The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-30
LARISCY's WILD RIDE.
Saved the Freight and Broke Rec
ords ~, mo Dovvn CraJo


ords on the Down Grade.
sylvania, Ga. March 29.-Emmett Lar
iscy, young farmer living near Sylvania,
enjoyed one of the most exciting rides on
record over a portion of the Sylvania
railroad a short while ago. He had TWEEN
ty-five sacks of guano in freight car at
Waters station, which is one mile and
half from the Sylvania depot, about two
thirds of the distance being a long down
grade, followed by an up grade and
curve, round to the warehouse. Lariscy,
so the boys say, wanted to save freight
on the guano from Waters station to Syl
vania and asked the conductor to let
him get on top of the box car and run it
into the depot here, after the train for
Rocky Ford had passed. He had never
been up on a box car before, but the train
men explained to him how to use the
brake, and so he climbed on top and they
gave the car a gentle start.
q AT first he thought it was great fun, and
gave a loud whoop as he disappeared
down the hill calling back as he went
"On for old Siccum-sottin' still an a
goin' along" In a second or two, how
ever, the old car Strengthened herself out
for the long down grade, and Emmett laid
down fiat on the top, grasping a side Of
the roof with each hand and bracing his
foot against the top of the iron ladder. If
he thought of the brakes at all, he knew
it was worth a mans life to try to get to
them then Every second the old thing
gave a faster jump, and when half way
down it was going at the rate of 60 or 70
miles an hour. Every now and then she
would strike a rough place and Lariscy
would be bounced up into the air coming
down again with a heavy thud; but he
Irr, 4
near the bottom of the hill the wheels only
touched the track in high places, and then
up the other hill it went, and round the
curve to the depot like a streak of greas-
ed lightning.
The agent heard the thing coming with
the roar of cyclone and rushed out to
see what was the matter. When the car
shot round the curve, Lariscy's hat was
gone his auburn locks were streaming in
the air. and his face, pressed down against
the roof of the car, was as white as a curd.
The wild freight box slowed up a little,
and the agent shouted:
Put on the bralSes!'
Damn the brakes" was the reply; stop
! this CARP
BY this time, having exhausted the mo-
mentum gained in coming down the long
hill, the car had started back on the re-
turn trip; but still nothing could induce
Lariscy TO let go his hold long enough to
put on the brakes. He swore he would
hold his grip till the lakes Of hades froze
over or the car stopped, one of the two.
Away they went for another quarter
stretch, and then back to the depot again.
Emmett and his guano switchbacked this
way for half an hour, when the agent
finally stopped the car by throw
| ing a chock under the wheel.
| When it did not move for a full
minute, Lariscy slowly let go his
| hold and cautiously descended the
ladder. declaring that IL ne ever got to
his home again he never intended to leave
| 1t so long as he lived. When asked how
il felt when he was coming down the hill.
he said 1t was like being shot out of a
sling shot from Waters station to sylvia
MIA.