The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-06-02

Anew Minutes of Fearful Peril
on a Runaway Train.
SURE DEATH AWAITING THEM
How q COol-Hea.led Engineer stopped
Runaway Train Coming WIN the
speed of an Avalanche.

1t has become the custom of little
crowd of railroad men to meet SUNDAY
nights in New York club. and over
private and particular punch OF tneit
own construction discuss railroad mat
tiers and end up by telling stories' says
the SIM. There is not one OF the circle
who has net been il. or seen at least
two or three notable accidents, ana
mo.t of them can count the catastro'
Plies which they have witnessed by the
dozen, Here is story told the otner
night by a man well known not only IN
railroad circles but among practical
geologists as we'll.
"The month l don't remember" said
he, "but it was in the spring of 49, and
was in Pennsylvania, half on business
and half for pleasure, for there was
peculiar rocky formation that / wanted
TO look up down there. 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 climbing when freight
train came slowly along. At that time
l knew every engineer on that division,
and this engineer, whose name was
Wind, slowed up and took me aboard
That's where put my foot in it. If I'd
only been content to 60 back on my
feet wouldn't be wearing my hair low
now on the right of my forehead"
The speaker paused to lift an iron
gray lock of hair from his forehead,
showing 4 long scar. That's where
lighted after more fipAaps than would
take circus performer over two dozen
elephants" he continued. 'Somewhere
up at the end of the Cattaraugus via
duct, if you ever happen to go there,
YOU can find the timber that made that
hole. But that doesn't tell you the
story. There's steep grade there and
the train was hard to control. We
hadn't fairly got started down that
grade when Wind, looking little grave,
turned TO me and said:
There's something the matter with
the air brakes. They're not working
"Well, your engine will hold the
train in check all right, won't it?' I
asked.
'The engineer glanced back over the
train, then turned and looked ahead !;
we were rattling on at pretty lively
pace now, and it was getting livelier
every minute. The old locomotive was
dancing a jig. Wind put his hand on
the throttle. His fireman was scared.
Z" She'll hold it In check he said
slowly but loudly, for the engine was
noisy. Yes, she's got to hold the train
In, or he broke off. 'Cattaraugus
viaduct isn't'very far ahead he adde d,
coolly.
This struck me unpleasantly. just
between us and the viaduct was sharp
curve on very nasty embankment,
and If we struck it at that speed-well,
l didn't like to think of that 'if' But
Twas thinking of it very hard in spite
of myself when wind spoke again.
"'We've got to slow up before we
get 10 that embankment,' he shouted,
the words rafting from his mouth as
the cab shook and quivered. There's
only one thing Pm afraid of. If we
can Ahv
"For minute 1 didn't understand
just what had happened. All that
knew was that old 100, the locomotive,
had bounded ahead like a live thing,
and was running away from tie rest OF
the train. turned to Wind. His face
was all pinched up, and his eyes looked
like gimblet holes. Leaning over to
ME he bawled in my ear:
"'That's what 1 was afraid of. Coup
ling pin joggled out. Bad business
What are you going to dor called
back.
"'Only one chance he answered 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 wors,
kind, and there's men in the caboose
'Jim,' he added, turning to his fireman
ITS going to be bad business, and the
turn of hand will finish it the wrong
way. You can't do any good. If yor
see chance, jump. You'd best jump
too, SIR he added to me. There.
water down here bit further, and
you'll come out easy
"Well, didn't want to jump, and
didn't really see why I should at first
But when the engineer began to slow
up little and l looked back at thu
pursuing train, then ! saw plenty o.
reason. Unless I get in the road of ar
avalanche some time l never expect t
see anything look so big as that trair
did. 1t came thundering down on u.
like tremendous living, destructive
being, and my heart took up so much o.
my throat that I couldn't swallow
Even at that time remember noticing
my companions. Jim's eyes were fairly
popping out of his head, and he clunl