Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-08-10

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convention were relating
anecdotes and one remin.
l~~ iscent chap gave the fol.
W. lowing:
~ "some half Q dozen
AA years ago. when I was
6A working the afternoon
trick on the Union Pacific Railway at
Denver. one Of my oldtlme friends
from the East, who was on his vacation
ana visiting friends In the Rockies,
called upon me. When I got things
Strengthened out 70 that I could leave
trains In charge Of my operator. I went
out to spend an hour with my Eastern
friend to show him the Interior dccora.
lions OF one or two Of our notable pub.
lie buildings. Previous to going out
with the Easterner I issued running
orders to disabled passenger engine
which had been compelled to give up
the run near I.eadvillc, In the noun.
tains. and to return to Denver for re
pairs. I fixed them against all regu.
lar trains. and II started eastward
about the same time that descended
the stairs with my friend.
"What We saw or did ID neither here
nor there and does not necessarily en-.
Ter Into the recital of this yarn. Suf.
ice to shy that we parted company
after an hours pleasant chat. ct cetern,
and returned to the office while he de
parted for his hotel. promising to meet
me at q designated hour the following
day. When returned to the ONCE my
operator Informed me that he had Just
started helping engine q down the
mountain to come up with q freight
train. and that he had fixed them
against all east.bound trains. Az II 10
the custom Of the dispatcher every mo.
ment or 20 while on duty to glance Arst
at the clock and then at tho train sheet.
I saw that It was 9:35 .. M. and also
noted the absence Of the pushing en-.
CINE being recorded upon the sheet.
After an admonition to the operator
that he must train himself to make q
record on the sheet Of all trains the
instant he started them, then sat
down and involuntarily picked up tho
order book and read the order the ope.
rator had issucd to tho pushing engine
during my absence.
"Directly read the order I discover.
Cd that he had made no provision for
the two empty engines to meet each
other, both Of them having orders to
run regardless Of all trains. You can
imagine my feelings, and description
Of how felt h useless. ! said: Jim.
you have not arranged for those two
engines to pass each other, have you 2
and bis reply was: NO: I had forgot.
ten about the No. - which you start.
Cd There was but one intervening
station between the two stations from
which the engines were separated from
each other, one Of them going down the
mountain around the curves at Q speed
OF thirty.hve miles an hour. and the
other one ascending the grade at q
speed Of twenty miles per hour.
II at once began to call 'McGes's,' the
station which now separated the, en-.
gines, and aS luck would have It. the
operator was seated 1T the key and an.
swered his cAll the second time made
II. A. quickly as,I could send the
words over the wire ! said: Stop I'm.
gland 81 west, Quickr His key opened
and remained 20 fully . minute, when
hs closed II BY saying: 1t was too late,
they went BY like Q dash just - you
called me. and, although ! jumped
right out through the window and did
not wait to 90 through the door,
could not catch them with my red light,
for they never looked back
my operator was Q silent listener Il
all this and 40 glanced at him could
scarcely suppress smile. even though
my own mental suffering was % great
% bic. He was an object Of AFFECT die
tress and bis eyes hung way cut on biz
cheeks like doorknobs on Q colonial
residence. There was one "blind" side
track between McGee's and Buena Wis
n and how did long for the telegraph
ONCE which the company conteniplat
ed opening at thht place. There wal
nothing now that could do to avert 3
collision which seemed to be inevita
bic, and my mental suffering was dis
tracing. Turning to Jim I said: Well
my boy, this Ia q bad thing. and yol
have set trap for those two engineer
and their tireMen. At the rate Of
speed at which they are running. a. In
dlcated by the time they passed tn.
other stations. they will meet about
two and one-fourth miles west Of Nc
Gees and engine - will come arount
the curve first, Just 40 the helping en-
CINE IL upon Them ] called up thu
operator at McGee's and said: 'Gt
down the track to the curve and see u
you can fnd out anything about thos'
engines. think we have got them II
trouble
Some fifteen minutes later he calico
me and Informed me that he had GOn,
all the way to the bend and climbed ,
clilf which gave him Q view of thre,
miles. and that he could not see any
headlights. nor hear anything working
steam. Just AZ he closed his key and
leaned my head down upon the trail
sheet to try and overcome the suffocat
Ing sensation that had complete posses
sion Of me, the operator at Mc0ce'
said: There's something coming Yves
now and then left the wire open for
minute and resumed BY saying, 1T
Engine "a. and they went by like ,
rocket The sigh OF relief which 81
capped from me and the light that cam
into poor Jim's face % his eyes slowl,
resumed their former position wa
most sstiSfying. and . grsat load Va