esr. In this capacity much important
work devolved upon and many lively OK.
periences befell him. He had to en-
counter many heavy obstacles at times,
but Joe Travis vas known as the nervy
engineer, and bis superior officers always
repossd the utmost confidence in him.
eyes," said Uncle Joe the other day
% he stood among group of engineers
around the union depot, 81 had many
shaky experiences during the war. re.
member some that we're especially thrill.
ing. But I don't call to mind any that
parallels the experience I had at King
ston just after the war, when I saw tho
streak of light In the dark.
Saved by Pr0vidsncs-thaps what /
call 1t, for I don't know what olss it
could have been.
"One night pulled passenger train
out of Atlanta with the old Missouri
Billy AlHards, gho was afterwards
blown up on this engine, was just ahead
of me With 9 freight. I was to pass him
somewhere above Cartsrsville- was to
sidatrack for me.
II skinned into Gainesville little
late. ran up to the tank TO get water,
and when I pulled out had no time to
lose. I let the 'Missouri' have full
head OF steam and she danced along like
two y0ar cid. Through cuts, over en-
bankments, past corn fields, then into
tho shadow of the woods we rushed like
something pursued. Kept my hand on
the valve and looked straight ahead.
Egyptiaa darkness was walled up in
front of US, and on syory side.
"Suddeuly, as watched, fancied l
saw din light ahead. 1t scanned to rise
few feet, drop snd 60 out. 1t vas so
dim that vas doubtful whether it WAS
light or not. 1t fashed no more.
"Somathipg-it must have been God
said 'StopP A strange sort of feeling
came over ma, and shut of the steam.
III yas lucky that I did, for ten feet
in front of my engine, whom she stopped
stood freight train on the track. A
train hand had waved q match on the
track to atop me. Oace In thousand
times I Wouldn't have stopped for 1t, but
that small voice told me 10 and stop
ped. never think of 1t except I shud.
der"
HIS ENGINE BLEW UP.
The fascination that there is about life
on locomotive hos held a. a. Hancock,
one of the veterans, in one position for
thirty. eight years. Tbirty.sight years
ago he began running an engine in the
Central yards here and has been running
since continually, without q break, OK
cept that caused by The war. Every day
hs can be found at bis post on 1904"
shifting cars in the Central yards.
In his service many Darrow escapes
from death have been made by him,
even though he has mover had any expe.
rience on the main line.
II guess I had about as bad an acci-
dent, and about as narrow an escape as
any engineer eyer had even though 1
have never run out Of this yard" said
Mr.. Hancock, as he leaned upon his
lever in q reflective, reminiscent way.
"Ons morning about sixtasn years ago
my engine vas standing ct the east end
of the Csstrsl freight depot, hooked to
some cSrs. The signal TO start had just
been given, and the ball vas changing,
whsu-
"a thousand caunous couldn't have
made poisiar explosion, and it seemed
as if tho whole earth had broken loose,
and was ca7ing in. I landed several feet
away on the ground, and wheu looked
around TO see my engine it was not there.
where it ad stood were few frag.