The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-20
AN ENGINEERS STORY.
Thrilling Occurrences in the Life Of
One Who Holds the Throttle.
The following is true story told me by a
engineer of the Southern Railroad:

|
The 18th of December, 1892, was drear
night. | fastened on my overalls, lit my lau
! tern and proceeded TO make my way In
best | knew how down TO the roundho
where my engine was being cleaned TO star
out on her regular run. The town OF Sails
bury, n. e. as passed down its lonely street
seemed desolate and deserted. Now ant
then Il light beamed through the window
an Old manSe were the only signs OF life tina
this old historic place gave TO the outsid
wcrld lhiS dreary night. After turning sew
eral streets, soon found myself in front o
the shops where was TO find the object mos
of all. nriXed and loved by me as 1t is In hu
man power TO love material thing. my en-
CINE. The steady pour OF the rain which had
been descending for three days seemed
now to increase with double fury. Here
met the hostler who was preparing to carry
Bulah (for that was the pet name OF my en-
gine) around TO the station for me. This IL
an awful night. j im." said the hostler, "to &C
out on thirteen" l only answered with 8
Shudder and passed on. Thirteen was the
limited vestibule between Salisbury and
Paint Rock which was due to leave the first
named station at one O'Clock a. ~, reaching
Ashevile shortly after day break.
I had been promoted to this run not two
months before, the complaint against the for
mer man that he could not made the time
The schedule hadIstill been cut since that time
and was now TO make Paint Rock by one
hour earlier SO as to make connection With
the East Tennessee. Virginia and Georgia
going north.
/ had wont to be reck less during my
younger days as an engineer and IL was
mainly through this and the strict attention
10 all duties that 1 was promoted TO this run
had secured my rubber coat down at the
shops and was making my way slowly back
over the wrecke ed Car trucks which lay scat
was suddenly met by the foreman OF the
shops al ain sorry to tell you, JIM said he,
"Out | will have to send a shop hand out
with you tonight as Charley Is very Ill anu
sends me word that he viii be unable TO
make the run. will give you Joe Heser AZ
| think he Knows the track better than any
negro have just now in the shops" made
no answer to the foreman, but nodded my
head in assent, and made my way up toward
my engine through the storm which now
seemed To he setting in with redoubled fury,
had thought more than once that some Ill
omen would befall me this. dreary night
Now 10 add to this, Charley was sick and
had 10 make this trip with an inexperi.
euced fireman. However, Joe was a good
darky and | felt assured that he would give
rue hut little trouble.
But the thought of Charleys sickness hung
over me like black veil, TO increase the hor
rors of this awful night. Charley McCree
was an Irish lad who came 10 this country
when but sixteen summers. He had finally
landed in Asneville and applied TO the South
ern (then the Richmond and Danviile rail.
road) for work 10 fire an engine. BY chance
ne made his first trip with me from Ashevile
TO Spartanburg. and l liked him so much
that determined TO keep him If possible. l
succeeded we'll and soon began look upon
the boy as a younger brother The lad
through the Kindness shown him, became
greatly attached TO me, and We were not long
becoming fast friends.
could not help thinking OF Charley now.
ShouId.I go 10 see him? did not have tine
enough, for we were due ro leave then In sew.
enteen minutes. But what If the boy should
die before l returned! l knew not what to do
vet there was only one thing-get on my en-.
Oh no int is q
find myself flying over the mountains ol
Western North Carolina.
soon rived at my engine at the van OF a
baggage, Il mail and express, two day coaches
and two Pullman sleeping cars, making six
coaches in all, very heavy train for my Pet 10
climb these mountains with,y she was more
than enough for her task. After oiling and
examining the different parts Of my engine
had only TO await the arrival of the north.
bound vestibule from Charlotte to Washing.
ton and thence after the transferring OF bag.
gage and passengers 10 pull out on this dreary
ride.
