Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23
JUMPING FROM A TRAIN.
A Locomotive Engineer Relates Hi
Varied Experience.

Varied Experience.
From the Detroit Free Press.
did you ever jump from your cab while
the train was going at full speed?" l asked
Of a 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 dispatcher
got two of us headed for each other on q
hour. The first thing / saw was the head
light of the other locomotive rounding a
curve thirty rods away. shut 'er >off,
| threw over the lever and set the air brakes,
and then made jump. I'd no time to pick
for a spot, and as jumped / realized that
I'd have bad time of 1t, as l knew every
foot of the ground. 1t was on a level COW
cred with a thistle patch. There was a
strip Of them forty rods long growing up
like cornstalks. / expect they broke my
fall somewhat, but don't know that / ever
1t seemed to me that / just swept through
that patch about knee-high from the
ground, and when there were no more this
ties to knock down 1 landed kerchug!
broke a leg and an arm, but that wasnt
the worst Of 1t. The doctor estimated the
number Of thistle points sticking into my
body at one billion. My wife and l have
been picking 'em out ever since they got
me home, and we've only finished one side
| Of me-"
Landing in a m2ud puddle would be a
I've been there" he replied. with a
fieeting smile. While 1 was running
freight they built a side track to a gravel
pit at a certain point. In excavating at
the main line they dug a hole about twenty
| feet long by ten wide and four Deep As
| a rule this hole was always full Of water,
and as 1t was on my side OF the engine
thinking what a snap I'd have If / had to
| make jump right there"
But you never had to-"
Didn't I? There was a little station Just
| upgrade. One day. while we were humping
| along to make the station, a dozen cars
broke loose from freight side tracking
at that station, and down they came, like
so many roaring lions after their prey.
By the time / had whstled for brakes and
reversed my engine. 1t was time to jump,
and bless my soul! II I wasn't just where
/ wanted to be-right at the pond. I waited
to pass the mile post and then shut my
| eyes and took header. feeling sorry at the
| same instant for my fireman. who'd got to
| Jump among the stumps. Well. I struck"
IN the water?" ] asked, as he paused
and worked a finger in his ear.
oh; no! There had been long spell of
hot. dry weather. and every pint of water
mud was left behind. though. There was
three feet Of 1t waiting to catch some
sucker and 1t caught me. I went head first
| to the bottom. Then rolled over and
could never have pulled myself out unas-
"What?'
Mud. took twenty-seven baths before
1 got down so I could see my hide, and II
was hours before mud quit washing out of
my ears. eyes. nose and mouth. I tasted
mud; 1 felt mud crawling up and down
my back. 1 snuffed mud. I found mud
IN my pockets and combed 1t out of INV
hair until I got tired and let the balance
go. I'm running on the road yet, but I'm
not spotting off any mud holes to land in
On the contrary, IL things turn out as /
nave inquired, my next jump will be into
patch Of blackberry bushes, with an old
dead tree In the center, and I confidently
path"