Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10
Engines Playing Leap Frog.

Z L
/ that this is the first wreck on record where
/ in a locomotive has turned q somersault.
I've heard of engines playing leap frog and
Hold on, Pete" chimed in the president
| of the club as the sage" was about to
launch into another story of curious
wreck, ''od man CoCkley was in that leap
/ frog wreck and l know will tell US about
| 1t. Won't you, Frank?
These last words were addressed to a
| snowy-haired and bearded little fellow sit
| ting close to the stove and before alluded
| to as one OF pair Of engineers who were
/ ing.
well. my train is tied up outside and
as l don't see much chance of getting
away before daylight. I'll sail in if YOU all
want me to-" replied the man designat ted
as Frank.
A chorus of approving CALCULATIONS fol-
lowed. ard clearing his throat, the little
engineer began his little story. He said:
Engines Play Leap Frog.
This leap frog wreck that Pete was be-
ginning to tell about occurred out on the
Missouri Pacific road about ten years ago
and during the progress of a snow storm
that the one outside could not be classed
with. The flakes came down so thick that
could not see over twenty five feet ahead
Of my engine, and on the ground there was
already about a foot and a half of snow
The only difference in a snow storm in this
part of the country and one out west is
that while the depth in here may not be as
great, 1t Is, if anything. more effective in
tying up trains OF all classes. Imagine
any train in this country pulling through
a two-foot depth of snow, I've done that
many a time out in Missouri.
We'll at the time l speak Of my train
had been halted several times on the up
grade, and finally covered the hill, and
was commencing to go down at a good
speed The grade had a gradual slope Of
about five miles and at the bottom took a
lip into something like gutter. This
gutter was put there to help trains up the
grade | was then going down. Every man
of the crew was out on the cars and every
brake was set, yet we continued to grad
tally increase our speed until. at about
half mile from the bottom Of the hill. we
were almost fiying-in fact, coasting over
the slippery rails.
"At a point a hundred yards from the
gutter or dip at the base of the hill / saw
a dark mass of smoke ahead. and the next
minute a dark body coming toward me. AT
the same time heard a cry of dismay from
my fireman and saw him take flying leap
from the engine into the snow alongside
the track / gave one shrill pull at the
whistle and followed him like a shot. AS
struck the snow on the side of the hill and
commenced to roll l heard a tremendous
crash and grinding Of broken engines and
/ cars.
1.-THE train that tried to pass me on
single track had disobeyed orders IN not
I
back. At the time my engine struck the
opposing one the latter was in the dip and
/ coming at terrific speed to get up the
hill Ola 81 that was my engine. landed
on to her slightly above the cowcatchcr and
kept on mounting and sliding until II was
completely on top OF '321.' the opposite en-
CINE. The positions that resulted from the
collision put the two engines in a shape re-
senbling boys playing leap-frog with one
of the boys being stuck while half over.
Pete was on the train, and afterward Sc
cured good picture of the two engines.
THE funny part of the wreck, II such ii
can be called, was the coasting the crews
of both trains took at the time the trains
came together. The whistle warned every
body and We all jumped together and also
started to slide together. with the cxcep-
{ ton of my fireman, who had a little the
better start. Down We flew over the slip
perry snow. grabbing and clutching at the
air and frozen ground, and only stopping
at the bottom of the gully about 200 feet
below. Outside of the bruises we all receIv-
ed. we nearly froze, as our clothes were al
most scraped from our bodies. The wreck
caught fire, and that saved us. A few
weeks afterwa-d two baggage cars, no
doubt jealous over the notices given the two
! engines. tried to do the leap-frog act, but
my friend here, Michael Finregan, was in
| that mix up, and he Will tell you about it,
Sail in. Mike. and give us a good one"
baggage Cars Do the Same.
ITO tell the truth" said Michael F'inne-
gan, with a real French shrug of his Shout
ders. Il don't care much about going into
the details of that accident. 1t was such
a close call fer me that it makes nv flesh
creep and hair CULVER every time / think
of it, But as the repeated telling of the &C.
currence may lessen its terrors for me I'll
tell you how it came about. You all know
that Cockley and myself were great chums
over on the Reading road before the broth
erhood boycott was started. Well We drift
I al ~,
work on the Missouri Pacific Cock!ey
81 oke of the Jealousy of two baggage cars
in being left out the wreck he has lust told
you OF. and under the same head my wreck
may be ciassed. placing the Jealousy on to
me. as ii occurred only about three weeks
later. AS result of my wreck We both
again started east and have been here ever
since.
My little mixuD happened in this way:
There are two stations about five miles
apart out there called Jerrys Pipe and
Cedar Point. The former is at the functions
of "A branch road with the main line which
was singled tracked and the latter about
fifty yards away from a very important
siding. Both places were used frequently
as passing points for trains and expert
B operators were supposed to be employed
there on account of the many telegraph
orders and messages transmitted to the
trains.
"A mishap occurred at the junction on
the occasion referred to- and the departure
OF my train was consequently delayed at
the siding. When / reached the siding
which was the customary passing point
for the express every day, the latter train
was not in sight and the conductor and
myself rushed up to the telegraph Office for
Instructions. We were informed that the
express had been unavoidably delayed
Then we asked whether we should proceed
or wait the arrival of the overdue train
The answer was got was, Just come on
and We at oEce started on our way for the
junction As we We're little late you can
easily imagine that l was losing no time
getting over the road. OF course this was
peculiar railroadins to you men here in
the east but everything goes out there
especially at the time l speak Of
what the operator had intended to say
was. Just gene on referring to tine express
He discovered his mistake immediately and
teiegraT he'd for the station agent at the
junction to try and recall the express The
reply was that it was too far down the
road and almost out Of sight. This was a
nice position to look on from distance
The engineer on the other train was doing
his best to make up time, and, as I have
said before, l was pushing my engine for
all she was worth.
About two miles from Jerry's Pipe junc-
ton there Is sharp curve. and, of course
at that point we met. Both engines crews
jumped and saved themselves, but the pas
sengers were not 50 fortunate many being
killed and injured. Both locomotives We're
made Of good stuff and refused to give way.
and 50 the baggage cars decided upon an
exhibition of the leap-frog order Crash
went the end OF the car second from the