The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
THE WRECK AT R0UBIDEAU'
ANDY DECAYS PLUNGE ON an
ENGINE INTO TYiE FLOOD.

Roubideau Bridge was n long wooden struo
turc spanning the Gunnison n Few hun"rcd
yards to the cast of Rouhideau tunnel tnNcrS'
ing from the tunnel. cast bound. the engineer
found q rail curving to the left, hnEginE tho hilI
thnt hid the bridge from view until his engine
was almost upon II. That was when tho road
wns new. Now tho hill has been cut away ana
the track Strengthened from tho mouth OF the
tunnel to tho bridge. Ono day in August, 1885,
there came u cloudburst that flooded tho west
crn slope as. old timers said, 1t had not been
flooded for years. Tho steep watershed, tipping
toward the sunset. spilled the flood into the Chr
AKRON and Uncompahgrc. and they in turn
poured 1t into the Gunnison until the stream
was full to tho bank tops.
And while this wild river went roaring down
toward the catarnctS of tho Colorado. NO. D
came screaming up among the curves thnt vino
away from the Utah desert to the dark ana
dangerous crevice called tho Black Canon.
Andy Degan, a 20 " man, who had come TO Col
orado with a good letter and ono lung, had tho
first section of No. &. an express, mail and bag.
gage car, out of the Grand junction that night
forty minutes late. What the Mormon ha loss
climbing Soldier summit began was expected to
make up going down Cero Hill. Down there in
the cahon he was striving only to lose no more
time, for he was u new man running for n reru-
tation. Like all the old Burlington men. he waa
an expert driver, and took hazard chccrfuilys
realizing, IL would seem. that he had, at best,
only a few years to live. He had, this nights
what was called a Rockaway engine. a high.
short, compact locomotive, built for the kinks
30 numerous in the first rough draft OF the Done
yer and Rio Grande railroad. The night was
still and starlit, the earth was dry and this
silvcry river on his right rippled away over the
rocks, clear as crystal. The Tockaway made
easy work of the three light cars. steamed like
| the Sprudel Brunn at Carlsbad, and ran like a.
deer. When the fireman was not fooling around
the furnace door he hung over the arm rest ana
watched the world go by. Degan, gaunt-faced
and silent. sat at the open window trying the
water and whistling for curves. Uncle Sans
servant in tho mail car was shuffiing letters and
newspapers. He had finished the Ouray bag.
which he would leave at Montrose, the Crested
Buttes and Ruby Camp bags to be dropped al
Gunnison, and was now making up the Lead
vile pouch for Salida. Over in the express car
the messenger. hung about with siX-shooterss
stretched upon a canvas cot billed to the agent
at Sapanero. was stealing a little sleep. Degan,
being east bound, had the right of way, and
looked at his watch only occasionally to figure
where No. 7 would meet him. His orders
ran him thirty minutes late and made
it the business of No. Z to fix and make tho
passing point. The first section Of No. 8 was
probably, making forty miles an hour when
ne en- later it was swinging around the curve
where the dark river lay in the shadow of the
Hill: " hls Dega N, /" out of his window b.iSM::
the Rockaway turned sharply 10 the right and
headed headed s Il hs6 b 6se the " orS ysT riv sIar.I Rei s'Tea the
here it was a roaring river. running bank full OF
s slSda wf Sas ,a For tS Ss instant ,rssK' b DsT fseli 1hop 9se rs ,hs
s seeond pen is'sF hat hsT wheels the iria De FS @as Gone !.
AND : lsdsp ;Sio ont mt S of the , Gs6 as bo the engine lie
first scent of danger, closed the throttle and APP
piled the air. AS the engine dropped over tho
bank she turned on her side. releasing the patent
hose. applied the automatic pressure to tho
wheels Of the three light cars so suddenly and
oyer and hung with her nose in the water.
car; When the postal elerk and the fire.
the messenger. waking suddenly, warned them
II they attempted, to enter the car he would
shoot. The deafening roar of the river made 10
impossible for them to hear what he said, and
when they began to hcave great stones against
stop until q dozen 45-calibre bullets had crashed
through the door and sides of the car. After
waiting for some time the messenger concluded
that the robbers had been frightened away, and
CAUTIOUSLY peeped out.
began lived a lifetime in the moment when
the engine struck bottom, twenty feet from the
surface. she began rolling over and over like a
his past life which had been suddenly flashed
before his eyes now disappeared, and the en-.
gineer: hopeless as it may. seem. found himself
cab of the rolling engine. Now he felt the en-
'om OF the river. and at the same time fis Sa 6UI,
grasped "a lioating something. II was the fire.
hard to 1t, was dragged out OF the cab and
carried 10 the SURFACE: He had barely time
him. forcing him into tho water again.
He held TO the waste box, having a hand In one
breast of the river again. Ali this had occ eur
IN a very brief space Of time. but pegan was
to tell on him. Once in a while. above tho bill.
lows Of the boiling flood, he got a glimpse of tho
DIN dim Starlight tn' The r CARVING Mas GesfMdrs In T fss
RIVER surged against the sands, the hanks crun,.
there for saif a century swayed to toa and df fro st Snd
finally fell into the roaring flood. Al times ihe
and then shot down the middle Of the river pa at
furious rate. Unless you have seen a mountain
ton OF the force and speed OF the Gnnni ta,nt rm mo.
ming bank full. Great rocks of tho size Of a
the river, as marplcs arc rolled by The et strea os
Of a garden hose, and here, at the half open
a%ed by the awfuine ss'1 Of the h '1 %iia and scs wMs
when FIRST he found himself, at the front of a
his hand. fixing the speed by the turn Of tG " iere Of
ne mad marvelied, as most men do, at the speed
nmd power sS5 Of the loGomoiiye; but al hat was
this fearful flood.
As began began feeling strong again and wa.
watching n chance to pull for the shore tbe
leafy top of a falling tree caught him and
dragged him below. Tangled among the hor"hs
with his waste box the desperate driver foushS
with all his strength. and in n little while fclS
ne waste box bearing him up and on once more.
he was now ina narrow, straight chute. at tbs
lower end or which the river made a short be"S
10 the left, and away from the railroad tr""ue
Degnn saw the curve and hoped that he mmisht
be thrown .pon the bank at the bend. and the
next instant the box was driven hard anainmS
n huge rock and went to pieces. "e"'hss
When began reEained consciousness he wos
lying full length upon the fiat ton of tho 80
against which his life prescrver had becSS
wrecked. The gray dawn was upon tho rive"
that WAS already settling back TO lis norna{
Pea His %clothing, Was torn, his hands Lloedin%l
ms bones ached with The chill of the moruinS'
maze him feel faint. The river was falling rpt.
idiy. II he could walk AT all he could walt
nhhorc without getting water N his tronsers
buckets. The sun came mp and dried his over
c'2lhes and warmed the rock upon which he Inv
Presently he heard n locomotive scrcani,S.
nOMh Inc canon; and when she came round tic