The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-05

were the red lights Of q caboose and then
| | knew that the ilagman had not come
| back far enough 90 stoD us on the wSt
! rails Il rm-in for sure There was not
much chance for me 10 jump and IL was
| informally dark, and knew there was a
! nigh cliff close 90 the track on one side
/ that would hurl me back under the
1 wheels, and precipico on the other steep
\ enough TO break every bone In my body
! If once started 10 roll down It's steep
sides
! About that time thought of praying,
and was on the point of dropping 10 my
knees and pray TO be forgiven for my past
sins, when | luckily thought ot the fire
box or the new engine L had In charge,
and as quick ms / thought threw open
the door and crawled in. had lusU
landed on my knees on the grate bars
when there came an awful crash, such as
/ had never heard in my life before, ana
first felt my engine going up ana then
down, and the sickening sensations ot
those few seconds woro parnlyZlng. 1 was
tum bled about pretty roughly. ana hau
, the skin knocked of my legs and my head
cut, but nothing could crush me, Tor
was In an iron safe that was we'll built
although 10 was never intended for llie-
preserver
II thought once however that IL was
all up with mo, for | felt the boiler col
lapsing under the weight of the loaded
cars that wero piling on top of IT,
-'' After awhifc everything WAS still, and
knowing that the worst was over, unless
tho wreckage took tire and roasted mo
alive. | made an effort TO crawl out, but
could not do so, as car trucks and frames
were piled high above tho wreck. l
thought it was month until the wreck
ing crew came. and then began to cry
ont like crazy man ana implore help.
The wreckers must have thought / was
pinned down by tho engine, with my legs
crushed. for they gave all tboir attention
60 me. and after harI WORK got the trucks
cleared away. It was some time before
they got me out. and beyond the bruises
already mentioned was as sound as before
the wreck.
Poor old Billy, the engineer, kept up
his reputation 10 the last hy refusing 10
Jump and was smashed into jelly under
his engine, as was also his fireman and
two tramps riding In box car next TO
my engine. That was my first call, and
it was a close one, but the fire box saved
my life, and have never heard Of another
man pulling through wreck in the same
manner My second call has not come
yet, and I'm not anxious for IL, / can tell
you.
All the old engineers on the Baltimore
and Potomac branch of the Pennsylvania
system still like to tell of the experience
of Harry Freeburn with close calls, and
how he finally paid the penalty with his
life in not needing two warnings and
dropping out OF tho business.
Freeburn was one of those fellows who
are said TO fear neither man nor devil.
He was light hearted, sturdy and ganer-
Gus to a great degree. Large quantities of
bull dog courage were grated on his
hardy frame and the word fear was "a
thing no laughed at. He was an exceed
ingly fast running engineer, and when
ever the occasion arose Tor n last run to be
made Harry Freoburn was generally Sc
lected to pilot the engine through.
\ Globe Democrat representative re-
Gently came across an engineer hOing
duty between Philadelphia aud Washing
ton, and who was Freehurl's i!ro1an for
several years, and was with him when no
received his last "call. This engineer
related many stories Of interest, the chief
of which were the three thrilling expert
encos in which freehurn and he played
important parts. IL might ho mentioned
thnt Freeburn could discount the best
trOCrer in the land in the sH caring habit.
IL entered so continually and rersistrntly
into his conyers alton thht Er5eburn
hardly knew when no was committing a
breach. and was forgiven bv bis supcriors
for this onr weakness on aocoI To OF his
reliability and general good nature.
Freoburn's first "oall' clme in the
share of close shave, ms he termed il nt
the time, and whlo he was o5 hurt he
told his fellow engineers that he Thought
the grim specter was going 20 call upon
him 60 follow hts teck without even the
ceremony OF "A first warning.
Freeburn was engineer on very fast
tIaln that left Washington about noon.
The train was not u very heavy one, and
for this reason great speed could easily
he attained. About two miles south Of
the union depot, In Baltimore, he struck
the double track, and little further ON "A
I'm ine Ia f.n hflrn nCif
track hove In sight running at full speed.
When within n hundred feet of the
freight train Freeburn saw oar In The
middle OF tho long lire of freight cars
leave the track and bound over on his
track.
It struck the rails 30 hard that IL bounded
back and turned partly over on the south
track. Freeburn's train shot by the de-
rallied car an instant ottorwnrd ut the
rate Of 40 miles an hour Tho place at
which the accident occurred was near n
culvert aud steep ompankment some 90
feet high. and had ho struck the car
terrible wreck must have resulted.
IL speaking of this experience Freeburu
said, with several others; "You can't
imagine my feelings when saw that car
-lnmu nXnr on MY Track i believe my
heart stopped beating aud when it
bounded back and left my way clear |
came near faiuting. No one on my
lTblll hlltW vi Nht ihTIpN trCflIlt Nt Ihd
mBdc or I'll bet they would have gone mo
one better in tho matter OF feelings"
FrceDurn's second call was more
serious on, 10 him and occurred about
one year after the above described Incl
dent As before. he was the engineer Of
train going north, and had reached
point ON the road about 200 Yards south
of little telegraph station calioi Winans,
where tho Baltlmore & Ohio road crosses
over head. lncossunt rains had looscned
the earth beneath the rails az this point,
and rs FreChurn's engine shot on to tho
soggy earth down they went like fash.
Tho sudden stop of the Unglnn preclpi
tatod about two tons nf coal and the bag.
cngo and mail cars on top Of Frrchurn
md his fireman, and their chdnc,s OF
being either burned or smutkcrcd 90 Ceath
were most appalling. Prompt and oner-
Retic work on the part OF the tranmcn
ard passengers. whose cars had G,c0mo
detached and rcmnined uEon the rails,
enabled them to pull the luckleSs men
from the Gobris before the flames had
reached them.
In two months time Frceburn was back
IA