Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-19


do. When the quantity of baggage handled
is considered the small percentage Of losses
is something remarkable"
In case of wrecks" inquired the re-
porter. II should imagine your situation to
be anything but pleasant"
subject" replied the baggagemaster. with a
SnTuS Of has S..r4I.~G-.
unpleasant phase OF railroad i!Ie, and IN
our case our danger almost equals that of
the engineer and fireman. If you have ever
seen the inside of baggage car you may
nave noticed an iron rod running along the
side just over the doors. In case of a sud-
den run-ln that rod is our oliiy ho,je The
wreck may only be slight one, SAY the
smashing OF the cowcatcher of the engine.
put the sudden jar produces havoc In our
car; and the tons of baggage is thrown to-
Sether with so much force that to be caught
m the MIDST of it would be almost certain
ueaIn. MS fact continually confronts u.s.
anu on the instant the danger signal is
sounded we make a flying leap for that rod
tb eou SIia cite over hundred cases in which
Sne shs ntest hesitancy would have meant
death, but the quick action of the men in
peril prevented dire results.
In Case of Wreck,
me inside Of baggage car after such
shsht run-in is worth going a considera bic
distance to see There is generally a space
say ABOUT three feet wide, in the middle Of
the car, In which we do the little writin.,
MtesCessary, and in the fraction of a second
tnls space Is transferred to either end "a
Tue case may be- l have seen pet animals
cra crushed to death in this movement SO
quickly that their yelp or cry Of alarm
would be halted before fully uttered. while
sl,S luggage master would be grasping the
roo Ior dear life. and his body flying in the
an OUTSIDE the car. There is no way to
Improve upon the packing of baggage i'm
s sme car. as the space is too valuable, and
nsrsS, men is brought into requisition. A
person not acquainted with our surround
ms would naturally think that the best
tnlhs Tor us to do would be to iump frnn,
aae car ana take our chances, but the odds
"a caS 81
70 lake. for instance a pitch-durk
night with the rain falling in torrents The
air v ars ABOUT half open to let in fresh
ar -FOUR eyesight win fail You a foot out
sue the door All at once the danger sig
nal Is heard from the engine. The Train ia
aud AIMING nng at the rate Of fifty miles hour
anu anu, cannot be brought under control In less
INA .tian IoO yards or more. Before that time
tne crash may come. We cannot tell on the
nnt .dhe What we have to contend against
outside the car. 1t may be that the train is
on a bridge; another train may be running
oy IN an opposite direction; a steep bank
may ma De there that will hurl US back under
the WheeiS, or nice soft mound of earth
may be the particular spot on which We
may ahght, but. as have before remarked
s ere sp nh an are to l against it. we
slasp the rod, and the percentage of sa fety
odds. 'Ae sAiAe
One Of the strange things of nv career
81 Hiteen years on the railroad is the fact
tnat although have been in several wreck .
the sum and total Of my experiences have
Deeh IA Few bruises. For this reason l can
not ten you any stories that have harrow
ing details to them. But here Is one that
niasht strike some people as being humor-
quite a otheuEs 10 me at the time it was
gage master were put in on the Pittsburc
DIVISION or the Pennsylvania railroad the
alvlsion that takes in the Allegheny noun
Jams. My run was on local train, or one
That stops at all stations The car had
doors at each end, besides the two large
side doors. / was young and careless In
fFpSInantlv bnpt soI q hat
the END doors We're left unlocked.
Drunken Miner.
"One dark night in October at about 9
O'Clock. just after pulling out Of Johnstown.
crazy-drunk miner bolted into my car,
with large revolver In one hand and a
larger knife in the other Both the side
doors were open, and on the instant / took
one step toward one of them to jump out
but stopped and decided to face the music
The miner was not out for money, but as
him into a peaceful frame of mind but he
was obstinate. Several men on the train
had seen the miner come into my car, and
they tried to enter to help me out of my
trouble, but one or two shots fired in their
direction kept the door closed and left me
to my fate. When the crazy fellow saw
that he had me safe he began to humble
something about giving me three minutes
to say my prayers, at the end of which he
declared he was going to fill me full of lead
and then cut it out with his knife.
Scared? Not Bit simply paralyzed.
l would have taken a leap from the car
door but for the fact that we were running
alongside a ravine, the sides of which
sloped down the mountains fully 500 feet
or more.
The miner stepped to the middle Of the
car slightly toward the right door, and 1
noticed that 1t was with difficulty that he
kept on his feet. / forgot to mention the
fact that he had cut the signal rope with
his knife on entering my car, so that the
engineer knew nothing OF my predicament,
and consequently the train was running at
Its usual high rate of speed.
My would-be assassin was on the point
OF raising his revolver a line with my
head to carry out his threat, when the
train struck a sharp bend in the road The
car iurched sharply to one side and Ike a
flash my unwecome visitor disappeared
through the open door. l had about de-
cided to rush in upon him and take my
chances in a hand to-hand struggle when
door and leaned away out to ascertain
what had become of him. Half way down
the steep embankment he was still rolling
carrying the loose gravel with him and,
with the usual drunken luck. missing the
few trees that lined the sides thereof The
next instant we struck another bend and
he was out of sight.
Three days later that same miner came
to my car at a little station called Mine
Run. He was swathed in bandages and
his hand to me he said, with smile old
fellow. that was a lucky curve for you
but I'm glad we struck it And / knew he
meant 1t. as when In bis sober senses no
better man trod the coal regions, but while
in liquor he was fend incarnate That
roll down the hill would have knocked the
life out of almost any sober man living
Ever since that adventure the end doors
of my cars can always be found locked
take no more chances"