The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-05-31
ON THE DOWN GRADE
A Few Minutes Of Fearful Peri
on a Runaway Train.
SURE DEATH AWAITING THEM
How Cool-Hended Engineer Stopped =
Speed of an Avalanche.


crowd of railroad men to meet Sunday
nights in New York club, and over a
private and particular punch Of their
own construction discuss railroad mat
tiers and end up by telling stories, says
the Sun. There is not one of the circle
who has not been IL or seen at least
two or three notable accidents, and
most of them can count the catastro-
Plies which they have witnessed by the
dozen. Here is story told the other
night by a man well known not only in
railroad circles but among practical
geologists as well.
1.-THE month don't remember" said
he, "but 1t was In the spring of '99, and
I was in Pennsylvania, half on business
and half for pleasure, for there was a
peculiar rocky formation that wanted
to look up down there. / had walked
ont to the place of my geological re-
search, which was near East Concord,
and had pretty well tired myself out
walking and climbing when freight
train came slowly along. At that time
knew every engineer on that division,
and this engineer, whose name was
Wind, slowed up and took me aboard.
That's where put my foot In it. II I'd
only been content to 20 back on nv
feet wouldn't be wearing my hair low
now on the right of my forehead"
The speaker paused to lift an iron
gray lock of hair from his forehead
showing long scar. "That's where
lighted after more HIpAaps than would
take circus performer over two dozen
elephants" he continued. Somewhere
up at the end of the Cattaraugus VIA
duct, If you ever happen to 60 there,
you can find the timber that made that
hole. But that doesn't tell you the
story. There's a steep grade there and
the train was hard to control. We
hadn't fairly got started down that
grade when Wind, looking little grave,
turned to me and said:
There's something the matter with
lhe air brakes. They're not working. ,
Well, yonr engine will hold the
train In check all right, won't itg l
asked.
''The engineer glanced back over the
train, then turned and looked ahead
we were rafting ON at pretty lively
pace now, and 1t was getting lIvclier
every minute. The old locomotive was
dancing jig. Wind put his hand on
the throttle. His fireman was scared.
She'll hold 1t in check he said
slowly but loudly, for the engine was
noisy. Yes, she's got to hold the train
In, or he broke on. 'Cattaraugus
viaduct Isn't very far ahead he added,
coolly.
"This struck me unpleasantly. Just
between us and the vladuct was sharp
curve on very nasty embankment,
and If we struck 1t at that speed-well,
l didn't like to think of that If But
was thinking of 1t very hard In spite
Of myself when Wind spoke again.
We've got to slow up before we
get TO that embankment,' he shouted
the words rattling from his mouth as
the cab shook and quIvered. There.
only one thing Pm afraid Of. If W.
can Abr
For minute / didn't understand
just what had happened. All that
knew was that old 100, the locomotive
had bounded ahead like live thing
and was running away from the rest O.
the train. turned to Wind. His fac,
was all pinched up, and bis eyes looked
like gimblet holes. Leaning over t,
me he bawled in my ear:
That's what l was afraid of. Coup
ling pin joggled out. Bad business
:" What are you going to dor Gale,
back.
"'Only one chance he answered II
the same tone. Got to save the train
Got to catch her on the fly and hol
her, or It's case of smash of the wors
kind, and there's men in the caboose
Jim, he added, turning to his fireman
its going to be bad business, and tn
turn of hand win finish 1t the wron
way. You can't do any good. If yo
see chance, jump. You'd best jump
too, air. he added to me. There
water down here a bit further, an
you'll come out easy.'
"Well, didn't want to Jump, and
didn't really see why l should at frs,
But when the engineer began to slo,
up little and looked back at tn
pursuing train, then l saw plenty c
reason. Unless get in the road of a
avalanche some time never expect I
see anything look so big as that trail
did 1t came laundering down on u
like a tremendous living, destructiv
being, and my heart took up so much c
my throat that l couldn't swallow
Even at that time remember notIcin
my companions. Jim's eyes were fairl
popping out of his head, and he clun
to the casing of the cab as II he pui
posed to take it into eternity with him
But Wind was enough to give ma
new courage. The pinched look ha
gone out Of his face. and his expression
was steadfast and composed. His eyes
wide and steady, were fred on tn,
plunging monster behind, and the han,
that grasp.d the throttle was instinc
with nervous force and readiness
There were ouiv flftv vards between M