The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-08
One Engineers Experiences.

Lafayette Truman, engineer of the
Erie train that ran into the Eastern Illi-
nois train Friday night, has killed twen-
ty two men," said G. 3. Mccullough, a
brother engineer of the Chicago and
Erie road, at the Clifton last night.
"But," he continued, sin no case was he
to blame, and in every case he has beetl
exonerated by the jury. Most of these
killings were at railroad crossings and in
other similar accidents where the en-
gineer could not be held responsible. He
is only young man, and I waa. to re.
late two experiences of his which show
him to be possessed offs marvellous pres.
ence of mind.
"In October, 1890, he was 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 to
be tumbling ah".t ~ nltuously, as if it
was sea of g., !';:ff I'd by angry winds.
At length tho tr..;n seemingly plunged
into the heart of this forest 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 conopy of shiftingj
eddyirg, red smoke. Down the track,
beyond the reach of the headlight, there
was only red blur. A bridge, spanning
deep river, was ahead somewhere.
Suddenly, Immediately in front, Turman
saw shower of big sparks fly upward.
In an instant he was reversing his en-
CINE and the train was brought to q
standstill just on the edge of the river.
It had flashed over him when he saw the
sparks that the bridge was burning and
that spark had fallen, sending up as it
went down show of light. He saved
the train and the lives of 300 passengers.
There is not one engineer in thousand
who would have arrived at the conclu-
sion so quickly that the additional transi.
tory light was from the bridge burning
They would have supposed it was an in
consequential part of the phenomena and
plunged on to destruction:
"The other incident, while not SUR
rounded by the popular hero-like aspect
lent by the forest fire and the rur
through it, was no less heroic, anc
showed . far greater presence of mind
This was in Ohio, too, near Hepburn
His train this time was running at abou
the same rate, sixty miles an hour, wher
the rods on each side of the engine
broke, instantly killing the fireman anc
wrecking the cab Thruman, to save him
self, jumped in the tender. And ther
he was isolated, as it we're, for the trail
was going sixty miles an hour, and th
broken rods were flying inadly and beat
ing deafeningy, aud it was impossible
for him to reach an airbrake with III
train going at that speed. He is only
young man, bat he did something the'
that flany old engineers have since toll
me that they never would have though
of. He got out his pocket knife and Gu
the hose, thereby applying theautomati
brake and succeeded in stopping tn
train. I would rather ride behind tha
man." concluded Mr.. Mccullough, "thal
any engineer in the United States. Chi
ciqo Inter Ocean.