The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-20
SAVED BY TRAMPS.
Their Thoughtfuinsss Narrowlv
Ayerts . Collision.


Il don't mind seeing tramps rid,
ing on my train, 7 said an old freight
engineer. You see I have a warm
spot in my heart for the knights 81
the road, and l don't think the
average trampis half as bad as he
is painted. We ought to do some.
thing to reform these fellows, and Ii
ought TO be done in kindly way.
The reason why l like the tramp is
because owe my being alive at
this moment to about twenty OF
them. How did they save my'life9.
Wellsit was this way: l was run.
ming q freight engine on the Chicago
division OF the Panhandle when the
incident am going to relate oc.
Cured. had the Alb at the head
Of thirty-one cars Of stock one dark
night, and was bowling along on the
smooth level track between English
Lake and Royal Center, when we
had to stop to cool off a hot box.
We had no air brakes on freight cars
in them days, and the stopping of q
long, heavy train took considerable
time. Well, when we got started
again ! put on a full head of steam,
and went down through the little
town Of Denham at a forty-five-mile-
an-hour pace, but were stopped by a
red light at Royal Center, aud got
orders to wait for westbound fast
freight at the top Of the Logansport
hill.
III you have ever been over the
Chicago division you noticed the
long, steep hill above Logansport.
Well, to be brief, when | got to
where ! ought to have stopped, |
forgot my orders. The air brake
pump was the cause, for it was leak
ing, and / was thinking would re.
port it to the roundhouse men at
Logansport. Well, when | remem-
bered of the order to stop and take
siding, was going down the hill at
q thirty-mile.an-hour gait. had no
sooner thought OF my awful error
when the fireman shouted: Stop
her, man; for Gods sake stoplh He
had reason to be excited, for right
ahead of US coming up the hill, as
sisted by pusher, and both engines
making the sparks fly, was the fast
freight. pulled the whistle, and
the old 413 let out a long, startling,
despairing Shrek for brakes. AT the
same time / plugged her and put
on the sand. / knew we could not
get those two brakemen to set
enough brakes to give US any
chance for our lives, so we got down
on the steps, prepared to jump, but
the high, steep bank was too much
for us, and instead OF jumping we
started to run back over the cars. /
wondered what was reducing the
speedof our train when reached
the second car, but the mystery
was explained when / saw a man at
every brake screwipg up the wheels
as If the very devil was making him
to do IT. Well, do You know that
we got The train stopped iusta as the
westbound trains engine pumped
ours, and there was not much
damage done. What stopped US?
Why, the fact of the matter was
that when we stopped to cool off
that box some twenty-five tramps
boarded the train and were sitting
on top of the cars. When they saw
what was whistling about they
took to setting the brakes, and no
train was ever stopped by air as
them fellows stopped that freight.
When they saw that terrible COLI
sion had been averted they began to
cheer like fiends, and i could not
help but join in aud cheer too.
That's how the tramps saved my
life, and that's why ] have a kind of
tender. spot in my heart for the
knights of the road. Pittsburgh
Post.