Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-04-12
RAILROAD MEN AND FATE.
The Strange Case Of q Conductor Who VIA
Always Being Injured.

81 hardly like TO say that / believe In
fataiism, +" said a railroad man, but from
the way fate seems to rule things in the
lives Of different persons who follow rail-
reading hardly like to say that / don't
believe fn it. Take poor Ed Sullivan, for
instance, 10 long the conductor Of the swell
TUXEDO express on the Erie railway. There
are engineers and conductors who have
run on this or that railroad for 40 years
and more, and who, although they have
run hundreds Of thousands Of miles, in all
kinds Of weather and under many adverse
circumstances and been In scores OF bad
smasnups, have never az much IA received
a scratch In all those years. know half
a dozen such men myself. Then there are
others who have railroaded not half 70
long and have not been beset By half "a
many periis, and yet to whom run with
out nnishap Of some kind might be said
to be memorable exception.
Vow, take Ell Sullivan. A better,
more careful or Thorough railroad man
never lived than be was. Tie had been a
good many years in the employ OF the Erie
before he was put in charge Of the Tuxedo
express. He hadn't been on the road long
when he was knocked down by "A switch
engine IN the Port Jeryis yard. His right
leg was broken at the knee and in such a
way that he never recovered the proper use
Of the leg He was freight conductor
then. and some time after he was able TO
resume work his train ran into another
train that had stopped ahead Of him, the
rear Of which hadn't been guarded. 4 bad
aniashup resulted. Ed sullivan was bur
led In the wreck and taken ont with an
other broken leg and side all smashed in.
They thought sure hc would never get over
'hosy bad hurts, but he did, although he
WIS elany weeks doing it.
when he was well enough, he went to
work agaiu One night he discovered that
his flngman was missing from his train,
lie stopped the train and went back to
look for the lost man He hadn't gone II
arent way In his search when he fell
through bridge 10 rocky creek, dis
lance of 20 feet This time he was badly
hurt about the head and back, and he had
two or three ribs broken hut he managed
To make his way back 10 his train. | don t
know what the fate Of the missing flag
man was, but Ed was laid up again for II
long time
For year OF so inter that he slid along
without anything out OF the common hap
the Tuxedo express. Two years ago at
Garfield, where the train stopped Ed was
struck by n passing engine aud knocked
into the ditch. Ono of ha legs was bro
ken. his right shoulder was dislocated, and
he was badly cut and bruised about the
body II WINS a good while before he was
In shape TO report for duty again, and then
lie was appointed yardmaster at Middle
town. His first mishap there was TO have
several Of his fingers taken off while h,
was helping make up train. y few
months after he was run over by n yart
engine This time he did not escape with
few broken bones and cuts and bruises
This IL the last one he said rs b,
was being carried away
"And it was iic died Il few hours later
4 strange fact in conpection with his ca
rcer ON the railroad was that he was the
only one who was ever hurt when ther,
was M accident on or to hic trains. Now
why should he. careful and experienced
man that he was. have Been SO persistent
~ victim to the ptrils Of his calling
while others. twice M long in service n
he was and many more times in greater
peril. never had as much as "a broken skin
ms result of their experiences on tho rail-
--New York Sun