The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-02-25

Saved by Beng Sw tened on to E;
Creased Track on n -teep Incline.
Talk about fast time. id = rai'ro
man on the Missouri Pacific train tt,c
Their day, but / have never heard Of y
trip that would beat one | made mysPl
some years ago, nor OF any half 50 eXct
Ing. | formerly lived at Garrett, Ind
the terminus of the Central division an,
the Chicago division of the Baltim ~
and Ohio Rail- DAD. l had little to DO,
and made the railroad Yards niy 10 &;
headquarters. At that time tie B.i,H'-{
had an arrangement with the Waha~i, /,
transfer all New York freight at Au ur
junction, nine miles east Of us L
was done by the old switch engine, tx
Gi2, which made two trips daily.
Well, OF: day l climbed aboard hos
car when the engine left with few ears
of mrrchandi q to transfer. There wer.
SIX If us in the rarty-four yardmHn,
another fellow and myself. We had d
jolly time going down, made the transfer
and We're to come back light ; that is.
with nothing but the engine We had al.
crowded on the tender; the signal VIZ
given, and Gent Potter, the engineer
threw himself forward, pulled at the
throttle valve; and the engine jumI:e
forward ae If shot from a catapult. W.
did not think much Of this at the time, a.
Gent was a fine engineer and handler
the i.:-i.le to suit his falcy. We went
tearing over the crossings and frogs in a
IN inner that was fr.ghtful. The tender
r'"ilnd as if on hinges.
Something must be wrong, W.
Thought, as Gent was placing our lives
in Jeopardy, Climbing over the coal, we
found the cab full of steam and Gent and
the firoman hanging at the side of the
engine.
Jump, boys. said they; jump, fo1
Gods sake, Tie throttle valve is pulled
clear out and the engine is running wild.
To jump would have been instant
death. AS one OF the boys said afterward,
the telegraph poles looked like a fine
tooth comb. The mi'e posts flew by
with unscemly rapidity. The yard fore
man claimed that a mile was covered in
thirty-eight seconds, and not one would
doubt his word.
St Joe was in sight. Would the track
be clear: Only three miles to Carrot,
with its network of tracks, switches and
spurs. There We're no hopes of the
engine dying out in five or six minutes.
With presence of mind the foreman
dashed off few words:
Engine villa. Telegraph Garrett to
Clear track
This he dropped as we passed St. Joe
and the operator, clear to comprehend
the situation, sent it to the despatc her
on the east end without 'can,' as we
learned afterward.
There was Carrot in sight With its
tall chimneys belching forth smoke
there were the yards filled with freight
ears and engines. As we got closer We
! 49,,
er. The other yard engine as rushing
m;.,iiy to the west end Of the yard. The
main track was clear. We passed the de-
pot like pursued victim. Pale faces
watched Us in our mad fight. W. passed
the railroad shops. AMI hundreds came
running TO see the cause Of the cOmmO-
ton. Inc engine was in CULVER the
bell was ringing wildly with each SWAY
OF the engine: the escaping steam
whlstled as if dempnted and fires blazed
from the hot boxes
Then We saw something that made
us think We We're doomed. The switch to
the coal chute was open, and the long
ascent could only end in our destruction,
We looked again and saw men working
on the track. and then we knew we were
saved
What were they doing? Why, bless
~ '"i' II M, lHoSe fellows We're Oil
Inc the track up the chute We struck
the ascent and Slid up about lp feet, and
then the old G2 stood still, and the
wheels flew around: sparks came from
beneath them as from an enc nv wheel
Gradually the engine slipped down
the wheels still in the forward motion
died out. We all suffered a severe shock
10 our nervous systems, but had it not
been for the preseuce uf mind of tn.
master OF mccLGnic. who ordered the oil
poured on the track, might not have
been here to day"
And how fast did YOU so:"
Well. the first six miles were made in
five minutes; the last three were made
IN much slower time. as the steam was
eNhaust!nS itself rapidly-St. Louis
Glohe-Democrat