St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-01
ON A WILD CAR.
Terrible Experience of Two Men On a
Runaway Car.

Terrible Experience of Two Men ON a
Runaway Car.
The country between Olean, N. Y,
and Bradford, Pa, is very mountainous,
! and but for the oil productions of that
region would have perhaps remained IN
its primitive state for years to come.
The discovery of petroleum in Mexican
Co., Pa, and Cattaraugus Co., N. T.,
necessitatcd some mode of conveying
machinery, lumber, ETC., into the noun
tains. An old saying that necessity IS
the mother of invention" here came into
play as the mother of two. First came
what was called the "pegleg" railroad,
which was constructed ou posts, between
Bradford and Red Rock, a distance of
six or seven miles. 1t was virtually a
railroad with but single rail. After a
Jew years it was condemned, owing to the
number of accidents that occurred. Then
the marrow gauge" road was conceived,
and used to good advantage ketween
Bradford and Olean, some twenty
miles.
1t was apparently as dangerous as
tle ''peg Leg" being but a threc-foot
gauge. However, it proved otherwise and
was termed success. 1t had shaky
trestles for bridges, mud for ballast, and
with no fences along the entire route -;
besides having the steepcst grades and
sharpest curves known to railroad men.
With all that it served the purpose and
paid the promoters a handsome dlvl-
dend
The first town west of Olcan is "Four
Milc'-it is four miles, air line, and
seven by rail, from Olean. Between
these points the road winds around the
mountain sides, through miniature val
leys and over chasms, regardless of dis
tancc, as long as deep cuts are avoided.
The ascent is something like one hun
drcd and thirty-tive feet to the mile.
Now come to the starting point.
J.
"No, don't mind telling you how
in iured my arm," said Conductor
Murphy, as he sat in my office one win
tcr's evening waiting for orders. "We
had car of rails for Four Mile and was
there. When | was within q few feet of
the switch, motioned the brakeman to
cut her off; after which | attempted to
throw the switch. 1t would not bulge.
The rails had expanded from the heat of
the sun and were fastened together. The
brakeman took in the situation at a
glance, and set the brake, but the chain
kept slipping off the stem. ran to give
him what assistance | could, and when
opposite me climbed up to give him 4
hand. At the first twist of our united
efforts, the chain snapped and the brake
was rendered useless The speed of the
heavily loaded car increased in velocity.
We could have easily jumped off and let
her 60, but there was the engine already
coming after us to couple on again. The
engineer had seen and realized our pre-
dlcament.
"At first she gained rapidly upon us,
but presently we saw that the car was
keeping away, although but fifteen or
twenty feet separated. Then for the first
time we realized how fast we were going.
cried to the engineer to give her more
steam. He stood there bolt upright,
looking over our heads down the track,
while the cab swayed like ship in q
storm. Again fairly yelled, For Gods
sake, give her more steam, we are going
away from YOU Then Jardwin leaned
out of the cab window and shook his
head, saying, Boys, you'll have to jump
in the swamp; it is your only chance. She
has on a full head of steam now Say
ing which he shut off the steam and put
on the brake. We were out of sight in
less time than it takes to tell it.
How the telegraph poles flew by. The
rush of wind nearly swept US from the
car. The dust from the rails was picked
up and whirlcd in our eyes. Would the
car ride it out at such speed? Would we
be able to jump into the swamp: These
and many other thoughts rushed through
our minds with the rapidity of lightning.
We were crouched at the very edge of
the car ready for the spring, when, ust
before reaching the swamp, the car, from
sheer momentum, left the rails in round
ing a curve, and went bottom up in the
swamp. remember flying through space,
and then all was blank.
when | rcSaincd consciousness, the
boys told me they had to take rail off
my arm to get me out of the water.
Tim Bailey, poor fellow, Jared even
worse He was in jured internally, and
lived but few days."-[W W. A. F., in
Calicoon On. W Echo.