Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-10-22
Capturing a Runaway Train !
by A. NJ. STRONG,

There have lately been turned on
OF the Southern Pacific railroad shop,
at one Of the big terminals of tina,
road on the Pacific Coast four of the
largest consolidated pattern engines
in use, designed especially for noun.
tain work, whose plans and specifca-
tions were drawn by probably the only
lady expert mechanical engineer in
America, IL not in tho world. How
she attained her present position is
one OF the railroad legends OF the
road for which she works, but I believe
the story has never been in print.
A number Of years ago, about fifteen
believe, some lucky prospectors
located" mining claims away up in
the almost inaccessible fortressess of
one OF the mountain ranges of the
West, and the phenomenal riches OF
the lead amply repaid the heavy ex-
penses of the "mule train" that was
used to pack" the output of the rail-
road. Eventually the prosperity of
the first proprietors brought other adj
venturous spirits to tine lucky spot and
later rich syndicate brought out all
the smaller claims on the ledge and
established there the great mills and
shelters Of the Calumet Mining and
Smelling company
Then the Southern Pacific people
awakened to the importance of the
enterprise, and after series Of con-
situations with the syndicate, in the
course Of which n very handsome
financial proposition was made by the
miners, n branch road was surveyed
up through the canons TO the site Of
the now rapidly growing town. The
difficulties were almost insurmount-
able, but ut last the work was done
aud a very crooked and dangerous
piece Of track was the result. It's
grades were precipitous in the extreme
its curves sharp to the last degree, and
~ Ud gsSasl5wfs ss@s places
that IL q car became derailed it was
either demolished against the rock
wall on one side or went TO the bottom
OF the gorge on the other, there TO lie
and rot and rust away. Once over the
cliff the cost Of raising an ore car
would almost Pay for II new one, aud
the company seldom made any effort
TO recover the wreckagc.
One point on the short road had
always been dreaded by tn, trainmen,
and this WAS the sharp curve at the
approach 10 what was called the second
crossing. 1t had been a prolific source
of wrecks and the rocks below the
bridge were strewn with broken tim
bers aud bent and twisted ironwork of
dozens Of ore cars that had plunged
over the sheer sides of the deep gorge.
This second crossing bridge was atthe
foot of the heaviest grade and from
there the road wound through the
beautiful Silver Creek valley to the
Junction" where it joined the main
line of the Southern Pacific.
At the point where tho level track
commenced, hardly q stones throw
from the second crossing bridge, the
company had built short sizing for
the use OF the giant consolidated
engine that was used to push the long
trains Of ore cars mp the mountain,
and just across the main track from
the siding stood the little cottage
where John Clarke, the engineer, and
his daughter, Jessie, lived.
Miss Jessie at that time was nearly
sixteen, and for the last three years
had been her fathers housekeeper
All her life she had been intimately
associated with railroad men, and for
three years that her father had been
running the big 'pusher' she hal no
other companion than her hltlo
brother, several years her Junior.
All her spare time she spent with
father about the engine, and had made
it an enthusiastic study uutil, at six
teen, she knew its mechanism about
as thoroughly as did her grayhaired
father in fact, it was her boast that
she could run the consolidator as
good as daddy"
A short time before tho incident
happened Of which / am about to tell
you, a tourist delayed by wreck at
the bridge had spent the day at Clarke's
cottage. The little housekeeper had
made the day very pleasant for him by
plotting him about the valley, and on
leaving he had given her pair OF
powerful fieldglasses.
They were her dearest earthly pos.
session, for with them she could see
her fathers engine as it swept down
the mountain for nearly an hour before
he would arrive at the siding.
The long stretches Of road as Il
wound around the crags up the canon.
now for mile in sight, then disappear