Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-02-27
Attacked by II Cougar.

To do battle with huge mountain
lion, seven feet in length aud 253
pounds in weight, on t1estle at night,
is the thrilling experience that has
Just befallen Edward G. Depew, ON
engineer on the Great Northern Rail-
road. The fierce beast leaped at the
engine and narrowly escaped crashing
through the window OF the cab. AL
together the episode was one of the
most exciting that railroad man Inns
ever experienced. Mr.. Depew's state.
ment is as follows:
II was the engineer in charge Of en-.
gine No. 219 of the Great Northern,
which was attacked by monster cou.
gar, or mountain lion. I was pulling
the overland passenger train going
east, and as wo were II few minutes
late we were try ing to make up n
little time. After we had left Lowell,
WASH, and almost two miles east OF
there, about half way across long
trestle, my fireman, George Lawrence,
jumped down off his seat box and
came quickly to my side of the engine.
I noticed startled look on his face,
ana turning quickly asked what was
the matter, but he did not speak. All
he could do was to glare through the
window OF the cab and point ahead.
/ looked ahead and saw, through the
darkness, some black. looking object
OH the track. My first thought was
of some obstruction on the track.
For second the thought of jumping
flashed through my mind, but 1 aban.
doned it. This takes quite a while to
tell, but it could only have been few
seconds, at the most, in which it all
happened.
"As soon as ! saw the obstruction
on the track I felt that possible ac-
cident was at hand. Nothing could
be done. We were too close to the
danger, and the fright had the same
effect on me that it had on Lawrence.
1t took away my power of speech. In
stinctively 1 crawled out Of the cab
onto the side of the engine. The train
dashed on, and an instant after l had
discerned the form saw the monsters
eyes flashing through the darkness,
green and yellow by turns. Lawrence
was still in the cab, speechless, with
fixed eyes, and finger outstre tched
toward the animal. His expression
was frightful to look upon. As the
train approached the lion I could see
it prepare to spring, and finally when
the leap was made the force was aston.
ishing. To Jump then was certain
death, for we were right in the centre
of the trestle, and yet as the lion made
the leap I could almost feel its hot
breath on my throat.
"When the engine crashed into the
beast, or it crashed into the engine,
which over way you wish to put it, the
lion fell back on to the trestle, with.
ing as if in frightful agony, and then,
for the first time, realized that the
danger was over. l Learned afterward
that the cougar, after we had struck it,
lodged in the cross ties of the trestle.
1t was found there by the train crew
of engine 495, who picked it up and
brought it to Skykomish. Then ii
was skinned. The claws were taken
by some of the other iremen and en-.
gineers, who had watch charms made
of them, which are very attractive,
and look somewhat like the emblem
worn by the Knights Templar. :"
The beast was still alive when the
men of No. 498 discovered it, but its
hind legs were cut of, and when the
men got down to investigate they kept
at safe distance until it was known
to be dead. In fact, Foreman Johr
G. Wright would not go near it unit
he had emptied couple of chamber.
of his revolver into it. Then they
| fastened il to the cowcatcher,