The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-09-26
no Safe Place on a Train.

(Which is the safest car on rail
road train ? repeated IN old Detroit
railroad man, as he strokcd his chin
and seemed to reflect on the query.
'Wcll. the best answer can make is
that it is the car which doc>n run off
the rails when all others do. and which
is left on the bank when the rest Of
the train goes through a bridge.
You We travelled thousands of
miles by rail ??
Yes tens of thousands.
".\nd been in half dozen acct
dents q
We been in exactly seventeen
railroad accidents. but some Of them
were hardly worth mentioning.
".lnd do you locate yourself in any
particular part of the train .
"No. When first began travelling
| woudn t ride in any coach but the
rear one. | had about two dozen rca-
sons why that was the safest car, and
for six or eight weeks went rolling
over the country feeling as safe as if
in my own brick house. One night
We lost too much time at Il station and
special ovcrhaulcd us and smashed
into the rear coach You Il think it
funny. but out Of the sixteen people
in that car was the only one badly
hurt. | had Il leg and two ribs broken
and was covered with bruises. When
| was able to be out again | went dead
back on the rear car.
".\nl took the next one to the
smoker. ell
That what did. \ dozen differ
cnt railroad men had a dozen reasons
apiece why that was the safest = lace.
and for three or four months rode i'll
that car and laughed ut the chaps who
carried insurance policies. Then my
fond dream of safety WAS rudcly shat
tered. The engine, baggage and
smoking cars passed safely over a Ger
tain switch while running at the rate
of forty miles an hour. but the forward
trucks of my car caught somewhere
and the car was twisted right out of
the train. Yes. sir, it was torn loose
at both ends and rolled down an en-
bankmcnt. and not another car left the
rails. We had two killed and Il dozen
hurt, but | got oft the car with Il bad
shaking up My confidence i'll the
first car was gonc. however. never to
be restored.
And then you took the middle Of
the train 2?
Il did my son. Yes. | sat down
and reasoned it out TO my perfect sat
isfaction that the middle car of the
train was rs safe as sitting on the
postuicc steps in Detroit. 1t was
about Il year before anything happen
cd to undcccivc me. One afternoon,
when we were busting along to make
up lost time. We crossed the tracks of
another road just Il few seconds too
soon or too late, just rs you will have
it. An express train on the other
road came booming along and wadcd
right through us. 1t struck my car.
Of course, and what was left of it after
the grand smash couldn' have been
worked over into il whcclharrow. Five
killed was the record, and | cot bro
ken arm, a scalp wound and Il general
bad shaking up.
And after that ?
".Aftcr that and up to the present
date | have no choice. drop into Il
seat wherever can find one and don t
worry about accidents. I've known Il
whole train except the last coach to 20
through bridge, and I've known
every cur but the last to pass safely
over. In IL hcad-on collision the for
ward coach may be smashed to >pln-
tcrs or it may rear up on end and cS-
cape all injury. was on Il train once
where locomotive struck the rear car
rolled it aside without serious injury
to anybody, and then killed or wound
ell every passenger in the next couch.
The man who goes hunting for the
safest car on Il train is THROWN" AWAY
his time. He may IL kc any car and
travel for ten years and never even be
delayed By Il hot box or he may set,
tic down in the car Of his cllocc and
be killed in a ride of ten miles. !
once saw twenty-five people smashed
to pulp in coach, and yet TWO fellows
who were stealing Il ride on the trucks
underneath got off >cot-frcc. Just
buy Il first-cla>s ticket. ret aboard be-
fore the train goes and leave the rest
to providence. If ynu win it ; al
right: if you lose your heirs can get
from -. 900 to $lO, 900 damages from