Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-07-06
CATCHING A RUNAWAY.
MISCHIEF CAUSED BY THE LOSS
OF A COUPLING PIN.
Down Grade With Curve Ahead and
Going at u Sixty Mile Clip--The Rum
away Cars Behind and Cattaraugus
yiaduct Before--Jim Jumped.

away vars Aoeuunu anu CaCCarauEuS
yiaduct Before-Jim Jumped.
"The month don't remember,
but it was in the spring of '92, and
was in Pennsylvania, half on bust
ness and half for pleasure, for there
was peculiar rocky formation that
! wanted to look up down there" :"
said the geologist to the New York
Sun man. II had walked out to the
place Of my geological research.
which was near East Concord, and
had pretty we'll tired myself out
walking and climbing, when
freig ht 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. 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 a little grave, turned to me
and said:
J" There's something the matter
with the air brakes. They're not
working
s.Well. your engine will hold the
train in check all right, won't ito' /
asked.
The engineer glanced back over
the train, then turned and looked
ahead; we were rattling on at pref
ty lively pace now. and it was get
ting livelier every minute. The old
locomotive was dancing a Jig. Wind
put his hand on the throttle. His
fireman was scared.
'..We've got to slow up before we
get 70 that embankment, he shouted,
the words rattling from his mouth
as the cab shook and shivered.
There's only one thing I'm afraid Of
II we can Ah!s
just what had happened All that /
knew was that old 1O9 (the locomo-
tive) had bounded ahead like live
thing and was running away from
the rest Of the train. | turned to
Wind. His face was all pinched up
and his eyes looked like gimlet
holes. Leaning over to me he
bawled in my ear
That's what | was afraid Of
Coupling pin ioggled out. Bad
business!
What are you going to do9'
called back.
...Only one chance. he wered
in the same tone. Got to save the
train. Got to catch her on the fly
and hold her, or it's case of smash
OF the worst kind, and there's men
in the caboose. Jim.s he added tarn-
ing to his fireman. its going to be
a bad business, and the turn of
hand will finish it the wrong way.
You can't do any good. If you sec
a chance, jump. You'd best jump,
too, sir he added to me- Theirs
water down here bit further, and
you'll come out easy.
'Wind was enough to give man
new courage. The pinched look had
gone out Of his face. and his expires.
sion was steadfast and composed.
His eyes. wide and steady, we're
fixed on the plunging monster be-
hind. and the hand that graspei the
throttle was instinct with nervous
force and readiness. There was only
fifty yards between ,us and the cars
now, and it was rapidly decreasing.
Nearer and nearer it came, until il
seemed as if it must leap and hurl "
from the track. We were on a sn,
embankment now. / caught a g
of the water below, and wondl
vaguely If ones body could be
cred there. Then something
past me, there was a yell-a/
were only two of us in the
100 at the same instant Il
ward out Of danger. Blu
kles appeared on Wind
".Let her out too
shouted. Jim iumu
me up. We'll have
Hope Jim struck th
when Iheard
to get in the wa
slide again fd
been invited to
in his teeth.
only dared,
beneath NJ
Moreover
thinking
my last
pentap
my
hea ~