Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-07-29
4cCApTURED A RUNAWAY TRAIN. ,,

Ei,EI,L nav" lately been turned
uut ur the Southern Pacific Rail
- road shops al one Of the big ter,
minal. Uf that rpll on the Pacific
Coast four nf the largest CONSOLIDATED
pattern engines Ia use. designed cSpc.
cially for mountain work. whose plans
nnd specifications were drawn 10y prob.
ably The only lady expert mechanical
engineer in America. II not In the
world. How she attained her present
position j. one of the railroad legends
"f ihc road Tor which she works. hut |
h"lioyc III" story has never been in
print.
\ nnnb"r Of years ago. about fifteen
believe, some lucky prospectors 40.
Gated mining claims away up in the
almost inaccessible fnrtrcSscs of one
"I The mountain ranges of the West
nnd ~" phenomenal riches Of the lead
amply repaid the heavy expense of
The "mul" train that was used to
pack the output Ia the railroad.
Eventually the prosperity Of the first
pr"prirlurs brought other advcntur.
"'i> spirits To The lucky spot and later
u rich syndicate bought ont all the
smaller claims on the ledge aud cstab.
liSh"d there the great mills and smell.
i"rS "f thc Calumet Mining aud Smclt.
ing Company.
Then tie Southern Pacific pcoplr
awakened lu the Importance of the en-.
i"rprls". and after u series of consul.
iaii"ns with the syndicate In the course
"t which u very handsome financial
proposition WAS made by the miners. n
branch rad WAS surveyed up through
the canons to- the site of the now ran.
idly growing town. The difficulties
were almost insurmounlablr. bnt at
last ih" work was done and a very
cr""krd Hnd dangerous piece of track
WAS tie result. It's grades were prc.
cipitous In the extreme: lis curves
sharp To the last degree. aud its road
l"d b" narrow In sour places that Il n
ear h"ramr d"railrd II WAS either de.
iunli-lud against tuc rock wall ON one
eide "r went tu the huttnm of the gorge
~ th" other. there tn lie nud rot and
rust away. once over The rllir the cost
"t raising Iu ore ear would almost
pay Tor q new one. and the runpnny
seldom wUdr any ,Tru ;u recover the
wrrchugo.
un" po'ul on the short road had nj.
ways bacon drcaurG hy the traiuupn.
nnd ihls WIS the sharp curve nt the
approach lu what WIS called the see.
"nd crossing II bad been u prolific
s"ul'" ui wrecks uui the rocks below
the bridge were ,irrWu with the brn.
Ken uwr'r, Hud nrui und twisted iron
WORK "i dulrus of ore ears that had
plunged over jhr sheer sides of the
dcvl gorge. This ,rruud crossing
hridL" WAS az no" inui uf the heaviest
grad" Ind from there the road wound
through the beautiful Silver Creek
valley to tlc Junction" where Il ioln.
rd ih" maiu line of the Southern Pa.
ellie
At the poiul where the level trnck
commenced. hardly stones throw
from the second crossing bridge. the
company had built short siding for
the Use ~ the giant consolidated ON.
sin" that was used to push the long
trnius "f "rr ears up the mountain. nud
just across the main track from tho
siding stood the little cottage whcr,
John Clarke. the engineer, aud his
daughter, Jessie. lived.
Miss Jessie at that time WAS nearly
III. aud for the last three yrnrs had
hrrn her fathers housckcrprr An b,r
lie she had been intimately assocint,d
with railroad men aud Tor the thr,r
years that her father had been RIM.
Ming lh" hlg 'pushcr' she had had uo
other companion than the old engineer
his fireman and a little brother. sry.
rral years her Junior
\ short time before the incident ham.
prurd eft which ana about Ia tell y,u
u tourist delayed 10y u wreck M tho
bridge had spent the day ~ Clark,'s
cottage. The liltlr housckcrprr had
made the day very pleasant Tor him
10y plotting him about the valley. and
an leaving hc had given her u pair Of
powerful Held glasses. They were her
dearest earthly possession. Tor with
them she could see her fathers engine
NJ II crrpt down the mountain for near.
ly an hour before he would arrive at
the siding.
The long stretches NJ road as Il
wound around the crngs up the canon.
nnu fnr IA Min La alnhI Ihnn nI.nn.