The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-04-07
BOOTRBY'S HARD RACE.
He Kept Ahead of the Train That WaA
Pushed by en- Earthquake.

Pushed by en- Earthquake.
Boothby told US another story
about phenomenal natural disturb
ance. He said he felt tender about it
because he had figured prominently
In it himself. The story concerned a
habit engineers On the Vandalia and
the Ohio and Mississippi roads had
of racing. just east Of East St. Louis
is the crossing of belt railroad, and
from there on to the bluffs, seven
miles away. is straight streak OF
parallel track. AS the outgoing pas
senger trains all leave East st. Louis
at about the same time, it was the
reguIor thing for Ohio and Missis-
sippi and Van engineers to hammer
for their lives over these seven miles,
while the passengers yelled defiance
at one another and whooped and got
excited. The Ohio and Mississippi
had one engine, the 60, which was
able to walk away from everything
ever put up against her. She bad
humiliated all the Van engineers
excepting Boothby, and he fairly
ached to getat her. One day. just as
he had whistled for the crossing, he
heard another whistle, and, looking
over, saw the Ohio and Mississippi
abreast. The engines number WAS
60.
Boothby Strengthened up. for the
race of his life. Tenderly, notch by
notch, he opened the throttle, while
the fireman kept the cid kettle just
off tho popping point. Over the belt
tracks they went, the 60 alongside.
To his joy, Boothby saw he was
inching away from his opponent.
Like q statue he sat, coddling the
machine, and at the first mile he
4 was two coach lengths to the good.
His passengers were shrieking their
JOY while those On the Ohio and
Mississippi We're dumb. The Ohio
and Mississippi crew, too, seemed
astonished, and gathered On tho plat
forms to look over at the Van snow
racer. It was Boothby's race in a
walk.
Suddenly the Van engineer cav
something was happening. Looking
over his shoulder, he found the Ohio
and Mississippi train only half oal
length back and surging along like
lightning. Tt scared lin, and he
pulled still wider open. Then die
that noble 1872 engine respond. She
leaped through tho air, hardly seem
ing to touch tie rails. Right ct bel
shoulder was the GO. Boothby gave
her more. They were both going
within o mile minute. BcothbJ
/ said he never saw locomotive e.
like that 60, but he knew his ma
chine was as good as the best. The.
plunged forward moro furiousl.
tLan tho wind. Three miles, four
five, and tLen--oh, joy tho GO be
gan to fail back. At the sixth mil
she was two coach lengths behind
and Gs tho trains swept away iron
each other ct tie base of tie bluff
: the Ohio and Mississippi was tire
train lengths off to the rear.
At Collinsville Eank Ribbard
white faced, oame rushing up to til
1872 as she lay under the water tan
getting water.
"Great heavens, Boothby," crie
the conductor, do you know villa
+ you've heen running against?"
, ''The Ohio aid Mississippi's hot
test stuff, and ] cooled it for 'em. "
Eyes, you have. You'v been ruI
ming against an earthquake. Th
Ohio ard Mississippi train was picl
ed up by it just out of town. A hi
20 feet high followed her last Pull
man, and she was running down hi.
e the entire way, being pushed foi
ward all the distance.
"say, Hank, +" said Boothby, "di
that earthquake help US any?"
!: "No. Wewsre 100 yards ahead a
e the time.
E Boothby climbed back on his DO
and EiLbard returned to the trai1
But although Boothby's achieve
ment brought glory to his rouEt
4 house he would never race again
: He said be didn't mind whipping a
e ordinary engine run by ordinar
steam, but he didn II want to oombs
thing that ''laid up with devi
and was in league with cyclon
storm and earthquake. - Chicae
News.