Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-09

| NC "dS IeeIlHS Ills way dS TO the lOcd-
ton of the delayed trains 1 also
noticed that he frequently arose and
made use Of the ground wire from the
switchboard, which cut off the main
office, in which was located the train
runner of the division. At frequent
| intervals sharp cracks of lightning
would re-echo through the room, as
the bolts struck the arrester on the
switch. But the man worked on, total
ly obllvious CT his surroundings.
Suddenly | caught the drift of what
ne was sending out over the wire, and
was Mortified to learn that he was try
ing to duplicate and manipulate the
! train orders so as to cause a wreck.
Trains AZ and 48 passed each other
! about five miles up the road from my
| station, and he was sending out orders
with cool, steady hand to train No.
4 to take a siding about 10 miles east
of Medicine Hat, and to train No. 4S
to pass No. Al at the regular place.
! These orders would have thrown
the two trains, which were heavily
laden with passengers and express
matter, together near my station.
L could easily hear the sounder, and
from the masked mans orders knew
the Would-be wrecker was an expert
telegrapher and thoroughly familiar
with train running. Every now and
then the man would raise his hand
from the key as more severe stroke
OF lightning would come in over the
wire, but he was too intent upon his
deadly work to desist. The tramp of
heavy boots on the platform outside
told me that the contemplated wreck
was an organized scheme for robbing
the express company and passengers.
Muttered curses frequently came from
the man at the key as his plans for
wrecking the train would meet with
obstacles in the shape of pertinent
questions from operators up the line,
or things without fully understandings
their import.
My mind was in a horrible whirl.
and l frequently strained at my bind
ings to get my hands loose, but a
savage curse from my guard warned
me to be careful or my life would not
be worth much. On account of the
trains being behind time I knew they
would be pushed to their utmost speed
by the engineers, and if they came
together the wreck would be a fright
full one.
THE storm continued to increase in
force, and peal after peal of thunder
echoed over the little station. Still the
man at the key kept steadily at work
weaving his web Of destruction. Sud-
denly he called out in a voice mingled
with satisfaction and devilish glee:
" All, that fixes the matter all right
Forty-seyen has signed the orders at
the water tank, and in 10 minutes
they'll so together Tell the men to
spread out up"
"He never finished the sentence.
binding flash at the switchboard
Shrek from the man, and the office
appeared to be one mass OF fame. My
guard rushed from the building and in
a mighty effort l wrenched my hands
free and pulled myself through the
door out upon the platform. The little
station building was as dry as a finder,
the oil from the trainmens lamps
added to the combustible nature of it's
makeup, and in a moment flames were
breaking out in every part
with loud cries several of the
Wreckers CCnfederates dashed into
the little room to pull their leader out,
but the heat drove them back, and, as
voices We're heard up the country road
coming toward the station, they all
disappeared up the line in the dark
ness.
"A man named 'Humpy' Logan IN
tied my legs, as my hands were useless
en- account of the great mum bness oc-
CO stoned by the tightness Of the hand
cuffs, and l quickly explained the sit
uation to him. He hunted up a lamp
and dashed down the track and around
the curve in one direction, while l
swung the lantern upon the train COM
ing down the straight piece of track
to the station in the other direction.
My lamp was not seen by the engineer,
but the burning station acted as a
danger signal, and the train drew up
slowly, the engineer totally ignorant
of the danger he was escaping, and
only intent upon helping to subdue the
flames. twenty-five words explained
the situation to the engineer and a
group of passengers that gathered
around, and as train AZ slowly rounded
the curve from the east, substantiating
my story, the organization of prayer
meeting there and then would have
been an easy matter.
The engineers Of both trains, with
their conductors, held a consultation,
and 4S finally backed to the next sid
ing, followed by At, and the tangle was
Strengthened out.
''The next day the remains of the
would-be wreckers were found in the
ruins of the station, and the railroad
company's physician, after holding an
autopsy, declared that the man had
only been stunned by the lightning,
and while unconscious had been
smothered and then burned to crisp.
I'm all my experience with lightning
that was the luckiest bolt that ever
Rugged a wire,'' said the narrator as
he finished his story, 'an1 the lucky
stars of the people of those two trains
were undoubtedly in the ascendant on
that terrible night.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat