Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-09
RATHER A RAPID RUN
A PACE THAT MORE THAN PLEASED
AN IRATE RAILROAD MAN.


Open" Things Flew-when the Train
Struck Bridge That Structure Moved.
Three or four years ago President Ives,
Of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and
Northern railroad, was coming down the
road in his special after an inspection
tour to Sioux Falls. Chief Engineer
White, General Passenger Agent Han
negan, General Freight Agent UT and
the presidents son Charlie, who has
now become general freight agent, were
among those on the old special car No.
1O1. The equipment of the road was not
in as good condition then as now, but
President Ives believed it was a better
roadbed than the New York Central
had. He would pin his faith to that any
time, and nobody connected with the
road ever thought Of differing with the
"old man."
Now, between Livermore and Gold
field there is a good long stretch of
straight track which swings off in a
sharp bend at Goldfeld, just as the
bridge over Boone river is reached. The
Boone is not large stream anywhere,
and up here near its headwaters it is a
pretty small waterway to be called a
river. Still, it is big enough to have a
bridge over it, and that is something.
All the way down the party had been
sitting in the cozy little Office at the end
Of the car looking out over the track,
spinning yarns and smoking, and every
little while President Ives would growl
out something about the slow time the
train was making.
At last, when Livermore was reached
and stop made to take water, he said
to his son, "Charlie, go ahead and tell
the engineer to pull her wide open; I'm
getting tired of this slow time" Char
lie obeyed with cheerful alacrity. No
message ever lost any of its REDUNDANT
accessories when he carried it, so he
went up to the engine and yelled:
"Dave, the old man says he wants you
to pull her wide open, or he'll raise -.
If you're afraid to run the train, he'll
come up himself"
"Oh, he will, will heT' replied old
Funk.
RAPID TRAVELLING.
When the train started there was
jolt that nearly cracked the coupling
pins, and Livermore was out of sight in
about minute. Before the train had
gone two miles General Passenger Agent
Hannegan said, "That's a deuced big
herd of cattle grazing over there" The
fact was that there were several herds
of cattle, but the velocity of the train
merged them into one. The farmhouses,
which were never nearer than a mile
apart, began to look like row of city
fats.
All this time the inmates of the spe-
cial were being tossed about the Car like
q dollar in basket. Engineer White
had his watch in his hand and was
vainly trying to count the telegraph
poles so as to gauge the speed of the
train. General Passenger Agent Han
negan was hanging on to window sill
with both hands, and General Freight
Agent UT had backed his chair up in a
corner so that he could not be hurled to
The floor.
President Ives sat in his chair in the
middle of the floor, his feet well spread
out, so as to guard against the sudden
md terrific jolts, his hands grasping the
,ides Of the chair, his teeth set and his
lace pale. He was riding about twenty
miles an hour faster than he wanted to,
but he wouldn't own up, and he was
to die rather than acknowledge
by sign or word that it wasn't the
smoothest roadbed he had ever ridden
over.
In the meantime the car rolled from
side to side, jumped clear Of the track
and then settled down again as though
it was going right through to China. 1t
was wonderful how it ever kept the
rails, but it did.
THE BRIDGE MOVED SEVEN INCHES.
When the train began drawing near
Boone river everybody drew a sigh of
relief, thinking Funk would surely slow
up for the bridge. But he didn't. In
fact, he seemed to give the lever an
extra notch or two, and all of sudden
the bend and the bridge were struck.
There was fearful jar that seemed to
tear the car apart. President Ives
keeled over in his chair and landed on
Passenger Agent Hannegan. General
Freight Agent UT, who was thrown
into a corner, lay still and drew on the
resources of choice and rich vocabu-
Larry of profanity. Chief Engineer White
and Charlie Ives were inextricably
mixed up, but the chief engineer was
the first to unravel himself, and, grab
bing the bell cord, pulled it like man
who has come home from the club at
2 q. IN. and finds the door bell won't
respond.
"Pll bet that bridge has been knocked
two feet out of line" shouted the excited
engineer.
The rest of the party scoffed at the
idea. well, then, let's run back and
see," said the chief engineer. 'I tell
you that bridge is at least two feet out
of plumb, and III bet months salary
on it."
The train was brought to a standstill
and then ran back to the bridge. Reach
ing there the whole party disembarked
and the engineer produced foot rule.
The bridge had been moved bodily by
the force of the blow-not so much as
Mr.. White had said, but good seven
inches, as was proved by actual measure
ment- Nobody pretends to say how fast
that train was run, but everybody on
board is willing to swear the record has
never been broken, and the time made
was faster than President Ives ever