Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-11-26
RACE WITH FIRE
NJ, Carried on the Swift Cur,
aIps rent of q River.

y! 80 vear was October. We had
: ! long spell of dry weather, ana
we're beginning to break u IN
| $ r "pds all over the country. That
wan the air was hazy with smoke,
.na sun went down like II ball OF
,opppr in the thick sky,
hor, three miles above J~onesville
'oa crosses a shallow little river
an running through the heart of
,orn. supplies water power for two
/ mills. The mills were at ihe lower
If the town, where the water falls
~ tbirtv feet into a deep rlvine. At
A ,,.co where the railway crossed the
\, the banks wer steep, and the
Fdse was a piece of wooden trestle
.brk.
'SIs we numbered down the grade
ding to the bridge-which was hid
II from view by a curve-we noticed
N, the fires were getting close to the
ack on both sides.
'.Ifn be bad if the fire gets into the
.acp' said Bob Macdonald, the driver,
me- as | heavcd a shovel of coal into
4 fire hole. 1t was dusk by this time.
naked out ahead before l answered.
ben | said:
There doesn't seem to he much fire
h that direction. | reckon the bridge
.uut get scorched this time
"Three minutes later we were round
h. curve. and in full view of the
Maze. To our horror. there we're the
arOus little bluc-and-Orange tongues
te fire licking away hungrily at the
\ %treStles.
"Icwn brakes! screeched the whis-
n wildly. But there was no stopping
hat rushing mass Of loaded tank cars.
NTH what seemed TO us undiminished
heed We slid down the burning bridge.
Jump for it" yelled Macdonald. We
Frlng, almost together: and the brake
ben behind followed our example. The
heed was, of course, slackened by this
np.
END over end ! went down the en-
b%alkment, and fetched up in Il messy
bd not ten yards from the gulch. |
|aggered to my feet. The engine was
llst crashing through the bridge. Down
bed the oil carS on top Of it, like so
bany sheep playing fOllow-my-leader
Dyer a fence. ! remember noting how
Rey kicked up behind, just rs sheep do,
Is they went over the edge. The next
finute the flames were roaring up like
bad. The oil had caught.
None of the fellows was much hurt.
bot Bob Macdonald; and he. though his
pm was broken, was able to crawl up
% TO the track, where we huddled to
patch the dreadful sight. Then a
and terrifying thing took place.
Ihe flames ran out swiftly from the
purling ruins over the top of the water.
Int as if the river Itself was on fire.
Great heavens!' walled Macdonald.
fhe whole of Jonesville will go. sure.
thirty minutes that will be a river of
pre- rushing through the town.
AT these words a pang frightened
round my heart. You'll smile when |
ell you why. On the day before. when
ny train was running up the other way
niOngh JoneSville, | had CHANGED to
aen a glimpse Of n little lad. with
lu1y yellow curls. on the balcony of n
lCOSe right by the edge Of the water.
Inc little lad had smiled and waved
nand at ME, and looked after me
oue way, as if he was lonely, and
wanted TO come. l carried his look
'iln NE all day. About that time | had
l'le lad of my own, with curis some
mug IKE this ones, away East. My
Wy was a good deal bigger than this
but maybe a streak of homesick-
itS made me sort Of sentimental, you
NOW.
AlV.u
"ell' at those words of Macdonald's
WASH the town | thought of. but the
l'ue lad at the window.
I'll warn the town. | shouted. Then
scrambled down the bank, on the
'ue apoVe the fire, got across the river
y alternately swimming and wading,
uu started on the run down the tract;
0Ward ~JOnesvl!e.
III those days ! was a smart long.
'e@nce runner, and five miles was my
Instance. Bat it was one thing run.
NY On a well-made racing ground and
another on the irregularly placed
EeperS OF a rallroadr'
,SHouId think SOL" interjectcd. feel.
Hsy' had tried it more than once.
out | tell YOU" continued Sleeves.
aaue good time. The river was
~ and these sliding flames had a
e'ar' but in five minutes was
ds' CT them. Soon ! WIS well
,'' ana then | lost them behind Z