The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-20
JUMPING FROM a TRAIN.
a Locomotive Engineer Relates Some Ex.
citing Experiences.

a Locomotive Engineer Relates Some Ex-
citing Experiences.
"Did you ever jump from your cab while
the train was going at full speedT' asked &
Detroit Free Press reporter of locomotive
engineer the other day.
"Yes, three or four times" he answered.
whats the sensationi"
"That's according to how you land. One
night three years ago the train dispatcher
got two of us headed for each other on a
single track at a gait Of 10 miles an hour.
The first thing | saw was headlight of the
other locomotive roundup. a curve 80 rods
away. shut 'er off, threw over the lever
and set the airbrakes and then made a
jump. I'd no time to pick for n spot, and
as jumped realized that I'd have bad
time of it, as l knew every foot of the
ground. 1t was on level covered with a
thistle patch.
There was a strip Of them 40 rods long
growing up like cornstalks. l expect they
broke my fall somewhat, but don't know
that / ever hit the ground until / fetched
up for good. 1t seemed to me that just
swept through that patch about knee high
from the ground, and when there were no
more thistles to knock down landed 'ker,
Ehugp against an old stump and uprooted
1t. ! broke a leg and an arm, but that
wasn't the worst of it. The doctor esti-
mated the number of thistle points sticking
into my body at /, 0OO, 0OO, 900. My wife and
have been picking 'em out ever since they
got me home, and we've only finished one
side of me-"
Landing in a mud puddle would be
soft thing" / suggested.
"I've been there" he replied, with fleet
ing smile. while was running freight
they built side track to gravel pit at a
certain point. In eXcavating at the main
line they dug hole about 20 feet long by
10 wide and deep. AS rule, this hole
was always full of water, and as it was on
my side of the engine and always came
under my eye got to thinking what
snap I'd have if had to makea jump right
there"
But you never had tor"
Didn't l? There was a little station,
Just mile above this hole, and it was a
sharp up grade. One day, while we were
humping along to make the station, doz-
en- cars brokeloose from freight side track
ing at that station, and down they came
like so many roaring lions after their prey
By the time had whistled for brakes and
reversed my engine, it was time to Jump
and, bless my soull if wasn't Just where
wanted to be-right at the pond. wait
ed 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, struck"
I'm the water?" / asked as he paused
and worked finger in his ear.
"Oh, mol There had been long spell of
hot, dry weather, and every pint of water
had evaporated out of that pond. The mud
was left behind though. There was three
feet of it waiting to catch some sucker, and
1t caught me. went head first to the bot
tom. Then l rolled over and houndered
around for five minutes and could never
have pulled myself out unassisted. didn't
break any bones, but-ughp
WHAT"
"Mudl took q baths before got down
so l could sec my hide, and it was hours be-
fore mud quit washing out of my ears,
eyes, nose and mouth. tasted mud. felt
mud crawling up and down my back.
snuffed mud. found mud in my pockets
and combed it out of my hair until got
tired and let the balance go. Pm running
on the road yet, but Pm not spotting off
any mud holes to land in On the contrary,
If things turn out as l have figured, my
next jump will be into patch of blackber-
ry bushes, with an old dead tree in the CEN
ter, and confidently expect to NOW down
everything in my path"