The time soon passed, one fifteen O. m. The
vestibule had been due twenty minutes and
still no signs OF her yet. The wires were al
down between Charlotte and Salisbury, so no
report of her had been received since depart
ing the former city. We waited one dreary
hour with no sounds but the brating of the
rain and the continual up and down motion
IF the piston in the air pump of my engine
painting as the tired hound after the chase
duu Is now TeSlluR III Tue Snau6. I0uS we
waited an hour aud ten minutes. and my
Conductor walked up to me and said that we
could get no orders from the dispatchers and
so with clearance card we would pull out
for our run. He walked slowly back TO the
rear end OF the train, and 1t was not long be-
tore the sound of "All Aboard" and the blow
Of the air whistle announced the beginning
of fearful ride.
mounted upon my box, placed my reverse
lever IN the last notch and cracked nv throt-
a IN n O
myself again, Bulah soon walked away from
he station down through the yard and out
into the dark night. My headlight was
burning unusually dim. this 1 remarked TO
Joe, hut he said IL was hard TO keep 1t lighted
II all. lpulled my reverse lever up three
moi ches and could fairly feel Bulah over the
rails as II she had no lead at all. My trip for
The first part went well. We had passed
increase. was now. nearing a piece OF
straight track. I held my watch to the
amp-ight, one hour behind time. knew
the good track was nearing and pulled MY
throttle back and my engine sprang forward
As pulled IL. Still the storm continued to
leap like billowsllashed into mists by the tenn.
pest. Beside US the wind columns are rushing
up the black rocks and falling again like a
thousand cataracts OF snow. Before US l
knew was the deep and sheltered river which
must be swollen by the rains, but 1t Is not
far in front Of you that you can see
for some miles out ahead Of US begins slop.
es over the heads OF the peaks. cutting the
cliffs off at middle height, hiding all the
mountains and darkening the hollows 10 the
distance into blacklist of nights. And under.
meath that awful whirltng mist the storm is
howllng, ever sweeping before 1t the great
tall trees, till all the land is shrouded dim
and dun. On we rush with scarcely lessened
speed. the black storm following fast. cur
tanned 6y one dark sheet of pouring rain be-
fore which the forest was falling In a long
line; while every moment before US keen
| blue spark leapt down 10 the earth and darted
zigZag through the rain. Above US, behind
US, before US, the lightning lept, ran daZZline
and binding, while the deep roar of the
thunder was changed TO sharp, ear-pierclne
cracks. a flash, another heavy sound and All
was still \ white sheet had flashed down in
It, ghost, a woman? My fireman had fallen
from his box and was down on his knees In
front Of the furnace. l heard the awful words
from him: Lord have mercy, Mas jim, you
killed that lady;" and as he spoke an angry
growl from the westward heavens seemed Ia
answer his wild words, and rolled and rolled
nearer and nearer. atil right over oui
heads II crashed against some cloud.cliff fal
the thought came over mel had Killed 8
woman! / did not feel my engine jar, but II
must beEn. reversed her quick and applied
the air. The drivers started backwards and
the guiderodS ratified as If they had been
shattered into thousand pieces. Her speed
Slackened and soon she stood still beneath
| the pouring rain. l grabbed my lantern, fell
my way out of my engine back toward the
coaches. Here met the conductor and eX
planned the cause OF the stop. We searched
| tar back up the track but no signs of human
| lie could be discerned. Yet / felt that hat
| killed her and still her corpse kept pointins
| back and back and looking 1t me with yearn
| ing eyes of agony and lips which longed to
| tell some awful secret. We felt our way back
| 10 the train. and, not being satisfied, wen
around in 'front.' of my engine to see If ther,
was any blood upon the cow-catcher, and as
| started to Step-horror Of horrors!-two fee
before me, by the Jaggered streak of the leaveI
| bolt discerned an awful sight. The bridg
| Of the river was gone; two more minutes ant
| he whole train would have plunged headloni
| ipt This huue chaSm The waiting m n