Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-09-25
INTO FLAME.


cific when our train was delayed at Mo
jave Cal. 1t was evident that we would
have plenty of time, and 1 made hasty
acquaintance with citizen who soon in
PRODUCED ME to an old engineer, John Bar
tholomew, who had the reputation of hay
ing the most thrilling record in the histo-
ry of the road I asked the old man to
tell me his story:
"It isn't much of story" said the
white haired old veteran, 'but If you
want to hear it I'll tell you. 1t was In the
summer of 1870. / was running an Eek
ira passenger engine on one of the noun
tain divisions of the U. P, and, young
engineer then, had rather unenviable
record as wild and reckless runner.
CAT that time the government was max
ing lots of changes among the army posts
on the frontier, and almost every week we
had one or more Of what we called gov
eminent specials, moving the soldiers and
their families and belongings from ono
post to another One morning i was
called to go out on one of these runs,
and as coupled my engine to the train
the conductor handed me a message from
the superintendent telling us to rush that
train through with all possible speed. 1t
just suited me exactly. had light train
ssleener,-and knew T oould make a ran.
ord, for a fast rim. somethinp had been
waiting for for a ionn time ~
uIn The f,rst horr made 5o miles and
then-well 7 never had a chance TO bstter
n We received an order tn meet q nasscn.
COR train and mass freight going in the
same direction as ourselves at tho next
station
"There were two side tracks there and
tho freight train occun;ad ono of them and
T nrllad In On tha other Tho station WAC
rirht at the ton of a verv heavy grade and
tho track down this biIi wac vsrv crookad
Tho nassenoer train came n littls late and
In nv hurry to GET ont did not rive the
brakeman time TO omen the switch and
cot the front trnck If NV engine off the
track II did no DAMAGE To The engine
hnt n gave the fire. that loft me- "a Z am
now good chance to oct al oinp
DAT iast wo cot storted and as looked
hack from NV cab al tbe t7rst cnrve saw
the freight train on the main traol, ready
to follow us down the hill. Nv train was
running at full h0 miles an hour AZ
turned the last long curve at the foot Of the
GRADE and there IN Main view was the
mouth of W;nnemucca tunnel choked from
the rail to the roof with a mass Of roaring
aamos IA WAS nearlv a nuarter ~ n miIe
away and T knew T conld ston NV train,
hit looked hack across The cnrva and
could see. hardly / 900 feet behind me.
that heavv freight train rushing along nj.
most 40 fast as I vas running 4 was ho-
fore the time of airhraxes IN freight
trains and r realized In loco than n second
that no mower then in nsa could ston that
train in time to save the lives Of the hun-
dreds of soldiars and their wives and littla
ones In the cars hehind mo Tha verv
force of the collision would drive NV train
into the funnel where without noyver to
move thew would surely nerish
"I thouoht onick then, NV freman had
;umned the minute he saw The fire and T
was alone on the engine 7 knew tbe tim
have In Tho t,,nnel were verv haavv and
nv only chance was that the fire. had not
burned through them 40 that thew had
dronned to the rail threw coal into the
flrehnr until we reached the month Of the
tunnal and then T dronnad the cab cur.
tains, shnt the windows and waited
1T was RIGHT in NV gness None If the
thinkers was down. hit one bio one. burned
ont at tha ton was started bv tho iar of
the train and fell lust in time to catch the