The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-10
IDLE RAILWAY CHATS.

Locomotives with bloody records, and
which are dubbed "mankiilers" by engine
men and railroad people generally. because
I they are supposed 10 be under an evil spell
are not uncommon on the roads In the
United States.
The Colorado Midland and the Rio
Grande roads, out In Colorado, both have
the misfortune to own one each. The Mid.
land "mankiller" is known as engine 20,
and the Rio Grande Jonah as SOC, and an
they recently met head on in bad wreck
out In the Rocky mountains. their bloody
careers are supposedly over, as when the
wrecking crews picked them tip what was
lett went to the scrap heaps.
Most railroad men are more or less SUI =
perstitious They cherish beliefs peculiar
10 their calling. Some Of these superstitions
are supported by an array OF facts that
seem convincing
Take for example the belief that bad luck
VIII always follow an engine that is taken
OUT OF the shop on Friday Half the man.
kliiers IN the country are engines that have
me bloody Colorado Midland engine No. ~
was taken out on its first run on a Friday.
~ was soors so badly broken up In wreck
mat IT had to be sent back to the shop.
"hen the repairs were completed IL was a
second time sent out on a Friday. Many
an engineer would rather lose his position
man 10 take an engine out on a Friday.
ana many a master mechanic would never
think of asking man to take IN engine on
that unlucky day.
only one evil greater than to be started
out ON a Friday could possibly befall an en-
CINE, so old railroad men say. This ia to
nave black cat run across the track In
front OF It, or course this is an evil which
can not be foreseen or guarded against
IL can only be passlvely accepted as an
omen Of direst import. The only thing for
the engineer to do under such circum-
stances 10 to get right down and refuse tn
80 further or to make ARRANGEMENTS for
his wife to collect his life insurance.
There are other omens OF impending dis
aster. IL a yellow dog should bark at q
train passing over the road the doom OF
the train is sealed. 1t will never reach
the end OF the run without sorhe one on
board being killed. This animals gift OF
loreseeing railroad disasters Is explained
by the belief that the souls of brakemen
are sent after death to inhablt yellow dogs.
Ihey retain an interest in the welfare OF
their former companions. and do all they
can to warn them Of approaching death.
Again, IL the bell should toll in passing
a graveyard. death Is at hand for some
OF the crew. The number of doomed Is in
dicated by the number OF taps on the bell
But TO return to the bloody 22 Remem-
Der that the ~ was sent on it's first trip
on a Friday. read It's horrible record. then
decide whethersor not there Is anything In
this particular superstition.
No. 20. a ten wheeler passenger engine,
was first put In service in June 1887. on
the division between Colorado City and
fcrred to the western division.
The first indication that the engine was
under an evil spell was given soon after
the transfer to the western division. One |
day the 22 In charge OF William Conerty |
had orders to meet freight. The freight |
Reached the meeting point a little late
brakemau was sent ahead to flag the |
approaching passenger train.
For some reason the brakeman failed to
give the right signal. The result was that
the % ran into the freight, Five tramps
who were stealing n ride In some box cars
were killed outright The freight was car
rytng some boarding cars used by bridge
men and carpenters. Two OF these workmen
were fatally injured and half dozen were
badly hurt
The ~ was so badly damaged In Its first
baptism OF blood that 1t had to be sent
back to the shop. After three months the
repairs were completed. A foreman who
mad no nonsense about him insisted on
sending the engine out as soon as it was
ready. disregarding the fact that the day
to be Friday. The 20 ran With
out mishap for SO long that some Of the
Younger engine men began to think that
perhaps the evil spell had been broken.
But one day in the fall OF 1891 the 20 re- {
,elyed orders at Basalt to go to Glenwood !
springs to get train. Orders were to :
cave Basalt after the arrival OF an ex-
Tsion train from the west. When this D.,
Ncursion train had pulled down the main G
inc, directly In front of the siding ON
when the 22 stood. o. brakeman gave tina
ignal for the unluclSy % to come ahead. d
ne signal was obeyed. The result was
nat the ~ ran into coach In the ex-
~, uIsion train which was standing broad
lde toward 1t. The check valve on the /,
was broken on, allowing the contents 4
the boiler OF the 20 to escape into the
oaoh. Eleven persons were cooked to =
cath and number were badly injured. :,
Three years elapsed before the next vic
IN was claimed. In March. 1894. while b
TO- % was running between Basalt and
spen, Fireman Lawton fell of the run h
Ing board while wiping the Jacket and 9
as killed.
In August of the same year No. 20 ran -
ITO pile OF rocks which had fallen on =
le track seven miles west Of Buena Vista :,
nd was thrown from the track While
cking the engine back on the track Lee
'est, one Of the wrscldng crew. had oc-
lsion to go under the engine. The Jack
'oke and West was crushed 60 that he
ed soon after.
Again three years elapsed before No. %
Id another mishap. This was to be the v
readful st,cident at New Castle. in which g
xteen persons were killed outright
hese, with the twenty lives previously II
ushsd out by No. %. brought fts bloody p
cord UP to thirty-six.
Denver and Rio Grande engine No. SOC, a
hich was In the Rio Grande- Midland o
reck. was also q man-killer. Several
amps had been killed by this engine. In
o. SOC killed an engineer and fireman
ay rs. 1897. at Cabesa. Colo. A freight
ain had gone In siding for No. to pass
I'd the flagman left tho switch open.
ashing around the curve 1t full speed No. :
. ran on to the switch and crashed into
o other train before tho switch was dis I
Ivared Ia tra WrunR Tina an Diraar ych.. I