The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-03
TALL TALES TOLD
GRAPHIC STORIES OF SOME RECORD
BREAKING TRIPS.

OHs-NFNlfN1 ffhs ~
Tragic Interruption of an Experimental
Run Between New York and Pittsburs.
A Race Down the Mountain-A Story
with Sons Fun In 1t.
."About tho most dismal failure that I
can recall in the way of q special train, ="
said one of party of railroad men, was
started from New York about 1877, L
think. At that time there was consider
able speculation as to how far train
could run without stopping for coal or wa
ter. The tanks holding water in the CEN
ter of the tracks had proved great sue
cess and the matter of stopping for water
had been done away with. This permitted
a run Of 100 miles continuously, but then
came the change of engine and crews Sew
sral of the bright young men of our road,
md we had a few, put their heads together
In that year and determined TO try and
make a continuous run from New ork TO
Pittsburg. An extra large tender was
provided, and the car next to it was loaded
with coal. Gum tubing was run from the
floor of the cars to the axle boxes carrying
oil and other little contrivances provided
to lessen the chances of a stop as much as
possible The plan was to have an engl-
ceer go TO the end of the division he was
familiar with, drop Of and an engineer
that thoroughly knew the division they
were entering to take charge. Everything
passed off smoothly on tho New York dlvl-
sion, and the time made was something
remarkable. AS we passed through Phlla-
delphia the weather beaten engineer left rs
and the new man grasped the throttle Tor
his race against time to Harrisburg, tie
other terminus of the division. Out near
Bryn Mawr, suburb of Philadelphia, our
speciol was simply shatterlnS space
Something got wrong with the oil tube
running to the axle box on one Of the
ears, and Charley Douglas, one OF the
brightest young men then in the employ
of our company, Crasped tho handle along
side the steps, and, leaning far over, en-
deavCred to repair the break. at the mo-
ment he was deeply engrossed over his
work the train dashed around a slight
curve and the next instant poor Douglas
forehead carno in contact with milk
stand alongside the track. He never knew
what struck him, as his death was in
Simultaneous AS his body rolled from the
steps pulled the bcllcord, and after run
ming a quarter of a mile the train was
stopped and backed up to where the body
lay. The object of the special was lost, as
a stop had been made, but for the rest of
the run the different engineers made rec
ords that stood for several years. "
Il can recall run made by special
train about four years ago, said MEM
Der of the group, whose road leads in and
out of the Iehigh coal region, that
comes into ny mind without the least
trouble TO my thinking apparatus The
special consisted of an engine and two
cars We had been up in the mining re
Cion inspecting the road and were return
ing down the hill at an easy pace As we
neared little telegraph office stuck in the
side of the mountain our engineer observed
the young operator running toward him
like wild man. The engineer lost no
time in pulling up to meet him and was
more than frightened when he called ont:
The strikers up the hill have sent
down two loaded coal ears after you Pull
out for Sidell for your lifer
'.Sidell was seven miles away and was
the nearest siding, and away we flew. If
the worst came, we knew we could jump
and save our lives, but the engineer was
true blue, and told him to try and save
the engine and the cars. And he tried.
He simply pulled the throttle wide open,
and after we had made a tremendous start
he closed her up and we drifted down the
mountain like the wind. When we started
for Sidell, we had about half a mile start
on those two cars, and dOn't believe they
gained foot on us. ! was on the point
of crying out couple of times for the en-
gineer To reverse the lever and put on the
airbrake so we could jump, as ut every
curve l thought we would leave the rails,
but as he ana his fireman stuck gamely TO
their post without a culver | knew IL
would never do for me to weaken first.
We'll, we reached the siding in safety, and
in about 20 seconds the two cars passed by
with a rush and were caught as they
stalled on heavy up grade near the base
OF the mountain"
You fellows run toward the dramatic
in telling your stories, y chimed in n merry
Gus looking man of about 40 years, who
was hidden behind a great cloud of cigar
smoke. why don't you tell something
funny? Listen 10 this one, and you will
have the laugh on me. 1t occurred about
year ago out in the wild western coun-
try. From Butte TO Helena the tracks
of the Great Northern and the Northern
Pacific roads run side by side for miles
together, each taking the same curves
around the base of the same mountains
and jogging along in genial compan-
ionship. About half way To Helena
from Butte the Great Northern plungcS
into an obstructing mountain and runs
Through tunnel nearly mile long. The
Northern Pacific here leaves the Great
Northern, and instead of passing through
a tunnel, winds about, twisting and turn
ing. reversing itself a dozen times. until
one imagines, as he stands upon the rear
platform, that he sees "A dozen different
railroads instead of one. The grade is ex-
Iremely steep. From the top Of the decline
one can see Thc track five different times,
each track being from 20 to 80 feet below
the one above it.
At that time official business called me
form Helena 10 Butte, and 4 special train
was ordered out for my accommodation
We started all right, but soon began to
lose time, and of course | became hot I'M
der the collar. CHANGING out of the win
dow | suddenly espied almost directly be
1ow-about Zoe fect-another track. l re
membereG that the Great Northern ran
parallel with the road ! was now using
and that the latter'S train would soon be
due and place me in Butte ahead of my
slow special. Without n word l pulled the
bellcord, claup6erCd of the car and made
m uncomfortable climb down the 100 foot
riff. | sat down on the end Of tie and
waited for my train. Fully 20 minutes
passed and no train Five minutes later I
heard whistle. and a minute later a
locomotive came into view
Il whirled my hat. and the locomc-
tive stopped. Running forward TO climb
On the first car, who should confront
me but the conductor ] had left - min