Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-27

undoubtedly be benefited to the extent of q
better figure he will also, in time, see the bene-
tits to be derived from the abolition Of grade
crossings"
Then followed general conversation as to
experiences of watchmen at grade crossings,
and from the stories told this class of railroad
employees can be placed in the same category
with the locomotive engineers and share with
them the privilege of having their hearts
moved out of their normal localities more fire.
quently than any class on the railroad pay roll.
The newspapers always tell their readers when
serious accidents happen at grade crossings,
but narrow escapes from death or startling eX-
periences sometimes escape the lynx-eyed re-
porters. Many of the stories told were of this
character and make mighty interesting reading.
DRUNKEN FURNACEMAN.
"rll admit that we have several very bad
crossings in Washington" said one Of the
group whose general makeup told that he was
Of the train service, ''but there is one up on the
Northern Central road that can give any of our
crossings cards and spades as to deadliness and
beat them in the game. l refer to the grade
crossing at a little furnace and quarry town
called Texas. The principal street of the town
runs alongside the railroad and it Is dull week
indeed that goes by without some one being
killed or MANNED for life. The town Is located
at point on the road where the trains run al
most at top notch speed Its importance not be-
Ing OF such a magnitude to call for the
slackening up of the trains. One week it will
De drunken furnaceman returning home from
work after the midnight relief then little
child will crawl away from its careless mother
on to the track and into eternity, and then a
sleepy driver of cart loaded with scrap iron
from the furnace will permit his horse to take
Its time crossing the track and generally wakes
up In eternity. The travel at night over the
crossing is not heavy enough to call for the
employment of a Waterman. and, in fact. the ac-
cidents recorded could hardly be avoided even
with a fiagman on guard.
II remember being on a side track with my
train about a year ago and seeing a drunken
man pulled from the track at that place three
times and sent on the road to his home. Each
time he came back and his lucky star was in the
ascendant. but on the fourth return it was hid
den under cloud, SO to speak. When he wan
dered on to the track the last time 1t was after
midnight, and the Cincinnati express was
hardly 200 yards away and coming like the
wind. We watched him from our engine. but
could do nothing for him. as the distance was
too great to be covered In time by any Of US.
The engineer of the oncoming train proved
to be little Phil Unglaub. one of the nerviest
men that ever pulled open throttle and as
good hearted as he is brave. He pulled the
whistle string like mad and his fireman did the
same with the engine bell cord. But no use;
the man was stubborn drunk and determined
to walk on the railroad track He had his back
to the train and facing u.s. CHANGING
toward the shriekng engine l saw little Phil
with the movements of cat crawl along the
footboard of the engine down on to the COW
catcher. On came the engine with a rush. and
the reversing and shutting down of the engine
could hardly be noticed. Throwing his arms
around the bull nose of the engine Phil ex-
tended one leg and waited for the shock 1t
was not long coming. At the moment the en-
CINE was about to strike the intoxicated wan
derer little Phil drew up his leg and then it
hot IL. A.
foot catching the unfortunate fellow directly
between the shoulder blades. To see that man
fly through the air with the somersault mo-
ton of a trained athletic lumber was an eve
opener for u.s. He must have turned over six
times before he brought up amid the white dust
alongside lime kiln fully fifty feet from the
track.
The man, unquestionably, would have been
killed but for the action OF plucky Phil
Unglaub, but instead a fractured shoulder
blade resulted. Phil lost two trips for his action,
the result Of slight sprain i'll that leg. and the
man that was kicked, know, has not drank
drop Of liquor since"
COURAGEOUS ENGINEER.
"Why. say. Dick, wasn't it Pills brother John
that pushed that little child off the track down
at 9th street about year ago?" inquired one
of the group who had been an intent listener
to the story about Little Phil
"The same. replied the man addressed as
Dick. 'and they are great pair to draw to.
Big-hearted, whole-souled fellows. they don't
know what fear i. and if you want speed
pumped out OF a locomotive they can do it to
the queens taste"
How about Johns adventure" inquired the
reporter. Il never heard any thing Of it,
"Of course you didn't 1t was only poor
little colored baby" replied Dick, land poor
little babies not mach account in big CITY.
John was on his engine backing up to the depot
to couple on to the limited express. but for the
moment had given the throttle to his fireman
and was up on the tank fixing something about
the tool chest. The engine was backing up at
lively rate and alongside the track was the little
colored baby. Its clothes and skin were the
color of the cinders alongside the track and for
this reason failed to attract the firemans atten-
ton. especially as it was the off side of the
engine.
"Ungaub happened to glance up and caught
light of the little thing right over the RICH. rail,
where it had crawled unconscious of its danger
The engine couldn't be stopped and John knew
this with the instinct of a seasoned engineer
With an ejaculation of horror and pity he threw
himself down to the humber and then to the
step and leaning as far out as he could as gem
tly as possible pushed the child to one side
The child fell in the gutter and struck her head
against the tie of the opposite track inhictlnga
severe wound on the scalp. The mott o
lived in house near by and missing
the moment John was performing his
humane act. She petrifed for the mo-
ment, literally speaking. but the reaction came
with rush and the Thank God.' that came
from her lips amply repaid the big-hearted en-
gincer for his brave act.
At the conclusion of this last story a little.
keen-eyed Irishman over in the corner started
in to tell a story in almost unacceptable
English. but his friends dragged him over to
the stove and he started in anew. To put his
brogue in print. with its humorous touches
woud require the genius of a Kiping or q
Jerome. but as a straight story it went some
thing like this:
NARROW ESCAPE.
"Out there at that crossing about two months
ago." said the son Of the Emerald Isle, 81 wit
messed one of the funniest acts of my life. A
man came out of the saloon on the corner
drunken crazy and started over the tracks,
The crossing Waterman yelled at him to keep
back, and several trainmen and track repairers
also joined III the chorus. There were two
trains approaching on opposite tracks and it
seemed an impossibiity for the unfortunate
fellow to escape them both. He started on a
stumbling sort of run, then with drunken-like
obstinacy halted right in the center of the
north-b track and turned around to wave
his hand at the men who were calling to him
and cast look of supreme disdain upon their
action.
'While this was transpiring the grade-cross-
ing Waterman had lowered his gates and was
making tracks for the drunken man. Seeing he
couldn't reach him in time he also halted,
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