Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-17

Run Between New York and Pittsburg.
 Race Down the EEountain--A Story With Some Fun In It.
 About tho most dismal failure that I can recall in tho way of special train, said one of party of railroad men, was started from New York about 1877, I think At that time there was consider ablc speculation as to how far n train could run without stopping for coal or wa tor. The tanks holding water in tho cen ter of tho tracks had proved great sue cess and tho matter of stopping for water had been done away with. This permitted run of 100 miles continuously, but then came the change of engine and crows. Sev- eral of tho bright young men of our road, and we hud c few, put their heads together in that year and determined to try and make continuous run from Now York to Pittsburg. An extra large tender was provided, and tho car next to it was loaded with coal Gum tubing was run from the floor of tho cars to tho axle boxes carrying oil and other littlo contriyanccs provided to lessen tho chances of n stop as much as possible. The plan WAS to have an engi- necr go to the cud of tho division he was familiar with, drop of, and an engineer that thoroughly knew tho division they were entering to take charge. Everything passed off smoothly on the New York divi- sion, and tho time made was something remarkable. As WIG passed through Phila- dolphin the weather beaten engineer left us and the new man grasped the throttle for his race against time to Harrisburg, the other terminus of the division. Out near Bryn Mawr, a suburb of Philadelphia, our special was simply shattoring space. Something got wrong with the oil tute running to the axle box on one of the cars, and Charley Douglas, ono of tho brightest young mon then in the employ of our coihpany, grasped the handle along side tho steps, and, leaning far over, en- deavored to repair tho break At the mo- mcnt he was deeply engrossod over his work the train dashed around slight curve, and tho next instant poor Douglas forehead camo in contact with a milk stand alongside tho track. He never knew what struck him, as his death was in stantanoous. As his body rolled from tho steps pulled tho bellcord, and after run ming quarter of mile the train was stopped and backed up to where the body lay. The object of the special was lost, as a stop had been made, but for tho rest of the run the different engineers made rec ords that stood for several years"
 II can recall run made by a special train about four years ago" said mem- ber of tho group, whose road leads in and out of tho Lehigh coal region, that comes into my mind without the least trouble to my thinking apparatus. Tho special consisted of an engine and two cars Wo had been up in the mining re- zion inspecting tho road and were return ing down the hill at an easy pace. As we neafed little telegraph office stuck in tho side of tho mountain our engineer observed tho young operator running toward him like wild man. The engineer lost no time in pulling up to meet him and was moro than frightened when he called out:
 The strikers up the hill havc sent down two loaded coal cars after you. Pull out for Sidcll for your lfep
 "Sidell was seven miles away and was the nearest siding, and away WIG flew. If the worst came, WIG knew we could jump and save our lives but the engineer was true blue, and told him to try and sayo the engine and the cars. And he tried. He simply pulled the throttle wide open, and after we had made a tremendous start he closed her up and we drifted down tho mountain like tho wind. When we started for Sidell, VIC had about half a mile start on those two cars and don't believe they gained a foot on us. was on the point of crying out couple of times for tho cn- gineer to reverse tho lever and put on tho airbrake so we could jump, as at every curve thought we would leave the rails, but as he and his fireman stuck gnmely to their post without 0 culver l knew it would never do for me to weaken first. Well, we reached the siding in safety, and in about % seconds the two cars passed by with a rush and were caught as they stalled on heavy up grade near the base of the mountain"
 You fellows run toward the dramatic in telling your stories," chimed in nerv- ous looking man of about 40 years, who was hidden behind great cloud of cigar smoke. 'Why don't you tell something funny? Listen to this one, and you will have tho laugh on me. It occurred about year ago out in the wild western couni try. From Butte to Helena the tracks of the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific roads run side by side for miles together, each taking the same curves around the base of the same mountains and jogging along in genial compan- ionship. About half way to Helena from Butte the Great Northern plunges into an obstructing mountain and runs through tunnel nearly mile long Tho Northern Pacific here leaves the Great Northern, and instead of passing through tunnel, winds about, twisting and turn ing, reversing itself dozen times, until one imagines, as he stands upon the rear platform, that he sees dozen different railroads instead of one The grade is ex- tremely steep. From the top of the decline one can see the track five different times, each track being from 20 to 75 feet below the one above it.
 At that time official business called me form Helena to Butte, and a special train was ordered out for my accommodation. We started all right, but soon began to lose time, and of course became hot un- der the collar. Glancing out of the win dow suddenly espied almost directly be- low-about 100 fcet-another track. I re- membered that the Great Northern ran parallel with the road was -poSs-9sfhg, and that the latter's train would soon bel due and place mo in Butte ahead of my, slow special. Without word pulled thd hellcord clambered od the car and Ipadl