The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-06-01

Hastings. A lagman was sent back to
warn approaching trains. He stepped into
the station at Hastings, and while there
the fast mail Numbered by unwarned.
In less than a minute afterward Dono-
hues engine rounded the curve north of
Hastings, and he was instantly confronted
with a vision of sudden death. Reversing
his engine and applying the brakes, he
dropped upon the floor of his cab, and then
the engine plunged into the wreck BY
miracle he was saved. The heavy tender.
instead of crashing into the cab, as is usu-
ally the case in such accidents, rose in the
air and tumbled upon the cabs roof,
where it was held fast. Then Greene, the
fireman, who had previously jumped from
the engine, came to his rescue and pulled
him out of the already blazing wreck.
Fourteen lives were lost on that dreadful
night.
Shortly after this accident the unlucky
engineer ran into local train at Tarry-
town, and last year, while running the
same engine, he collided with another en-
CINE at the second signal tower below Sing
Sing. His locomotive was derailed and
plunged over the river wall into the Hud-
son, and Donohue had another miraculous
escape. In all of these accidents and in
every other one in which he was concerned
Donohue stuck to his engine to the last
Even In the late accident at Rhinecliff,
that cost him his life, he plunged into the
Hudson with his engine and was found at
his post with bis hand on the lever, scald-
ed from head to foot. The cause OF this
accident was the sudden wrecking of a
freight which threw several cars in front
OF his engine on the south bound track.
- -. l.
OF the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
road Some years ago he was attached to
engine "a, that hauled the fast New York
and Chicago express westward from Buff
falo. He started out with his train one
miserable day when a light snow was fall
ing that obscured his view ahead. Mainly
on account Of It he soon fell behind time
Between Buffalo and Irving station there
Is long down grade stretch, and hero
Burns attempted to catch up TO the sched-
ule by running Of 90 miles an hour.
Approaching on the other track was a
fast and heavily laden cattle train. About
a mile east Of Irving station this train
was badly wrecked. Two Of the cars were
thrown across the west bound track on
which Burns was approaching at tremen.
dous speed. He was within a hundred
feet Of the wreck before 1t was possible for
him TO see that anything was wrong
Then he took In the situation at glance
There were but two courses between which
to choose. He could reverse his engine
apply the airbrake and jump from his en-
gine, and thus, in all likelihood, save his
own life. But his train could by no posi-
1ility be stopped in time to prevent ter
HE wreck Of the passenger coaches. The
hcr course was to throw open the valve
nd try to drive the great engine at light
ing speed clear through the wreck. There
vas scarcely one chance in ten that he
could succeed in this and bring the pas
senger coaches through with nothing
worse than terrible shaking up. Aban-
doning his own chances OF safety, the
brave fellow shouted to his fireman. Tear
her wide openi'' and sent No. "a crashing
through the cattle cars. Fortunately the
locomotive kept the rails and carried the
| coaches with her.