Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-14
SAFETY IN THE FIRE BOX.
How II brakeman Saved His Life in
Terrible Railway Collision.

The following strange story was told a
Pittsburg Post reporter by a Fort Wayne
brakeman who is employed on the eastern
division:
1T was on a light engine which was being
hauled over the Union Pacific read from D.n-
yer to Omaha. My position was that of brake
man, and as 1t was a wet, nasty night and |
did not care to expose myself any more than
was necessary, l sneaksd into the cab of the
dead engine and tried to keep myself as
warm as l could with the aid of an old
blanket ] found in the engineers chest, which
| wrapped about me and laid down on the
punk. About the time that l got comfortably
fixed and was doing, with my eyes half
closed, was startled by a loud, long, pierre
ing call for brakes. l knew cid Billy Dunkan,
the engineer, would never have let cut such
a blast as that unless in the presence of
great danger. Hastily throwing off the old
blanket, | jumped up and peered through the
darkness We were running along about
thirty-five miles an hour, and right ahead of
us | was startled to perceive another train
approaching at a higher rate of speed. There
was not much chance to jump, as it was in
formally dark, and l knew there was a high
cliff close to the track at that place. was
about TO drop on my knees and pray for for
giveness for my past sins when ! luckily
thought that the irebox would be a good,
safe place in which to weather the collision,
and in an instant l had Jumped through the
fire door.
81 landed on some clinkers which mad been
left on the CRATE bars, and had Just got on
my knees when there came an awful crash,
such as | had never heard in my life before,
and / felt the old mogui going first up and
then down, and the sickening sansa-
tions Of those few seconds were paralyzing.
l was tumbled about pretty roughly, and had
the skin knocked off my legs and my head
cut, but nothing could crush me, for I was
in an iron safe that was well built, although
1t was never intended for a life preserver. |
| though once, however, that 1t was all up
with me, for | felt the old boiler collapsing
under the weight Of loaded cars that were
piling on top of 1t. After awhile everything |
was still, and, knowing that the worst was
over, unless the debris took fire and roasted
me alive, | made an effort to crawl out, but
could not do so, as car trucks and frames
were piled high above the wreck. | thought
1t was a month till the wrecking train came,
and then ] began 10 cry out like a mailman
and lmplore help, They must have thought
that l was lying under the engine with my
legs crushed, for they gave all their attention
to me, and after a while they got the trucks
cleared away, and who did | see but big
Barney, the wreckmaster, crawling between
two car stills, with a bottle of whisky in his
hand. Before he got out to where / was /
out and grabbed the bottle, and you
should have seen the look on his face when
he perceived me safe and sound and getting
away with good whisky. 1t was some time
before they got me out. and beyond the
bruises already mentioned ] was as sound as
the wreck. Poor old Billy, the en-
gineer, was killed, as was also the fireman of
The other engine, and two tramps, who were
on a car next to the light engine, were
TO a jelly. The frebox saved my
life. and | never heard of another man hav-
ng saved his bacon In the same manner"