The old Abe eagle., 1892-06-02
RATHER A RAPID RUN
A PACE THAT MORE THAN PLEASED
AN IRATE RAILROAD MAN.

md When the Engineer Pulled Hei
Open" Things F1ew-when the Train
Struck n 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.
101. The equipment of the road was not
in as good condition then as now, but
President Ives believed it was better
roalbed 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 Liverrnore and Gold
field there is good long stretch of
straight track which swings off in
sharp bend at Goldfield, just as tho
bridge over Boone river is reached. The
Boone is not a large stream anywhere,
and up here near its headwaters it is
pretty small waterway to be called IA
river. Still, it is big enough to have
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"
ooh, he will, will he? replied old
Funk.
RAPID TRAVELLING.
When the train started there was a
jolt that nearly cracked the coupling
pins, and Livermore was out of sight in
about a minute. Before the train had
gone two miles General Passenger Agent
Hannegan said, That's deuced big
herd of cattle grazing over there" The
: Fort thnt thnra ,1c
of cattle, but the velocity of the train
merged them into one. The farmhouses,
which were never nearer than mile
apart, began to look like a row of city
flats.
All this time the inmates Of the spe-
cial We're being tossed about the car like
dollar in a 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 Oh 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 tc
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
and terrific iolts, his hands grasping the
sides of the chair, his teeth set and his
face pale. He was riding about twenty
miles an hour faster than he wanted to
but he wouldn't own up. and he wa:
prepared to die rather than acknowledge
by sign or word that it wasn't thu
smoothest roadbed he had ever riddel
over.
In the meantime the car rolled from
side to side. jumped clear Of the tract
and then settled down again as though
it was going right through to China. L
was wonderful how it ever kept tn,
rails, but it did.
THE BRIDGE MOVED SEVEN INCHES.
When the train began drawing nea
Boone river everybody drew a sigh o
;, relief, thinking Funk would surely SLOW
up for the bridge. But he didn't. II
fact. he seemed to give the lever al
extra notch or two, and all of a suddel
the bend and the bridge were struck
4 Hclb Ntto d lCtti VI Jtll tildt octllltu "
tear the car apart. President I've
keeled over in his chair and landed oi
Passenger Agent Hannegan. Genera
, Freight Agent Utt, who was throw
into corner, lay still and drew on Ia
resources of choice and rich vocabu
larry Of profanity. Chief Engineer W hit
a and Charlie Ives were inextlicabl
mixed up, but the chief engineer wa
the first 10 unravel himself, and, gal
=. bing the bell cord, pulled it like Il ma
who has come home from the club a
!, 2 Il. III. and finds the door bell won
respond.
"I'll bet that bridge has been knocke
two feet out Of line, shouted the excite
}. engineer.
: The rest Of the party scoffed at tn
;, idea. well, then, let's run back an
s see,' said the chief engineer. 81 tel
il you that bridge is at least two feet on
t of plumb, and I'll bet a months salar
on it.
The train was brought to a staalsti
and then ran back to tle bridge. Reacl
} ing there the whole party disenbarke
g and the enginoe- produced "A foot rul,
l. The bridge had been moved bodily b
!. the force of the blow-not so much O
Mr.. White uad said, but good seve
inches, rs was proved by actual measure
ment. Nobody pretends to say how fa'
y that train was rnu but everybody q
J. board H. willing To swear the record ha
] never been broken, and the time mad
7 was faster than President Ives eve
g wants TO travel again--lowa Cor. Oh
u cago Tribune.
d An Agreeable ompanion.
, Next TO the one who will let you tal
p all the time about yourself, the mo-
y pfaasiu.y rntnpnuion IN chic =vc-ld Il II