The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-08-05
THE DEATH RUN.
BY CY. WARMAN.

| lay across the great divide at Marshall
Pass, there was a wreck in the Black
Canon, and of that wreck L write.
SO rough and impenetrable was this
canon that the men sent ont to blaze
the trail were unable to get through
Engineers, with their Instruments,
were let down from the top of the ca
non wall, hundreds of feet by long
ropes. and to this day, If yon look up
when the train goes round Dead
Mans Curve" you will see frayed
ont rope whipping the gray rocks, five
hundred feet above the river and the
rail
BY the breaking of this rope hu-
man life was lost: the first of many
lives that nave been lost in this wild
canon In the rush and hurry to com
plete the road, little attention was
given to sloping the cuts or making
1t safe for the men who ride ahead.
SO, when spring came, and the snow
| began to melt on the mountains and
moisten the earth, great pieces of
scenery would lose their hold upon
the steep hill and sweep down the side
' y u.
IN fact everything but the right of
way, across the river, where the land
| slide was often landed high and dry
on the opposite shore.
So often was the scenery shifted
during the first twelve months, that
the nigh: run through the Black Can
on, so wildly beautiful by day, so
grand and awful by night, was called
| the Death Run
1t was Engineer Peasley's run ont
that night, but he had just returned
from the stony little graveyard that
| had been staEei ont on the banks of
the Gunnison, where they had buried
| his baby. He was delicate looking
man. and when he came into the
round house that afternoon to register
off. he wore his soft hat way down
over his inhamed eyes, as if he would
hide from the world any trace of that
sacred grief. kipp, his fireman, saw
hum, and was sorry, for he knew how
dearly the driver had loved the little
one now lost to him. Sliding from
the pilot, where he had bean securing
the number plate, Kipp went to the
book and registered off also
And so it happened that, when
number seven left Gnnnson at
quarter after nine, Jack Walsh held
| the seat, and fireman Mcconnell
handled the scoop. The sharp ex
hausts from the straight stack sent up
solid stream of fire as they hurried
out through the yards.
Although he had no regular run.
Mcconnell was really an old fireman.
He had but recently returned to the
road after years absence, At the
earnest solicitation of his good mother
he had left the rail to return to his
fathers farm near Salina, Kansas.
He was good and dutifnl son, and
he loved his mother as only snch
| a son can love: Int he could not help
the longing within him to return to
the road. That summer the Missouri
Pacific opened a new line right
through his fathers farm, and every
day he heard the snort of the iron
horse. saw the enginemen throwing
kisses at the girls on the farm, and he
wanted to return TO the Rockies
More than once every day he looked
away to the west, where he knew the
trains were going up and down. Who
can say how the heart of the engine
man longs for the engine?
He loves the locomotive
As the flowers love the lea
As the song birds love the sunlight
As the sailor loves the sea.
Whap fha horhn.t b,l Io,, o,,t o,,,l
the golden grain garnered, the rest
less youth bade his parents adieu, and
set his face toward the sunset. He
had been faithful fireman. and
found no trouble in re establishing
himself in the service of the Scenic"
Line.
The Death Run was long one,
one hundred and thirty five miles
| over mountains and through canons.
They had crossed Cero summit, and
were now roaring along the canon,
10y the banks of the beautiful river
The night grew warmer rs they
drifted down toward the valley of the
Grande. The engineer sat silently
his place, trying the water. whistling
for stations, and watching the way.
The fireman, having little to do now,
lounged in the open window and look
ed ont on the lippling river where
the moon lay. twas almost midnight
when the operator at Roubideau was
| awakened by the wild wall of the
west bound express As the long
train ratified over the bridge hey ond
the little station. the operator reache
for the key and made the wire say:
| Number seven on time"
The driver released the rake at
the bridge, ard the train was LOW IN
creaslng her speed at every turn OF
wheels. Looking ahead the engineer
saw the open mouth of Robideau tun
mel, which, being on the shadowy
side of the hill. |, osed like a great
hole in the night. Nearer the engine
ne SAW a number of dark objects
scattered about. In another second
he discovered what these were, and
realized an awful danger. As he re
Sersed the engine and applied the air
1e shouted to the fireman to jump.
In another second the pilot was
glowing through herd of cattle that
we're s., q NnS on the track, If they
rad 'll cen standing, he wonld have
Iper.d tn" throttle and sent them tiy
ing to the river with less risk to his
trait; hut they were laying down, and
IS they rolled .under the wheels. they
iifted IN" great engine from the rails
nd threw h'r down the dump at the
very edge of the river. SO we'll had
he f;nihTul engineer performed his
.. r, that the train was stopped with
out wrecking car. Many of the
esetSers were not awakened. The
rainmen c,me forward and found the
ngIne"r lie was able to speak to
them; lie knew what had happened
and knew that he had bEt few min
ntos to live. These brave, rough men
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