The sun., 1894-05-06
A VERY BAD FIVE MINUTES.
now ESeISEER WIND BRoUeHr UP A
hUNAWNH TRAIN.

| Mite tie und Wind Caught ~ On the Fly.
II has become the custom o; q little crowj
Of railroad men who have risen high In tbs
profession 60 meet Sunday nights In an up
town club. and over private and particular
punch Of their own construction discuss rail-
road matters. and end up by telling stories.
There is not one Of the circle who has not been
In or seen at least two or three notable acci-
dents, and most OF them cGn count the eatas-
tropics which they have witnessed by the
dozen. They seldom talk Of these. however.
but their stories are rather Of queer Incidents
or unusual accidents. Here Is a story told
last Sunday night by man well known. not
only In railroad circles. but among practical
biologists as we'll
Tho month don't remember" said he
but 1t was in the spring OF o2, and was In
PENNSYLVANIA. half on business and half for
pleasure. for there was peculiar rocky forma-
tion that wanted to look up down there. l had
| walked out to the place OF my geological re-
| search. which was near East Concord. and had
| pretty well tired myself out walking and climb
| ing when a freight train came slowly along
| At that sino knew every engineer on that
division. nd this engineer. whose name was
Wind. slowed up and took me aboard. That's
where put my foot In II. II I'd only been
content to go hack on my feet wouldn't be
wearing my hair low now on the right Of my
| forehead"
| Tho speaker paused to liit IAN iron gray lock
| OF hair from his forehead, showinga n long scar.
| That's where l lighted after more flip1aps
| than would take a circus performer over two
| dozen elephants" ho continued. Some
where up at tho end OF the Cattarnugus via-
| duct, II you ever happen to 20 there. you can
| find the timber that made that hole. But that
| doesn't tell you the story. There's q steep
| grade there. and the train was hard to control.
Wa hadn't fairly ri al dnwn that 1rnda
when Wind. looking . little grave. turned to
me and said:
| There's something the matter with the
air-brskes. They're not working.
We'll. your engine will hold tho train in
| check all right won't III? asked.
" The engineer glanced back ovor the train.
| then turned and look ed ahead; we were rat
Ting on at O pretty lively pace now. md It was
getting livelier every minute. The old loco
motive was dancing a jig. Wind put his hand
on the throttle. His fireman was scared.
She'll hold 1t In check he said slowly but
loudly. for the engine was noisy. Yes. she's
got to hold the train In. or he broke of.
Cattaraugus yiaduct isn't very far ahead he
added coolly.
This struck me unpleasanty. Just be-
tween US and tho viaduct was n sharp curve
on very nasty embankment. and II we struck
It at that speed-well. 1. didn't like to think
OF that II But was thinking of 1t very hard
in spite OF myself when Wind spoke again.
go We've got to slow up before we get to that
embankment.' he shouted. the words rattling
from his mouth as the cab shook and 1uivered.
There's only one thing I'm afraid o. IL We
For minute didn't understand Just what
had happened. All that knew was that old
100. the locomotive had bounded ahead like u
live thing ami was running away from the
rest Of the train, turned, TO Wind. His face
was all pinchcd up, and his eyes looked
~ lAN hnln Inn nj an la.
80. That's what was afraid OF. Coupling pin
-, What are you going to dor called back.
Only one chance. he answered in the same
on the fly and hold her or It's y case Of smash
OF the worst Kind. and there's men In the
man. lis going to be a lad business. IS ant and the the
turn OF . hand will finish 1t the wrong way.
hEu eant od Dc any ny, good i n yOq see chance
me: There's water down here lit further.
and yonI GG%: GI9U;t Out n easy i,nn ~, ,,,n,
really see why should at first. But when the
engineer began to slow up II little and looked
OF reason. Unless get in the road OF an ava
lanche some time. never expect TO sec any
thunde,inG down on us like a, emendous
living, destructye being, and my heart took up
tven at that time remember noticing my
copbaniiops CO., q nj Iims Syes were fairly pHnp!ng
S efG TSd @T Ssaf to tnG Ss ntd G
eternity with him But Wind was enough to
Ese man aS new courage a ID dhS PnShd Look
was steadfast and composed. Ills eyes, vile |
and s,eadyGwerc fixed on the plunglng mon;
the throttle was instinct with nervous force |
and readiness There was only ility yards be- |
tween us and the cars now and II was rapidly |
decreasing ,kearer and nearer It came until |
i seemed as 4 it must leap and hurl US from |
wondered vaguely 4 ones body could be re,
me, there was a yell.and there were only two
Of us in the cab Old loo at the same instant
kies appeared on Winds iorshoad, WV WIN"
inn, Let Let @ her out out TOO gnck.' he SHOUTED. Jim
hsr nsaS ana Hops ms sruek the to try
When | heard that We were going to get in
cannon bali in his teeth wanted to lump il
I'D only dared but there Mas no water below
be my last moments for prayer and repent.
again. This time l shut my eyes and pulled
myself into hean As nearly AS can rrmem-
Der hnddled up, with the idea that would
prefer to he found IN one piece after the crash,
rather tnI, than IN disinteGratsd Srctlons. Any
lar. ana then that heavenly spring and bouni
out H t 81 DANCER i egai9' The trim had touched
Iull Of the throttle that he had brought us
away again and a sscohd, the fractional part
anger when opened my eyes mas tG aSE TsG
around me.
Too quick again. by Godp he shouted
hoArsely, ITS now or never this time. I'll |
stop her now or We'll all be ir the ditch.
II was now or never without doubt, for we
could soc the curve ahead. and not far ahead
at the sinty,mile clip VIZ were going. Wind
slowed up sharp and shall never forget my
time / couldn't shut my eyes. The faseinas
tiOn Of imminent death held them on the
laundering mass behind.
-, brace yourself and hang on shouted
Wind ~ ne felt Tor q brace with his feet and
grlPIet tine throttle 80 tight that tho muscles
stnod out like cords on lis arms.
Nhall ] IuWpF / called To him. hut the
words choNed mo ~ thsy came lie didn't
hear them The next instant ke spranG TO his
tset, threw the throttle wide oIen and sud.
denly went uP in the air and turned ovsr
toward the boiler as hc Lump came That
was all saw. ! heard n terrible crash and
telt myself whirlcd out Of the cab and through
the air The whole universe whirled about
me and then closed IN, and struck My teeth
gritted our SHARP bright ilames that flashed
back aud forth through my head. TGen ceme
bllckneSs.
For Ave DAYS lay and watched ponderous