Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1896-07-03
CRAZY cN THE CAB
An Experience Which shows What I
MAY Ic to Re a Fireman.

An Exnerience Which shows What i
May rc to Re a Fireman.
speaking OF experiences. remarked
an old engineer to Washington sta
reporter, ''have your permission Il
narrate little one that happened |,
me during my first year on an englnef
"Not only my permission" responds
the generous reporter. hut my lmpera
tive command and an invitation to talk
something while you are about It."
The preliminary being satisfactorily
arranged the engineer proceeded witt
his story.
at was twenty-five years ago" hi
said, "and was fireman on roat,
In New York State. The engineer
fired for was, or rather had been, ON
of the best on the road, but he hat'
been turned over and steamed under T
locomotive boiler In a wreck and after
that he was given less Important
train. Not so much because he wns
any the less good as an engineer but
because officials have an idea that Il
takes q mans nerve away when seri
Gus accident happens to him, We had
run of about seventy-tive miles, eacli
way, and on Sundays In summer we
carried excursions.
"We had never had any trouble, but
for a month before the experience !
am telling my engineer had been In g
bad temper and acted as ugly as the
mischief. reported the matter to the
division superintendent and he told me
to stick it out for month or so longer,
ms they proposed to relieve the old man
and put him at work In the shops. Two
Sundays after that we were returning
in the evening about o o'clock behind
time, owing to delays occasioned by
washouts causing us to run slow and
cautious. We had twenty miles to go,
and II was over the worst part OF the
road, and was watching out OF the
cab, when all at once the engineer gave
shout and made grab at me. His
eyes were blazing, and ! could see In
a second that he was either drunk OF
crazy.
How got away from him don't
know, for he did his best to throw me
Off the cab, but got away and climbed
up on the wood piled up on the tender
He didn't follow, but turned at once
! to the throttle and threw It wide open
! Iknew what that meant with six coaches
full of people behind us and bad
track, and the first thing did was tc
/ try to knock him ont with stick oi
wood. missed my throw and he came
after me with heavy iron bar, and
/ went over the rear of the tender on tC
the platform OF the car next to us. BY
this time we were fairly jumping Over
/ the track, and was so ratified that
didn't know what to do.
''In second. though, gathered my
! self and uncoupled the train from thu
/ locomotive, which was not SO hard t
| do, as we were on down grade, ant
the engine was bouncing so that tn,
coupling pin swung loose at intervals
Then l slapped on the brake there ant
went through the train as fast as
could, telling brakemen and conducto
to slow up, and do 1t quick. Our par
OF the train being stopped we got ou
to see where the engine had gone, bu
we could see nothing. Putting maj
with light on the track mile behinC
us to stop the next rain, the conducto
and went ahead to find what had be
come of the runaway.
1.-TWO miles away. or two minutes a
the rate he was going. we found the en-
glne in the ditch and the englnee
buried under 1t. The engine had strucl
soft place and spread the rails--any
body knows what that means. an,
think what the result would have bee,
to a train load Of passengers goin
after that engine at sixty miles nj
hour. 1t almost made my hair gra,
to think about 1t, and when the peopl
on the train heard the story, they mad
up a purse for me that almost mad
it curl, and | concluded that II wa
an iii wind indeed which blew n
good"