Iron County register., 1892-03-24
IN A LOCOMOTIVE CAB.
The Experience of Novice Who Rid,
with the Enpinaar
MISSOURI


with the Engineer.
There is considerable difference in
the feelings of a man who rides on a
locomotive for monthly SALARY and
the man who rides for the fun, of the
thing, or to see how the machine works.
About one ride. if it is a fast one gem
orally satisfies a man who is the rail-
road engineer. Goodness personified is
the railroad engineer. He never gets
excited. never loses his head, and the
least unusual noise in the cab, no mat
ter how faint, reaches his ear. He is
continually on strain, and watches
the track far ahead as well as the
gauges, the valves and the throttles in
easy reach inside the cab So we'll
trained is he that without turning his
head he can reach out and touch
the part of the machinery that
needs his attention. One of the
best rides on any Indianapolis liue is
on the Peoria & Eastern, between this
city and New Castle. The road is a
straight one for over forty miles, not
curve except the one east of the Belt
road and another close to the capital of
Henry county. Thus it is what might
be called plain sailing. There was not
jim former years very much fast running
on what is now the Peoria & East
ern. 1t was not safe. There is plenty
OF 1t under the present management
Yesterday west-bound train No. II,
hauled by engine 557, Engineer Cole
in the cab, and in charge of Conductor
Brash, was seventeen minutes late at
New Castle. A News reporter started
for indianapolis. The engineer wanted
to make up his time and the reporter
wanted to be on hand when he did it.
''She isn't holding steam very well to-
day remarked Engineer Cole, as he
wiped the nose of a leaking oil-can with
a bundle of waste "but guess we can
get into town all right"
1t was not many minutes before the
machine was wide open" and 81 was
pounding the track with a roar. The
engineer hung out of the window, calm
ly chewed tobacco and rested his left
hand on the lever. The track was as
smooth and as level as an asphalt pave
ment, and 81 was dragging five cars
along at about mile minute. The
fireman fed in the coal, and more steam
was registered. The iron joints creaked
and the big engine groaned as if ask
ing: what do you expect of a fellow
in seventeen minutes?" Did you ever
sit in an engine cab and see a
man on the track ahead of you?
The whistle toots and the bell
rings; the man does not turn his
head. but keeps right on, as if unaware
that death in a horrible form was dash
ing upon him. Nearer comes the train.
The spectators heart begins to feel
heavy and cold chill begins to creep
over him. VIII the man never hear?
What does he mean? Can he be deaf?
He must be awfully deaf not to hear
the wild scream of that whistle. You
glance. across the cab at Engineer Cole.
He has changed his position. One hand
is on the lever. ready to reverse. You
begin to feel sick as you imagine a hu-
man being beneath those terrible
wheels. The distance between life and
death is small. loot, toot, toot. toot,
toot: clang, clang. clang You shut
your eyes. You can not bear to see the
man srun down. There is kissing of
air, aquivering of the train, then a re
lease"-the engine bounds forward
and you open your eyes. The man
stood a few feet from the side of the
track, waving his hat and grinning like
an ape. He was one of the class of
smart Alecks who like to see how long
they can stand or a track without be-
ing struck by a train.
Far far down the track is a dark
spot, over which hovers great cloud.
The engineer sees it. hauls out his
watch, glances at it, then resumes the
business of looking out of the window.
He was to meet all east-bound freight
at that point. He did not know if the
switches were in place; he did not
know but the passenger train would
dash into that freight and the death
of many people follow. There was
no way for him to know ex-
cept that it was the duty of
his fellow-employes to see that
the switches were right He did not
slacl1en his speed. Rapidly the huge
mogul on the side-track loomed up. A
roar and dash. and mo. II" flew past
the waiting freight.
The train was running at a terrific
speed. The reporters watch showed
that several miles were made at the
rate of ninety miles an hour. At al
most every cross-road the train stopped,
and between stations the running was
SIMPLY awful. hC lC" oi
the reporters head stood straight up
and almost pushed off his hat A dog
crossed the track, turned around and
emitted an unearthly yell. He was
frighte ned-with good cause. The
curve near the Belt was in sight
The whistle sounded. the air Missed
again. and the train came to stand
still. A few seconds wait-puff. puff
puff enough-and 1887" started down
the tracks to the Union station. The
fast running was over. Soon the bell
changed III the Union station. The cars
stopped and the passengers alighted,
little realizing the danger that the engi-
neer had brought them through.
How is your time?" asked the white
faced reporter, as he climbed out OF the
cab.
Made it up. Two minutes ahead OF
time" was the CHEEKY response
A gain of nineteen minutes in forty
four miles, with five heavy coaches, is
pretty good running, even in this fast
day and e-Indianapolis News.
A Noble Effort.
And now the girl collegians have
followed the young men in founding
home in the midst of vice and squalor,
where some of their number reside. in
order by personal contact to help the