The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-01
LIFE ON THE RAIL.
MEN WHO CARRY ON A FILTRATION
WITH DEATH.
The Awful Accident on the Rio
Grande Western, in Which Com
ductor Campbell and Brakeman
Salisbury Were Killed and Two
Men Badly Injured.


1t can truly be said that .life on
the road" is the carrying out of a
Irritation with grim death
Death stalks the trainman from start
to finish of his dangerous career, and
no odds how careful and capable he
may be, he knows not the moment he
may be waited to the great beyond.
What human agency could have
foretold that Rio Grande Western en-
CINE No 142 would blow up with
such direful results? 1t was not for
human foresight-alas! And the
trained and valiant crew of five men
who were intent alone on getting over
! the road could not know that with the
/ last exhaust" of the 142 on that rum
would come for them death and terri
! BILE havoc. 1t is sorroWful tale even
when simply told.
The time was last Wednesday after
noon, and freight No. 20, in charge of
Conductor Matt Campbell was pro-
ceeding eastward. The train was
pulled by engine No. 142 Engineer
Mold, and was about two hours late.
They had full train, and were intent
on making up as much lost time as
possible, feeling that predominates
among the hustling fraternity. No. 90,
! leaving Lower Crossing, had nineteen
minutes to go to. Cliff, 81 miles on an
! up grade of l per cent. The train
pulled heavy, and on noting this, Con-
! ductor Campbell went over ahead as is
customary at such times when time is
short and the engineer requires pat
i ting on the back in order to get from
the mill all there is in her. Besides,
in this instance, the engineer was a
new man on the division. though an
/ old timer on the Salt Lake division
where the water is good and not given
to "foaming." On the desert it is
alkali water and when the water glass
! shows up o. K. it may be that right
then the crown sheet is getting near the
dry point-alkali water is a treacher-
Gus one. The regular man on the 142
was laying off for a few trips, and
| Engineer Mold was sent over, he being
| accounted among the A / men.
When about half way between sta
tons, and the 142 was backing away at
a rate that signified they would be Sin
to clear for passenger train No. 8,
Brakeman Harry Salisbury climbed
out on the running board and out on
to the pilot where he sat in readiness
to jump off and run ahead to throw
the switch, SO as to lose as little time
as possible in clearing the main line
The gallant young brakeman was then
but doing what is common to railroad
! ing, and is done every day in the week
on every road in the mountainous dis
| tricts.
Conductor Campbell was standing on
the deck beside Hthe engineer. The
latter had just given her all the throt-
| tie she would stand without flying
up" and the fireman had thrown in
another fire to keep the pointer on the
| guage. close by the white feather
nark-to all outward appearances the
142 was doing well.
But all unknown there was even then
raging within her boiler a terrific and
pent up force and every Exhaust
coming so regularly told off the seconds
of life for two brave hearts. Conductor
Campbell had signed his last order y
Brakeman Salisbury had thrown his
last Switch" e
/ With an unearth1y rumble and roal
as though a million devils were snort.
ing in liberation, she went up" Con-
ductor Campbell was instantly killed
Brakeman Salisbury died within the
hour. The engineer and firemen were
! badly injured the latter may not re-
cover.
The conclusion wrecked the first five
loads in the train. The boiler jumped
up off the frame and into the air, turn.
ing completely around.
w. 0. Salisbury, the hind brakeman
was the only one of the whole crew
capable of actions He hurried forward
where the dead and dying were. The
dying young brakeman who had beer
! q t1-on ly h
and in such an hour he could not re-
main by-stern duty called him away
no one but himself remained to gC
forward and flag the heavy passenger
train rushing down upon them. The
father had but time to place his dying
son in an easier position, and ther
fastened away to flag No. 3. And nons
too soon. No. 8 was then heard tear
ing along. It was tagged, and 'tBill'
Salisbury had done his whole duty
On return to his son, he found the pal
Tor of death upon his brow.
Words can in no sense describe the
agony of the scene and circumstances
Conductor Matt Campbell was tina
day making his last trip on that di
vision. All arrangements had beer
4. made to move his family from Grand
junction to Ogden, he to run out of The
latter point. He was formerly an oil
passenger conductor on the Western
had left the road, and returned again
two years ago. and had since beer
running freight.
The writer aid bill" Salisbury wer,
boys together in Illinois, and in aftel
years when he left the old farm TO
a railroad career, he made for himsel
an honorable record. He ran trair
for years on the 90 out of Galesburg
then on many of the big roads in RI,
west, always getting a train withou
having to brake for it. There is no
today a better or more thorough go
ing conductor in all the Iand-that'
his record from the river to the coast
Again 1 say that life on the rail-
is but flirting with grim death.
RAY RAYMOND.