The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-01-26
AN ENGINEERS STORY.
Thrilling Occurrences in the Life of One
Who Holds the Throttle.
Abbeville Press and Banner.

Abbeville Press and Banner.
The following is u true story told me
by an engineer OF the Southern Rail
road
The 18th of December, 1892, was a
dreary night. | fastened on my over
alls, lit my lantern and proceeded to
make my way the best | knew how
down to the round-house where my
engine WAS being cleaucd to start out
on her regular run. The town of Sal
lisbury, N. c., rs | passed down it's
lonely streets, seemed desolate and de-
serted. Now aud then a light beaming
through the window of an old manse
were the only signs Of life that this
old historic place gave to the outside
world this drcary night. Alter turn
ing s>"eral SIRE cts, | soon found my
self in front Of the shops where | was
to find the object most Of all priced
and loved by me as it is in human
power to love a material thing, my en-
CINE. The steady pour of the rain
which had been descending for three
days seemed now to increase with
double fury. Hero | met tho hOstler
who was preparing to carry Beulah
(fOr that was the pet name OF my en-
ginc) around to the station for me.
This is an awful night, Jim," said
the h~ostier, "to so out on thirteen"
| only answered with q shuddcr and
passed on. Thirteen was tho limited
vestibulo between Salisbury and
Paint Rock, which was due to leave
the first amc station at one o'clock
a. m, reaching Asheville shortly after
day-break.
| had been promoted to this run not
two months before, the complaint being
AGAINST the former man Tint hn pprl1
not make tho time. The schedule had
still been cut since hat timo and
was now to make Paint Rock by one
hour earlier go as to make connection
with the East Tennessee, Virginia and
Georgia going north.
had wont to be reckless during my
younger days as an engineer and it
was mainly through this and the strict
attention to all duties that | was pro-
noted to this run.
| Lad secured my rubber coat down
at the shops and was making my way
slowly back over the w~reckcdcar trucks
which lay scattered hero and there
ever the yard, wh"n | was suddenly
met by The foreman of the shops. 81
am sorry to tell you, JIM" said he,
"but I will have to send II shop hand
oui - " ,'ght as Charley is
We! me word that he
viii DC uhab bic TO make the run. |
will give you Joe Heiscr rs | think he
kro the track better than any negro
| have just 10Y in the shops" | made
no auswcr To the foreman, but nodded
my head in assent, and made my way
up toward my engine through the
storm which o seemed to be setting
in with rcdoubieG fury.
| had thought more than once hat
.,p,, Ill .p,.,, u,r1l hnf.Ii NM {l;,
dreary night. Now to add to this,
Charley was sick and | had to make
this trip with an incXpcrienc' d fire
man. However, Joe was Il good darkey
and ] felt assured that he would give
me Tut little trouble.
Bat tho thought Of CLarlcy's sick
nCss hung over me like Il black veil, to
increase the horrors OF this awful
night. Charley McCree wa ;u Irish
lad who came to this country when
but sixteen He had finally
landed in Ashrvillc aud applied to tho
Southern Uhen the RicbmCnd and
Danvillo railroad) for work To fire an
engine. BY chance, he made his first
trip with ne from Ashcvillc To Spar
tauburg. and liked him so much that
| determined Ia keep him if possible. |
succeeded well and soon brgan TO look
upon TIC boy as Il younger brother.
The iad, through the Kindness shown
him, became greatly attached TO me,
add VIC were not long becoming fast
friends.
could not help thinking Of Charley
now. Should | go to sec him? | did
not have time enough, for VIC were due
to leave then in seventeen minutes.
But What If the boy should die before
[ rcturLcd | knew not what TO DO;
y,t iE1in unS Irly ntlN fl it,p-y,t ~,
my tngiLc, pull out into this Gfcury
uight ard s0on find myself dying over
I the mountains Of Western North Caro-
lima.
soon arrived at my engine at The
a Of u baggage, mail and rXDress.
two day coaches and two Puil.nan
sleeping car!, making six coaches in
all, very heavy train for my Pet TO
climb these mountains with. yet she
was more than enough for her task.
After OiliDg and examining the diTer-
ent parts Of my engine, | had only to
await the arrival OF the ~northbOund
vestibulcfrom Charlotte to Washington
and thence after the transferring Of
baggage ndupassengcrs to pull ont on
this dreary ride.
The time soon passed, n tttccn a
IN. The vestibulc had been due twenty
minutes and SSH no signs Of her yet
Tho wires were all down between
Charlotte and Salisbury, 80 no r"rCrL
Of her rad been received since depart
ing the former city. We waited one
drcary hour with no sounds but the
beating OF the rain and ii continual
up and down motion OF u G piston in
the air pump Of my engine painting as
the tired h,und after the chase aud is
now rcstirg in the shade. Thus We
waited en- hour and ten minutes, and
my conductor wa kcd up to me and
said thai VIC CoYl! ct m orders from
tho dispatChCIs ond 81 with u clear
ance card we would pu!l out for our
RUIZ. He walked slowly back to the
rear end Of the train. and it was not
long before the sound Of ''All Aboard"
and the blow OF the air whistle an.
nounccd the beginning Of q fearful
ride.
| mounted upon my box, placed my
reverse lever in the last notch and
cracked my throttle. Tho driver.
lightly slippec, but catching my self
again, Beulah 5000 walked away from
the station down through the yard
and ont into the dark night. My
headlight was burning unusually dim,
this | remarked to Joe, but he said it
was hard 10 keep 1T lighted at all. |
pulled my reverse lever up three
nDtrbos and I rould fairly feel Rpulah |