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

ceFned IL IL made % safe ~ possible, but Q
great many people have been killed there on
night, at point right around the curve on the
Cincinnati tracks, the shadow q . woman
stopping over the tracks can sometimes be
seen. There was woman killed there once
whsn she was trying to pull her drunken hus-
band Of The track, and they say she comes
saw her.
4 YAfAL COMBINATION.
my engine was No. Is and this fact made
Pequa This vas before my experiencs down
In Texas. I protested against going out on the
engine, but from fear they would call me
coward concluded to buck against fate We
were two hours behind time and bad TO lockout
for . regular passenger and an extra II
was Q cold night and &he wind was blowing
gale, and every once in while little Aurries of
snow would blow around US. As said before
We were two hours late and I tell you was
anxious to get homo. When We got started out
Of Richmond made mp my mind to 60 In
hurry as soon as we got Q clear track. / kept
giving her q little steam, all the time thinking,
Of course, that everything was all right. Sud-
denly a red light flashed across the track ahead.
whistled for brakes and then tried to reverse
the lever, but would you believe 1t, that engine
was like an unruly horse, and couldn't be
stopped. On we went toward the crossing and
through the night saw spassenger train pass
ing over directly in my front. Would it clear
me? asked myself a. my breath came in gasps
and tugged and tugged at the lever. called
to the fireman and We both threw our strength
on that lever, but II refused to come back an
inch. White faces were ct the windows and
knew from the number of cars that it was an
excursion train and crowded with passengers.
"In o fraction Of Q minute all was over. The
passenger had almost cleared me when my un-
lucky engine struck the rear end Of the last car
and over 1t went into the ditch alongside the
track. My engine also left the rails. and Of
course the cars behind me followed and there
was terrible mess. Strange to say but few
passengers were hurt, as they had apparently
braced themselves before the shock came. We
all rushed down the bank rs soon IS we could
get clear from our broken-up cars to help rescue
the unfortunate excursionists, and by the flick
erfng light Of the lanterns the number on the
passenger car stared out at me, and that acct
dent was accounted for in my mind. Its num-
Der was 713. car with any other number on
1t would have cleared rs, but tho fatal combi-
nation OF figures on the car and engine had to
come altogether, and nothing could prevent it
CHASING A RUNAWAY.
another instance wherein the fateful thir-
teen played . prominent part occurred on the
Chesapeake and Ohio road, and my friend, he
Wheeler, had . close call for his life. He after
ward related the adventure to me. He had
stopped at q little station called Maple Ridge
one afternoon, as usual, for water, but had to
wait awhile for an engine which was taking
water at the time. He Immediately noticed
the engines number-13-on the rear Of the
tender and spoke to his fireman about it, say
ing he would refuse passenger run II he had
to handle the lever on that engine. The fire.
man Of engine 10 was on the tender guiding the
spout from the tank and the engineer stepped
down from the cab to do some oiling. The en-
w q md % ~.1Ho =.
and had high pressure Of steam on Suddenly
there was a rush Of steam, the smoke belched
from the stack and the locomotive gave a leap
forward, as horse would il prodded with q
sharp stick. The fireman was thrown off
and the engineer jumped aside to see the engine
start down the track at an alarming rate Of
speed.
In relating the story to me Ike said:
We knew instantly what had happened.
The pressure Of steam had been SO great as to
blow the throttle open and let the steam into
the cylinders full force. She was now running
away and we knew that she would 60 on at an
alarming rate Of speed until the fire died out
under her boiler or she collided with some ob-
stacle What to do was evident The runaway
must be caught and every second lost was val
uable-probably lives depended on it. The
operator had seen the engine start and was
already pounding desperately on his key to
clear the track and notify the superin-
tendent. Uncoupling our engine from our
train l pulled the throttle open, the fire.
man shoveled in the coal and we started in
pursuit. We had enough water in our tank to
last for some time, and trusting to Providence
70 bring US out safely we began the fastest ride
ever experienced. The runaway had about
two minutes the start OF us, and for the first
few miles at least would gain on us. Our hope
lay In keeping pace with her for some distance.
and then gradually closing up the gap between
US. If we passed the first few stations safely it
was quite probable that the track would be
clear for us after that.
FLYING ALONG THE TRACK.
"'Campbell was the first station, and We
whizzed by at rate Of speed which made the
station appear like a little streak Of brown.
Five miles had been covered, and we felt sure
we were holding our own in the exciting race
Three miles further We sped by the little town
Of Beaver, and Perkins, which is one mile fur
Their, seemed to be part Of the same place.
and thus the race continued. As We pro-
ceeded we saw crowds Of people gathered about
the stations, who cheered ys.as we passed, but
their cheers scarcely read I'D our ears above
the laundering Of our locomotive. After we
reached Narenta. thirty-thr miles from Maple
Ridge, we began to expect some trace Of the fu-
gitive We did not let up on our speed, and as
there were no sharp curves We had view of
the track for a mile ahead. Finally, from be-
hind patch Of timber. sighted her bowling
along at very sharp rate, but knew we were
gaining on her fast. A piece of upgrade was
ahead and we now felt sure that our prey was
within our grasp.
"'Gradually we drew up behind the runaway
until not more than 100 yards were between us.
Both engines were going at speed of thirty-fve
miles an hour and called to the fireman to
take the throttle. Then climbed down on the
pilot and waited for us to come up. was on
the point Of making the leap for the runaway
when what should that engine do but jump the
track, turn over on its side and roll down the
bank. gave cry of horror, as 1 thought my
time had come, but my fireman, as quick "a
fash, reversed our engine, and, although we also
jumped the rails, our engine remained upright.
l am positive that had that engine been of any
other number it would not have ran away. and
If it had we would have recaptured it all right.
"'During the chase neither my fireman nor 1
had spoken up to the time we sighted the en-
CINE ahead Of us. How long it took us to cover
those thirty odd miles we could only estimate,
for neither of us had time to look at our
watches. but it was fast enough for US. It was
afterward figured out that we trotted along in
the neighborhood Of seventy-two miles an
hour
Woman's Beauty Her Best Lawyer.
From the Detroit Free Press.