Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-07-09
Saint Maru's Beacon
4 RUNAWAY TRAM.

- esStNC"Et sbr%itNs
Lackiiy &c Had . Clear Track and n Cool
Headed Engineer.
A railroad official, speaking Of
some Of his experiences, said:
Il lived many years ago in O small
Massachusetts city and managed o
road where every employee, from
tho section men up, was personally
known TO me, and railroading was
more Of q pleasure than it is here,
where the roads are 30 vast and long
that one hardly knows the members
of his own Office staff. Ny Office
windows. remember, looked ont
directly upon the principal business
street of the place and the entrance
TO tho Union depot, the street cross
ing the tracks at right angles not 20
feet from the great arched station
entrance. Every hour or two New
York and Boston express trains were
arriving and departing, and it was
always an interesting sight the day
before Thanksgiving, when every
train was running In two or three
sections, and each one drawn by two
locomotives. loaded down with pas
sengers anxious to get to the old
farm in time. for the Thanksgiving
dinner.
"One snowy, clustering day sat
waiting 10 see the IL rs train pull
in from Boston, for somehow I
kind of smelled danger, as railroad
man often does. ! knew the train
was heavy one. tho rails slippery
and that before 10 struck the GROSS
ing it came down heavy grade four
miles long. Out at the other end of
the depot was o great long bridge
carrying the train of to the west,
and also the tracks branching south
to New York. On both these tracks
stood huge locomotives blowing of
steam and seemingly in haste to
couple on to the coming train, which
was destined for both the south and
west, and hurry it off TO its dcstina-
ton. Well, TO make long story
short, that train got the best of the
engineer that day, owing to some
defect in the airbrakes, and there
was one of the most hair raising
train runaways guess I will ever
witness. A mile up the grade !
heard old Seth Mayor, the engineer,
making old No. 104 whistle for
brakes in way that made me turn
cold. Almost at the same time the
train came tearing down over the
street crossing and into the depot,
going 90 miles an hour. and I re-
member to this day and always viii
how DOL Mayor looked as he dash
cd by, blowing his whistle for dear
life as q warning to give him q clear
track.
THAT they would even get those
engines at the other end of the sta
ton out Of the way thought was
an impossibility, but they did. There
were cool men about that place that
day, and No. 104's great Crawford
whistle had given the warning. The
switches were hastily set straight
on to the bridge, and away dashed
the waiting engine in a race to get
out &C the way of the runaway train.
1t was close shave, and It unnerv-
cd me for a week, but luck saved
the day.
riIat runaway ran four miles be-
fore 1t stopped, and the engineer
with the light engine tearing along
ahead of it was beginning to wonder
If the tracks were clear way out TO
Buffalo, when the brakes worked
and the runaway was brought to q
stop. For years I have been wonder
ing how that train ever dashed down
that grade and through the crowded
depot, following the switches in and
out, without a most frightful smash
up.
"Old Seth Mayor, when he step.
ped down from the cab after back
ing back, regarded it as q huge joke,
but it scared everybody else within
mile of tho station out of O weeks
growth. Chicago Chronicle.