The record-union., 1892-08-03
A NOTED ENGINEER.
Hank Small VIII Never Open the
Throttle Again.
He Died on Monday at His Home IN
Oakland-The Trip That Made
Him famous.


Henry S. Small-better known as
"Hank' Small, the engineer-removes
from the busy scenes of life the most
noted railroad engineer on the coast, one
whose name will long be remembered, as
VIII that Of blank" Monk, the old time
stage driver. The latter's celebrity was
the result Of his remarkably fast stage
drive from Carson to Placerville, with
Horace Greeley as passenger, and Small
became famous for the manner in which
he plloted the Jarrett Il Palmer theatrical
company from Ogden to San Francisco
IN 1876, distance of some 500 miles.
For fifteen years or so, beginning about
1872, Small ran the pay car all over the
Pacific system, and only quit this special
service when the plan was adopted of
changing engines on every division It
is popularity said in railroad circles that
he has hauled more tons of gold than any
engineer in America. He was universally
known by railroad people from El PasO
to the Siskiyou Mountains and east TO
Ogden. lie had bluff, genial, social way
and was generally liked. For the last
year or two he has been running between
Oakland and Stockton most of the time.
few weeks ago he contracted pneu-
monla, about the first illness of his life.
In three or four days he felt better and
went to work, thereby contracting cold
That caused fatal relapse.
He was born in Maine and aged 81 years.
Physically ne was robust and tail, but
slim, being six feet tall and weighing $50
pounds. He leaves a wife, son, who is
an engineer on the Berkeley local road,
and married daughter. He also leaves
host of friends and acquaintance
among the railroad men throughout the
coast.
THAT FANTOT-S TRIP
When Jarrett 81 Palmer made their
fast trip across the continent in June
1876, General Superintendent Towne of
the Central Pacific selected Small for
engineer of the special train from Ogden
TO Sacramento, both on account of his
familiarity with the entire road and be-
cause of his ability to always make re-
markably fast time. He was given engine
149, that has recently been killed. and
put in the old scrap-iron pile.
As many have forgotten the incidents
of that famous mile-a-minute dash over
mountains and across plains, it may be of
interest to many to refer to some OF the
more exciting ones, as experienced by
one of the RECORD UNIONS staff who
boarded the lightning train at Truckee.
AT 8 O'Clock on Saturday morning
June 3d, little party gathered in the ca
boose car of the freight train bound East
and connecting by ''swing train" with
the up-bound freight at Rocklin. The
party was composed Of J. A. Fillmore.
superintendent of the section of the road
from sacramento to Truckee-knoWn as
the Sacramento Division-and also SuDar-
lntendent of the Oregon Division of the
Central Pacific Railroad; NJ. w. Cooley,
Master Mechanic of the Division,
especially in charge on this,occaSion of all
matters relating TO locomotives acting
under General Master Mechanic A. j.
stevens, with whom he kept in tele-
slfNIa
foreman OF repairs; Eli S. Dennison
general news agent on the Central Pa
clflc Railroad, and lastly a representative
OF the ItECORD-U MON. The latter, in his
report of the trip, said:
In the early morning we rolled to in
spect the road, meet the lightning train
at Iruckee and return to Sacramento
with IL. Meanwhile
THE HEAD OF ALL THESE,
The General Superintendent of the road.
a. \. Iowne, sat by the telegraphic kew
at San Francisco and knew all that was
going on and kept vigilant watch of the
entire line, directing, advising, COM
mandlng, correcting = holding all the
hundred threads in his grip by the cleo
trio flash, and pulling all well into his
hands so that from Ogden to San Fran
cisco there should be neither Jar nor
clash, and all should move to aid the
coming train like a machine of perfection
and system with nothing wanting.
Meeting the down passenger train we
robbed it of j. f. CaIderwood, the pio-
neer conductor, who was chosen to con-
duct the special up the hill and ''slide
it down" on the California side. Back he
went with us to Truckee; and now the
fund of anecdote grew richer, for no en-
ploye on the road has oftener gone over
the Sacramento Division, and no con-
ductor understands it better.
AT TRUCKEE
All is excitement. The whole population
swarms about the depot, and every
mouth is full of eager inquiry, and whis-
pers run low and deep as to the risks of
lying over the mountains on the time it
is supposed will be made. We bolted q
hasty supper and now come the dis
patches again. We elbow through the
crowd. We see Mr.. Fillmore shoulder
deep" in dispatches, with care on his
brow. Chief Engineer Montague is at
his elbow, and Cooley is near at hand.
There is a suppressed excitement, a
hushed noise as it We're, muffied consul
tation, whispered opinion-"She won't
make it ''She whip sit can't be
done!" tits no riskp' Il say it is ~
"Bet you $50 they don't get into San
Francisco on time by hours and hours %
Take it?'-and so on. The crowd thick
ems; it's almost mass meeting: railroad
men and lanterns become fearfully thick.
Presently we hear a rumble affair off.
and the crowd rushes down the track. the
headlight of the "FoX'' is seen dimlv-
it grows; the rumble is a roar and the
roar is thunder, and the thunder looms
up and materializes inthe moonlight. and
the FOX" with his train at her heels
rolls to our side. Then there is a rustic
and hustle, and rush, and shout and rat
tie, and hoarse command. The Central
Pacific coach Is coupled on behind, but
the Pullman car ''NNestinghouse brake,
Of
lost tili the coach is ''cut in'' ahead. En-
gine No. 157 is coupled with the Fox
and is manned by Barney Kelly. a tried
engineer. and his fireman, Dennis Me-
hon; the bell rings the Fox has broken
her whistle and can give no signal. and
al loo A. NJ. of we go, amidst the cheers
OF the assembled people. We sail up the
grade fourteen miles in good order and
boldly, but the helpless Pullman bothers,
and Calderwood, whose head seems 10 be
As clear as a bell on the subject, himself
3nans the mandrake, and on we go,
Keeping the sleeper back and things
taut, and thus we ride steadily.
Al the summit engine l57 drops off, the
COX Is alone with its task and off we go.
1here is trouble with the bell-cord; con-
ieVuohS are gone on one of the PullmanS
2hu Knot viii prevent its drawing.
1eeL l.uutow takes position to watch it.
NuueFWoou, already black with SCOT, is
ut his brake making those COMPOUNDED
humans 90 work.' This leaves Hank
Tree play with the air. brakes forward and
we all feel that good Judgment has pre-
vailed, and sense of security Sits down
on the soul and we brace feet and hands
as we snap about curves, and cry out,
DOWN, DOWN WE COME!
who shall describe fttingly that ride
MP the Sierras and down aoain a--tbe
terrible dash into the dreary snopsbeds.
the sickening whirl about the fearful
l.lll.Nas. the dizzy ha,,rr,,.. = 2 - lo.iil