Evening star., 1895-03-23

Conemaugh and Cresson up in the Allie
enemies, helping freight and coal trains
up the hill, at the time my little chase took
place.
"One night 1t was our turn to assist
what was known as the national freight
up the mountain. We started out from
Conemaugh about midnight pushing the
train, which was made up of about twelve
cars of sheep, two box cars and fifteen or
twenty four-wheeled coal cars. The box
cars were at the rear; that is, right in
front of us. We made pretty fair time
up to South Fork. where the flood broke
front of the train began to steam badly,
and what with US pushing hard and 1t
pulling by fits. 1t wasn't long before the
cars. were humping and jerking pretty
back as hard as he could. When he got
within hearing he yelled:
Let up on that humping, Jake, for
Gods sake! We have two cars of dyna-
mite on the rear eEd'
did 1 let up? Well. you better believe I
did, and mighty quick, too. I blowed for
brakes, and the engineer in front an
seventy-ive feet to the mile, we soon stop
ped. 1 sent the fireman forward to tell
tie engineer in front to try and get his
steam gauge up. and that I wasn't going
to bump myself into eternity, If knew it.
After he was gone I discovered that the
water in the tank was low, and concluded
10 run back to standpipe about mile
uOWu tHe lTdCk TO I'LL up. so, cutting
the coupling myself, dropped back to the
water tank. l found out afterward that
the crew didn't know had gone. and had
failed to put the brakes on the last cars,
being little chary about handling brakes
on the dynamite cars.
The Runaway Cars.
when 1 reached the standpipe and was
in the act of throwing the rubber hose into
the opening of the tender I caught a
glimpse OF the tail lamps of the train COM
ing toward me at very high rate of
speed l knew at once what had happened
The train had broken in two, and part of
it was running wild down the side of the
n.ountain tow erd me. That often fapBens
up there, you know, and there isn't much
danger in stopping the wild cars; all that
Is necessary Is for the engineer of the
pusher to run backward slowly, SO as to
make the bump, when it comes, easier
than If the engine was stopped
We'll, Bob, 1t was something like your
case. You can bet I wasn't hankering to
stop two carloads of dynamite that way,
and when I saw them coming I didn't lose
any time getting away from that stand-
pipe. My old pusher jumped. and then lit
out down the hill Jeruselum crickets,
how she did hum in less than a minute,
Wfile the runaway cars We're chasing us
like the wind. Was scared? Well, I'll ac-
knowledge the corn. I think 1 had spell
of the chills, for I was shaking like when
man has the ague.
on the cars and leave them further behind,
and all this time 1 was thinking, and think
Ing hard as well as fast. / knew that be-
ing on the east track might run slap bang
into train coming up, and what would be
left after that wreck would be blown to
the four parts of the earth when the two
cars Of dynamite arrived. In a case like
that a man has got to think and act
mighty prompt, and it didn't take me long
to form plan.
(. Opened the Switch.
81 had a good half a mile lead then and
steadily gaining, and If I had wanted 1
could have had time to stop and crawl be-
hind rock up on the hillside and see the
biggest display of fireworks ever known
when the dynamite knocked the engine
into snithereens., But conjured up 4 bet
ter scheme than that in less time than it
takes to tell. About three miles further
down the road was an abandoned coal
mine, with siding connected with the east
track. If 1 could reach 1t in time to throw
the switch the runaway cars could be turn
ed off and do little damage beyond destroy
ing themselves. On the other hand if the
night express should be near, and knew
she was about due, the consequences would
be horrible if 1 failed. Bad predicament,
wasn't it? But, as 1 said, in such cases a
mans got to decide quick, and made up
my mind to risk 1t.
well, I reached the siding, and by using
sand and reversing, got my engine stopped
Then jumped for the switch. 1t was rusty
ana Deut, nut fortunately Hot loCheu L
gave it terrific jerk, got it turned, and
then took to the woods as fast as my legs
would carry me. l was too busy getting
out of the way to watch the cars but /
heard them coming. and remember think
ing that if they jumped the switch and
kept on down the main track 1t wouldn't
be my fault.
Then there was a crash and a shock,
which seemed to come out Of the sky.
was knocked head over heels by the con-
cussion of tho air, and for minute lost
consciousness, my head having struck the
stump of tree. I was so weak I could
hardly get back to my engine, but 1 man
aged 10 get her sidetracked and out of the
way before the express came along. The
company rewarded me by clapping on a
suspension for a month, but l refused to
stand the layoff. ard that's the reason I'm
down here talking to the members of the
Rail and Tie Club tonight"