Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-10-18

=
citing ExperissesA
aid ron ever jump from your CAD wnii<
the train was going a fall speedr asked :
Detroit Free Press reporter Of locomotive
engineer the other day.
yes, three or four times" he answered.
whats the sensation"
That's according to how you land One
night three years ago the train dispatches
ont two of US headed for each other on
single track a. gait Of 70 miles an hour.
The first thing saw was . headlight OF the
other locomotive rounding . curve 80 rods
away. shut 'er Oh, threw over the Level
Ard set the airbrakes and then made
Jump. I'd no time TO pick for spot, and
As iumped l realized that I'd have bad
time of i,, as / knew every foot OF the
ground. IL was on Q level covered with a
thistle patch.
There was a strip Of them 10 rods long
growing up like cornstalkk expect they
broke nv fall somewhat, but don't know
that ever hit the ground until l fetched
nm for good IL seemed to me that just
sweep. through that patch about knee high
from the ground, and when there were nc
more thistles to knock down landed 'ker-
chug.' against an old stump and uprooted
il. I broke a leg and an arm hut that
wasn't she worst of it. The doctor esti'
mated the mum ber Of thistle points sticking
into nv body al coo 0o0. coo. My wife and
1 have been picking 'ern out ever since they
rot me home, and we've only finished one
side OF me"
Landing in a mud puddle would be a
soft thing suggested
'.pve been there be replied, with fleet
ing smile. While | was running freight
thew built side track TO a gravel pit at 1.
certain point In excavating at the main
line they dug a hole about 20 feet long by
10 wide and 4 deep. As rule, this hole
was always full Of water, and as II was on
nv side of the engine and always came
under my eye / got to thinking what a
snap I'd have il had to makea jump right
there"
But you never had tor
Didn't II There was little station,
Just mile above this hole, and it was a
sharp up grade One day, while we were
humping along to make the station. doz-
en- ears broke loose from freight side track
ing at that station, and down they came
like so many roaring lions after their prey
BY the time had whistled for brakes and
any ehSaAet ~ "e>o NAAAsS ~
and, bless my soul! if l wasn't just where
WANTED to be-right at the pond. wait
ed to pass the mile post, and then shut my
eyes and took a header, feeling sorry at the
same instant for my fireman, who'd got to
lump among the stumps. Well, struck. "
In the water" asked as he paused
and worked a finger in his ear.
"Oh, mol There had been long spell OF
hot, dry weather, and every pint of water
had evaporated out of that pond. The mud
was left behind though. There was three
feet of it waiting to catch some sucker, and
it caught me. / went head first to the bot
tom. Then / rolled over and foundered
around for five minutes and could never
have pulled myself out unassisted. didn'-
break any bones, but-ughr'
WHAT"
Mud! l took n baths before got down
80 could sec my hide, and it was hours be-
fore mud quit washing out OF my ears,
ewes, nose and mouth. l tasted mud. felt
mud crawling up and down my back.
snuffed mud found mud in my pockets
and combed it out Of my hair until got
tired and let the balance go I'm running
on the road yet, but I'm not spotting OFT
any mud holes to land in On the contrary.
if things turn out as l have figured, my
next jump will be into patch of blackber-
~ bushes, with an old dead tree in the CEN
ter. and l confidently expect to NOW down
everything in my path"