The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-08

ACAFA - s AO h01LL1
load 10 haul, lot alone hold down theSe
steep grades, especially when, as was
the q with this lot, thu log was SO
long that it took two flats 10 carry
thcm. Before we'd start from the
terminus I'd lock the load over as a
general thing, and figure how she'd
haul, but this tripI didn't seem to have
much mind to business, kind o. ratified,
you see, by my feelings. So when the
conductor, Fatty Dan, gave us th'word
we. pulled out for TIL main line.
Nov, between the terminus and
the top OF the divide is q matter of
five miles gentle up grade I; then when
we pitch over the summit the down
grades commence and continue for
nine straightraway miles, falling 116
feet to the mile.
'.Hundreds of times had / tipped 8
line OF cars over that divide without q
break, but my hand and head were out
that day, and the first l knew the
train parted right on top Of the hill.
Relieved Of the load behind the old
Mogul leaped like a hound ahead and
a second link gave way. The engine
was clear Of its load now, and behind
us followed six flats linked together
and loaded with sixty f~oot-logs. The
remaineder of the train remained
| with Fatty on the other side of the
| divide.
1t didn't take but a moment on
that grade for us to get a gait on, l
tell yer, nor for the runaways to fol-
low. Fore I'd got the machine in
hand they vas rolling 80 I didn't dare
to try and couple running, tho a mo-
ment or two later / wished / had; but
when 1 looked back at 'em. 1 saw tn
shock of parting had broken a stake
which held tn logs .andI expected
every minute they'd take a tumble and
safer ahead. So l just kept out of
their way and let things bile.
my, how we did sail 1t was nip
an'-tuck between tn Mogul and tn log
train, an was close for a mile or two,
and then / tried working steam to
make, il Icould, somewhere below, a
siding. Before I pulled tn throttle
she was rocking like q cradle and tn
bell was a-tolling and a-tolling with
the motion, fit to break it; so you can
Judge how she moved when 1 put
steam into her.
At five miles from the break-way
the speed was awful for a fact l hadn't
tn nerve to keep her steaming, an it
didn't Q to do6any good either, for
that blamed ~log-loaded wreck was
camping hot on our trail.
GAS for tn boy he simply couldn't
stand on tn floor o. that cab, was a.
rOcking-and a-curving so in IN out,
following that mountain trail of steel,
an as l looked across and saw him
singing to his seat, / pitied him from
tn bottom O my heart, but tn mem'ry
o. what he'd done that very day rose
In my mihd, and, tho oughter not
done 1t, / called to him: You'd bet
i ron, snaok fn uo,,,. wifa on3 hahn holp,f
yer, when you go by the station; +
your last chance, for your goin' plumb
to hell EASTERN any gait you ever run
before, an just then we rounded tn
shoulder OF Mount Willeo and there
vas tn Saco Valley stretchin' away
clear to tn lower gateway OF tn
notch, with the station and trestle ali
in plain view five miles ahead.
You call it beautiful to day, but
just think what it is to a man who's
dead sure he's goin' down into that
valley, in that shadow Of death
Five miles at that speed means less
to make your peace with God. l
thought, better begin with the boy.
So | softcned, and turned to speak to
him again, when | sec him give q
start, 40 u figure in skirts appeared
upon tn little station platform ahead.
You see there's not much vegetation
TO obstruct the view it's mostly bald
rock, and the station stands we'll out
into the valley from where we was
skirtin' the mountain walls, so when
we caught sight of Alice at the station
she also saw us dying down th' valley,
and understood our plight.
IF I'd been standin' beside her I'd
never askea her TO cross that 300 foot
of ~trestle, between the cliffs and in tn
face O. that flying machine, to save our
lives. Likewise 4 I'd had any idea
he'd speak to her with the whistle I'd
never allowed tn boy to touch the
lever. AS 1t was, however, first thing
l knew he vas by my side and Jerking
away at the whistle with o series Of
long and short blasts, which [ after.
ward learned was the Morse {; some
thing like: Save us, the switch
This he kept repeating while we
swept down upon the t~restle, although
think twas but a moment before the
Princess caught on, for we saw her
disappear in the house for a moment,
which was necessary to get tn switch
key, then came hurriedly out again
and start boldly to cross the t%restle, to
the switch just at the further end,
which led a short spur track from the
mainline, to the section-boss's tool
house placed just on tn brink of the
chasm.
"As she advanced, cautiously yet
swiftly, across that narrow footpath,
reached /and held the arm that was
calling her, and silenced the whistle ;
then forgot our own peril in her.
"Madly she flew across the ties, and
when | saw that she had an even
chance to reach therswitch in time, [
turned my attention toward the wreck
behind, determined to do my part to
help her.
"You know what q railroad man
calls a runnin' switch ? It's a COM
mon thing and just what tn Princess
was bent on performing; 1 knew rs
wells if she'd told me. To do it she
must reach the switch, unlock it, and
stand by it's side ready to pull tn pin
after the engine had passed, and throw
tn switch points on 20 the short spur
track before the runaway could follow
US on the trestle. Now, for the time,
| began to think we had q chance and
to get q i've on. / had M hand on
the reversin' lever, for / was bound If
the Princess didn't cross in time, to
reverse the machine, even If tn act at
that speed should throw us off tn iron,
for [ couldn't and wouldn't run her
down without q move to save her, and
all this time there she was crossin'
the t%restle, We not more than half q
mile away, and that wreck sprinting
along about 100 yards behind.
Then | made a brace and stood up,
with ono hand oroopint fhj th,nttln'