Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-26
WILDCAT On THE TRAIN
Experience Of Brahemen on a Freight Train
in the Woods
Only the shrill Engine Whistle Pre-
vented the Animal From Making
Isf-
n Fatal Leap.
From the Buffalo Express.

|
Brakeman Ben Forling and Brakeman
Denny Moriarity of the w. N. Y. s. p.
came into Buffalo yesterday with a tale
that would make an ordinary mans head
SWIM They had passed a night or. more
exactly, a part of a night, under auspices
that. to say the least, would SOW terror
| breast high in the heart of the sturdiest
They were as limp as rags, and When
they found that their hair was not several
| degrees whittier than the virginia. snow
they were vastly astonished.
And this is their story: They were brak-
| ing on freight that came from Pittsburg
| over the Allegheny Valley and the w. N.
| Y. P. The freight was a through one
| and due in Buffalo yesterday morning.
| Everything went along in its usual way
| until the train passed Oil City. Then the
| fun began, II by any stretch of imagina-
| ton the experience has a humorous side.
There Is a deep cut Just this side of
! small station called Eagle Rock. The road
| winds through the hills on each side there.
and the engine puffs and snorts up a steep
| grade. Moriarity was in the rear of the
train and Forlng In the middle. The other
| brakeman was in the caboose.
The country Whereabouts Is very rough,
| but 1t is not especially noted for its thick
| forests and wild animals, are some of
| the other Jarts of Pennsylvania. How
| ever after the experience the brakemen
| had they vote it nothing less than howl
| ing wildern sss.
As the huge engine dragged the long line
| of cars YEARLY up the grade, beneath the
| shadow of the hemlock-covered hills, the
train entered the cut. The waning moon,
| shone bright enough so that objects could
| be quite well distinguished. Just at the
| end of the cut. amid the rumble and roar
| of tina swift moving train. Forling heard
/ a ct moo tr1 prV fol hxy lov,,
| wall. He was seated on the middle car
| of the train. facing the erd. He got up
| and turned around. He looked at the banks
| on each side wondering what could have
| caused the noise. Then the cry came again.
| Bracing himself against the air Forling
| walked toward where the noise came from,
| for it appeared to be on the car.
Suddenly he stopped. Stopped and looked
| forward anxiously. his hands to his face.
| There was something on the car ahead.
| He took another step. then stopped as
clares now that had it been only a ghost
he wouldn't have cared. But 1t was worse.
| There was something very mundane about
| 1t. Crouched on the neck of the car ahead
| the moonlight reFealed the form of an ami
| NAL. Its tail was flashing and eyes gleam-
| ing. Forling declares that in the uncertain
| light it appeared to, be as big as lion. 1t
| howled again. Then he knew. 1t was a
wildcat. JasE
Forling stopped Then he turned about as
| If to go to the rear of the car. The cat,
which had evidently beeen stunned and
daZed bit by the shock of the fall on the
car, was not very much awake. Still, half
| crouching, 1t followed. He could see 1t
half creep along the walk that topped the
| car. Forling began to be frightened. A
| fight with a wildcat Is at time a par
ticularly pleasing task. but on the top of
a freight at the dead of night the
| joy of the affairwa even less. He yelled
"Dinny. for the love of God. look out!
There's a wildcat on the train
Moriarity. did nat' seem to understand
and walked toward him, leaning against
the wind
Go back! you fool! go back! A wild
catr'
This was fairly screamed. Meanwhile
the animal came nearer. 1t was within
springing distance now, and Forng de-
clares that its eyes cleaned like red balls
of fire. AS he realized the full import of
the affair, he says, he grew nervous and
weak. His knees trembled and lost their
power. He looked straight at the cat. He
was at loss what to do. Moriarity now
understood the terror of the OCCASION for
he ran for the end of the train. Forling
felt like one already lost His only hope
lay in letting the people the engine
know of the trouble. This was Impossible,
TO apply the brakes would have been to
be of no practical help To jump from the
car would be an exact equivalent to the
traditional leap from the frying pan into
the fire.
thought he would climb down between
Just as he was climbing over the edge the
cat ao'vanC ed to within few feet. As his
mead was disappearing In the crevice his
eyes caught those of the cat and he de-
clares he will never forget the sight to his
dying day. The red eyeballs seemed to re-
volve like wheels of fire. They darted
sparks at him. so he declares, and the
sight made him dizzy and faint. He had
just strength to hang on between the cars
tlii ne rested on the bumpers. The wild
cat came to the edge of the space and
looked over. Forling thought he was GO
Ing to leap, and that he. trapped there,
had no chance for an even fght-he was
caught like rat in hole. But the ami
NAL stopped 1t put down foreleg eau
tiously. but drew it back. 1t did not like
the prospect Of crawling down.
The tension was awful. Forling felt his
strength ooze from his finger tips. He
sudden, the cat jumped the small gulf that
separated the cars Now 1t was Moriari-
tvs turn. 1t came along splitting and
snarling; Moriarity had seen Forling's
the cat upon him before he knew it. His
he thought, was a desperate case He
could only crawl down at the end of the
train and hang on by the steps. He, too.
lelt me terror Of the situation. and he was
unnerved. He declares that II it had not
been for a most lucky incident he would
never have reached Buffalo save in long
pine box But just as he was backing off
see the little body prepare for spring the
huge engine gave a piercing whistle.
This Moriarity declares. saved his life
II the cat had reached him he would have
jumped off the train. The whistle discon-
certed the cat. 1t made spring and land
ed near Moriarity's head. With the in
stinct of self-preservation acting quicker
than eny thought Moriarity struck with
his right arm at the animal as it fell
The blow took the cat, already scared by
the whistle. unawares. and 1t fell with a
frightened yowl to the ground. MorIarity
still weak, jumped to the top of the car
and ran for the space where he had seen
Forling disappear. The man on the bump
ers was so weak that Moriarity had al
most to carry him to the top of the car.
Both men solemnly1 avow that that cat
looked fierce enough to eat them both. If
the cat was as badly frightened as they
were, its teeth are chattering yet.
Fruit Soup.
From the Chicago Times-Herald
Fruit soups are more common abroad