Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-10-22


girl, and but for those fieldglasses, the
yound lady's practical knowledge Of
railroadng and her unparalleled nerve,
the Southern Pacific would have had
one wreck that would have cost many
lives.
One August evening Miss Clarke
was watching through the fieldglasses
the effect OF the sunlight on the brilli-
ant quartz rock nj the farthest point
up the mountain, where the track
could be seen from the valley and only
a short distance from the big mills at
the top of the hill. Her father and
his fireman had gone to the junction
for some supplies, and were to return
on the mail" now nearly due. Her
little brother was playing fireman."
and with big bunch of waist was
rubbing up the bright work about the
big engine. The twilight silence in
the valley was only broken by the oc.
casional hiss OF escaping steam and tho
steady, monotonous 'pound" of the
airpump on the engine, which her
father had forgotten to shut off before
he left. She had just noticed il, and
was about to go to the engine and shut
off the steam, when, AZ she took one
last look, she was almost paralyzed by
the sight of long train of ore creep
ing around the curve. Two or three
of the laborers at the mines were still
on them, but hand brakes would never
stop that heavy train, and AZ it
slowly gained in npeed, she saw them
leave the train. Then she thought of
the little passenger train that would
he there in few minutes and in
another moment she was climbing into
the cab Of the bag engine and telling
her little brother what to do.
"Open the switch, Johnnie, and when
| get down on the main track shut it
and run down the track and flag num-
Der one. Tell dad I'm up the hill to
catch runaway"
Johnnie did IA he was told and the
powerful engine rolled out Of the sid
ing, across the bridge and was soon
tearing upthe hill at full speed toward
the now rapidly approaching train.
As she left the siding her one
thought hal been TO save the pas
senger train from n awful collision,
bat as she crossed tho ridge she
thought Of little sto:yhcc father had
lately told of how he hal once caught
n runaway train with his engine aud
hal stopped il before il could 10 any
damage. She would try it now, des-
pite the awful danger. If Daddy"
could 10 Il, she could.
For nearly four miles up the hill tho
big engine fairly flow, then, az she
reached n long straight track where
the view was clear for nearly a mile,
she shut of the steam and gradually
Che Locomotive stopped.
Jessie locked up at tue steam gauge.
The pointer indicated only 100 pounds
pressure. Keeping close watch on
the track ahead, the intrepid girl left
the throttle and, opening the frebox
door, replenished the fire. Just as
the last scoopful Of coal was thrown
in and the door closed the runaway
shot around the curve into view, and,
starting the engine back, the girl
watched closely for Il chance to catch
the now rapidly moving train.
rown the heavy grade went engine
and cars, the distance between them
rapidly growing shorter. On n little
piece Of ST. aight track, little over u
mile from the dangerous bridge, Jessie
decided to take the last desperate
chance, and "a the engine reached the
desired I oint, only few feet ahead of
the flying ore cars, the girl gave the
engine light touch of the airbrake,
and then, with mighty impact, the
heavy train struck the engine, then
the airbrake lever was sent to the
emergency NOTCH" but 80 great was
the speed of the train that even that
did but little to slacken the speed, and
that awful curve at the bridge was al
most in sight.
Jessie almost lost her nerve as she
thought Of that deadly place. She
knew the big engine would never
round it at its present rate of speed.
Suddenly the escape valve of the
engine opened with a mighty roar,
telling her the powerful engine was
straining and quiyering under the
pressure of nearly 300 pounds of
steam, and then n favorite axiom OF
her fathers camc 20 her mind:
"If air won't hold 'em, give 'em
steam"
One supreme effort OF the strong
young arms and the reverse lever of
the black giaut was thrown over, the
sand pipes were opened, and with
steady hand Jessie opened the throttle,
throwing a mighty force against tho
heavy train.
Now the speed of train materially