Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-18
THE OPEN DRAW.

The closest run ever had In nv lffe
said an engineering friend Of mine one dor.
twas once when was fireman on A frejgbs
train on the n Y. II. Il. The epqineerI
ran with was Scotchmnn by the name ~
Joe Williams.
Joe had only one fault-he drank
The time refer to was the morning al
the Fourth Of July. We were running
what was called the morning freight, ana
had TO start every DAY by 49O on tb,s
morning Joe was late. In a few min,,tsa
we got started, picked IN our load mud
were fairly of II was d clearrnnrnir,y ond
bid fair for iine day, but about gunris, n
began to get misty, and we were soon cn.
veloped in one Of the heaviest fogs ever
saw.
AT II, Fben Capron. anotber enyi.
neer, who was of duty that dar rot on
with us. He was going home to sBens tho
Fourth, and ours was the ilrst CONVEYANCE
that came along. When he saw fbat il ,yas
all that Joe could do To carry binseIf
straight. heolered TO RIM tho train far hin,
as far as he went. but Joe declined
"Tbioker and thicker came the fog p,,ti
we oonId scarcely 600 tbe lsn,,,h ~ " ,,g1
cars ahead Joe went very carefully mdosd
and did NOT run ne fnst ma IL nsnai In fact
he went SLOWLY That uG Inst Hmm az
menced 10 bapter him ON fla nrosnect ~
getting to the end of the ronte sooner tbsn
co,,ld nnturolIv benvnnctcd
"tWel inst looI, bere. said Joe Pm
drink md Won know n md IN I gbonid On
fast and run the train ori tho traoI reckon
yonid botb ~ Won s,ys.r n ,,gst bs fanIt
Of the drunken engineer
"Rv tho time we f,ot 10 G. tho foo had
partiy lftod Hrrc we bad a goo5 iesi If
s,vitcbing 10 do and mat nj ,yc ,yore rcad,
70 Sort ~ conductor cg,,o nm ana said,
",Notbin for E--. lssen strnight tbromgb
En- - Won have gopa 90 confoundsd
slow that Won are almost nm bonr bebipd
fine sbonId have burried Won nm n /,
bodnit been for tho fog An yigbt on
nhead aud he waved MA hand md stnrted
hacl, toward tho resr car
rival IN 90 fast ennrgb for von ~
tbot,s whit voi want } mnttered loo
rFostar and meter we went mill tbe
CONDUCTED. o,idantlv hee,or 70 no afraiJ for
!, ,,,ns an ~ fogsv that We conId moi see
ovor b.If m nile ahead and be sigpaled
,s,o,,.a,.I
",Tbere, said Fben ,1o Won soc that,
Youill have the conductor here pretty soon.'
rival tbe net is,-and loo slowly
r,iniod ana sve-'tbere,s a vessel nj p.
waiting 10 mass and yant TO get over the
bridge before it's opened
"The riyer there WINS navipable and was
crosscd Inv n drawbridue. and very often
we Ind TO atom and whit on one side TO let
=, ,,cssel ,ass When il ,vna onen there ,yna
n red hail hoisted In the daytime and a red
ligbt MT night
ITheu YOU are nearing It, continued
Fben FOR tbere's tho last most before YOU
rencb the river. and-supposinr the draw Is
omen, Joe. Won had better slack up
"'What forY The signal isn't raised
",But Won eouldn't see il for the fog
"Ob. nsbawl there isn't any fog now
"a YES there il a fog now, For Gods
sake. Toe. don't murder usl Here, let me
90 Your nlnce until we get across
"The sentence was never finished He
r,,s standtng mn lookipu out ahead. when
iii a. onco az II ba had heer struck by a
cannon shot, he dropped into his seat, and
~ eaca tn,ned nd vyhite ms a bleaohed sheet.
while the black streaks OF SCOT and grease
'tood ont In horrible contrast. He had seen
~ ra5 .irnnIl vybistled down brakes,
"a ~, ,,rasn.,J the lever and reversed the
snSine
tSTho conductor erazlly signaled stop
| ~. 10 hnd heard tho whistle and when
,be train was running by its own momen.
tnm
aAst TO Joe, he saw that everything was
done or being done, and he sat there IKE
onne His first words were land he spoke
iItea mnn talking in his sleep;
".yyell bows. IN never get drunk any
more as long as l live,
gave the lever another Jerk, for probably
s so,, ,yonit live more than quarter OF !
1,inntei
linn ".Inn,n Il YOU want TO- Joe answered
Il hone / snail dieif the train getssmashed
RntTtbat craft isn't moving; the end o
tho bridge Is swinging toward us
S.Tbaf,s So; they are shutting it Go'
helm MS we may be saved yet
"sure enough. the bridge was rapidly
swimming into place. The tender had eyi
close close The draw against we came up, but
was doubtful case
ave had got so near now thee w $500 ooui ,