The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-08-30
AN HEROIC isRiKEMAN y.
lie Saves Train From Dashin@ Over a
PreCipice.

Glove and Catskill Mountain Railroad
crawls along , narrow-gauge track from
Phaenicia to Hunter, distance of four
teen miles, and all the way climbs steep
grade. In many places the tract curves
sharply around lodges of the mountains
and overlook precipices that drop hun
dreds of feet straight down. 1t is ride
that nervous people fear, and passengers
have often thought that m accident
would be certain death
Saturday afternoon train No. 7 left
Phoenicia half an hour late. 1t WAS
made up of two coaches and combina-
ton car, carrying about sixty passengers.
1t toilcd up the mountain until the little
town of Edycwood was reached, where
talegraphic orders were given the conduc-
tor, countermanding original orders, to
run straight through Instead Of waiting
at Edgcwood the train kept on and a short
distance up the mountain met 4 wild train
running down.
The passengers heard the scrceching OF
whistles for brakes, and looking ont OF
the windows saw that collision MAS in
eyitable The engineer OF No. reversed
his engine and all the crew jumped. Sew
eral passengers did likewise and escaped
injury. Then came the crash.
The only news that reached New York
was the following report Of the railroad
company: can engine on the StonyClove
branch jumped tho trick near EdSawood
and DELAYED traffic two hours. No one
was injured" But what did occur was
one Of the widest rides passengers ever
experienced, and they were saved from a
fall down the mountain side by tho hrav-
cry of one man.
When the crash occurred the engine OF
train No. was not badly broken, and be-
ing reversed under full head Of steam
started back down the mountain without
driver or fireman. In moment ter
rifle momentum was gained and tho train
of light cars rocked and rolled around the
dangerous curves Edgewood station WAS
passed like Il fash. Some Of the passen-
GERS prayed aloud, others crawled under
the seats imagining themselves safe, and
many gathered in tho forward car which
they knew would he the last to fall.
The air brake cord WAS pulled, but it
had no effect on the flying train. Another
train was known to lc on its way up the
mountain and there was no stations where
it could be stopped. Everybody had Civ
en- up hope when gradually the train
slackened its speed and suddenly came to
an abrupt stop. Down the track they saw
breakman with his flag ready to stop the
upbound train. That brakeman WAS the
hero.
He alone Of all the crew had not jump
cd. His station was on tho rear car, and
when the wild run commenced he ralnly
tried to stop the train with brakes.Then be
heard the putting of the engine and real
lied that something must he wrong there
Running through the cars he climbed over
the tender into the cab and tounc
it deserted.
He knew nothing about engines, but his
eve caught sight of the throttle, He pusheo
it and saw that steam was cut off Their
he tried several valves until he found the
air. brakes and stopped the train. A
hundred yards further down was the
sharpcst curve on the road, on the edge
Of cliff 500 feet high. The flying tran
could never have passed it in safety.
The hrakeman's name was Arland Is
Porter, of Grahamsville, Sullivan County
Led by Mr.. S. S. kal;skc, of New York
the passengers RAISED q purse for him ant
united in a letter to the President OF th'
road, commanding the mans brave act
! Nsr York World.