The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-01
ONE ENGINEER'S EXPERTENCEs.
lie Has Killed Twenty-Five Persons But
IL Regarded as a Safe Man.

Lafayette Truman. engineer of the
Erie train that ran into the Eastern Hi
nois train Friday night, has killed twenty
two men," said c. r. Mccullough, a
brother engineer Of the Chicago and Erie
road at the Clifton last night. But "
ne continued, lin no case was he u
blame. and in every case he has been
exonerated by the jury. Most of thes
killings were at railroad crossings and
In other similar accidents, v here the en-
gineer could not be held responsible
He Is only young man. but / want 10
relate two experiences OF his which show
him to be possessed OF a marvellous pres
ence OF mind.
In October 1890, he was the engineer
OF train that was dashing through burn
ing forests. near Lima. o., at the rate Of
sixty miles an hour. That night the SKY
was concealed by black storm clouds
and before the burning district was
reached the darkness from the windows
OF the cars seemed impenetrable Then,
as the train proceeded, the horizon be-
came hazily red. As the train sped on
nearer. the blood-red clouds appeared 10
be tumblin- about tumultuously. as If
It were a sea OF fire buffeted by angry
winds. At length the train seemingly
plunged into the heart OF this forest of
fire
There was a straight stretch of track
continuing for seven miles. AS the train
dashed along the fire sprang up In sheets
from cracking, falling trees on either
side, and above was canopy OF shifting,
eddying. red smoke. Down the track. be-
yond the reach OF the headlight there was
only a red blur bridge spanning a
deep river was ahead somewhere Sud
denly, Immediately In front, Truman saw
shower OF big sparks fly upward In
an instant he was reversing his engine.
and the train was brought 10 ;tandstilI
just on the edge Of the river. Ii had
flashed over him when he saw the SHARKS
that the bridge was burning, and that
spar had fallen. sending up as II went
down, shower Of light He saved the
train and the lives OF three hundred
passengers. There Is not one engineer
in thousand who would have arrived
at the conclusion so quickly that the
additional transitory light was the bridge
burning. They would have supposed II
was an inconsequential part Of the phe-
nomena, and plunged on to destruction.
THE other incident, while not sur
rounded by the popular hero-Iil6e aspect
lent by the forest fire and the run through
II. was no less heroic, and showed a far
greater presence of mind. This was IN
Ohio, too. near Hepburn. His train this
time was running at about the same rate,
sixty miles an hour. when the rods on
each side OF the engine broke, instantly
killing the fireman and wrecking the cab.
Truman. to save himself. jumped into the
tender. And there he was isolated, as
IL were, for the train was going sixty
miles an hour. and the broken rods were
flying madly and beating deafeningly. and
IL was impossible for him 10 reach an
airbrake with the train going at that
speed. He Is only young man, but he
did something then that many old en-
gineers have since told me they would
never have thought OF. He got out his
pocketknife and cut the hose, thereby
applying the automatic brake, and sue
ceeded In stopping the train. / would
rather ride behind that man." continued
Mr.. Mccullough, than any engineer In
the United States"