Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-09


Il was all down grade. and all tho
steam USED was &c run the ait pump. !
had only to keep the hro alive.
Eight miles down We ran past a small
station whore freight train was side
tracked. II had perhaps dozen cars.
Just before we reached II saw man
dart In between two Of the cars TO escape
the headlight.
| thought him either n trainmau or a
tramp, but have sinco changed my mind.
We were half way down the Havcf.
sack grade, with q straight stretch Of
track and long curve before rs, when
Matt looked across and said;
'I'm afraid the little pasteboard was
only scare. Ii"-
There was n flash Of light behind, the
rattle Of coal, aud Bob Duncan. the for
ward brakeman, stood In the cab.
His face was ~ white "a u sheet.
"Shut her down-shut her down, for
heavens sakew no shouted. "a freight's
broke loose. aud is coming down the
grade two miles n minute"
Before You could snap your fingers my
face wns rs pale hs Bobs.
Matt Irwin never lost his head, and
with GOODNESS that comes TO few mon
in time Of danger, ho asked, slow do
You knowi"
Seen her by fash Of lightning. o'Con.
nor aud Billy have jumpedl
Aud then he swung out on the step
and disappeared.
"Jnmp II you want TO, Harry" called
old Matt. "rm going to stick TO her"
gave one look out Mt the Egyptian
darkness aud concluded that | would
stay with old Matt
keep your eye peeled for her." he
cried, and commenced TO let 81 out.
"There sho Isl" shouted
And there u was, sure enough. II had
Just come out OF cut. One Of the boxes
was on fire. tho fame streaming back
half car length, and cutting through
tho air like n meteor.
"She's four miles behind" said old
Matt, "and coming four feet 10 our one.
II we can get around tho curve there's u
show Of her jumping
And then began that terrible ride.
He hooked 81 up to the first notch aud
then opened tho throttle.
With seven cars behind US we shot
down the grade Of i75 feet to the mile.
Sixty-seven set low In her frame, but
every low joint rung her bell for an
eighth Of mile. She jumped aud
swayed and threatened to leave the rails.
This wind shriekoi around us like u
thousand demons aud tho rain poured
against the windows in perfect stream.
"rhorc's danger ahead and death bo-
hind" shouted the old engineer. "lf
the rain loosens bowlder and drops 1t
on the track
! shuddered. There was the blasted
pine that marked the curve. The next
fecond wo reached II. For a moment I
thought 1t was all over. Then @, righted.
There was u sharp jerk. We forged
ahead faster, and our seven ears cleared
the road bed and went down the bluff
with crash that was heard high above
the storm, leaving clean track for tho
runaway behind that was coming as
swift and sure as death.
II the runaway got around tho cnrve,
tho probabilities were that we would DO
knocked from the track into the river.
We were very near to the bottom now,
where the roadbed followed the river,
and the engineers were cautioned not 10
run over fifteen miles per hour.
But orders were not respected that
night. We were making thirty miles
per hour when fash OF lightning showed
me that dark string OF cars coming
around the curve. The blazing box was
on the opposite side aud invisible.
Old Matt gave o. the steam 80 sudden.
ly she seemed to jump from under Us,
but the runaway was not more than half
u mile behind and coming with tho
speed OF tornado.
There was no getting out Of the way.
In moment 1t would DO on us. imag-
ined could see the black mass coming
down OH us in the darkness, when a
heavy rumble was heard, followed by a
tremendous crash.
The rain had loosoned tho rock and
dirt oyerhanging the track, and II only
needed the jar Of o. to set 1t In motion.
Something like 1000 tons OF debris
rolled onto the track directly behind
us, and into this those runaway carr
plunged.
But wo did not find this out until
afterward. Matt kept o. up to what
was tremendous speed on that track
She plunged and rolled aud rang her
bell continually. a dozen times thought
we were going into river.
We pulled through all right, but that
was my last trip. When | got oil the
engine my hair was streaked with gray
and now 1t Is white as snow.
For some time 1t was thought that tn,
runaway cars had broke loose, but the
company became suspicious and had the
case looked into, with the result of run
ming down some tough characters, who
finally confessed to cutting them loos,
with the intention of diiohing us between
Hayersack grade and tho bottom, and
securing the treasure.
Old Matt has retired from the road
but do not think that either he or
shall ever forget the run Of CIV, Il
Bruins In Express Gazette.
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