The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-25

for the rest of the run to Pittsburg the different engineers made records that stood for several years. That was the most dismal failure of a special train that has ever come to my notice, and to this day the experiment of making continuous run from Jersey City to Pttsburg has not been repeated. Yet you fellows here would laugh at me II I hinted that officials as we'll as em- ployes of railroads are superstitious.
 q can recall run made by a special train about three years ago." said member of the group, whose road winds in and out of the Lehigh coal region, that comes into my mind without the least trouble to my thinking apparatus The special was made up of an engine and two cars, and the distance covered was only ten miles, but, although no record was kept of the time made, I am positive it was a record breaker Cor the distance.
 ''We had been up in the mining re- zion inspecting the road, and were re- turning down the hill at an easy rate. As we neared little telegraph office stuck in the side of the mountain our engineer noticed the young operator running toward the special like wild man. The engineer lost no time in pulling up to meet him, and was more than frightened when he called out:
 Three loaded coal cars have broken loose up near the mine and are coming down the hill like he; pull out for Si- dell for your life'
 While officials are averse to having their employees use profanity while on duty. I doubt if either one of us ever thought of the breach of the rules by the little operator. Sidell was ten miles away, and was the nearest siding, and away we flew. If the worst came we knew we could slow up little, jump, and save our lives, but the engineer was true blue, and put forward his best efforts to save his engine and the two cars he was hauling Sometimes I think these nervy knights of the throt- tie care more for the equipment of railroad than they do for the officials"
 This litelt sally on the side created considerable merriment among the group of old gray-bearded railroad off, cials, but the story teller was com manded to continue his tale.
 Well, that engineer simply pulled the throttle wide open and after the special had made a tremendous start he closed her up, and we drifted down the mountain like the wind
 "When we started for Sidell we had about half a mile the best of those run away coal cars, and don't believe they gained an inch on us. I was on the point of crying out couple of times for the engineer to reverse the lever and put on the air brakes so we could jump, as I was hanging on to the side | of the engineers cab for dear life, be- cause at every curve we struck I be- | lieved we would leave the rails, but as | he and his fireman stuck gamely to | their posts without a quiver I knew | it would never do for me to weaken | first
 We finally reached that siding. I | thought it was about a month from the ! time we had received the warning and in about twenty-five seconds the three | cars dashed by with a rush and were | caught as they stalled on heavy up- grade near the base of the mountain | There were half dozen attaches of the | lOto III liit lCcli Cdl uul luS5 ll6l lul, 1 and I must say, with the exception of a ! little paleness, they went through the ordeal like game men,"
 "The nerve displayed by that engi- neer is met every day in railroad life," chimed in a gray-haired veteran; "but, speaking of special trains, I ran across | nervy display-this time by a fire man. About two years ago our divis- | ion received a new locomotive of very peculiar pattern, being exceedingly large and equipped with many new patents whereby great speed was to be attained
 T was superintendent of the road then and determined to take the engine ] out myself on a special schedule and ascertain if the new ideas were practi- cal. I selected a first-class engineer and fireman to accompany me. The lat ter particularly want to call attention to. as he plays very important part in my story. He was six feet tall and built in proportion, and as he stood in the glare of the open flrebox presented a picture that was worthy of the finest artist.
 "The locomotive proved to be all the builders claimed for her, and ran the record up to sixty-one miles an hour which is quite a speed for our road being possessed of many sharp curves and grades. When the engine was go- ing her best and had just rounded a sharp curve I noticed directly ahead a little girl half way across a single. track bridge that spanned quite body of water.
 There was no room for the child and engine to pass on the structure, and in despair pulled the whistle and tried although I knew it was hopeless task to stop the locomotive. As the shrill shriek of the whistle reached the little girls ears she turned, and, seeing the engine bearing down on her, ran ahead a few steps, and then, realizing the i'm. possibility of reaching the other side before the engine would be upon her she sprang to the side of the bridge and with a scream jumped into the deep water twenty feet below.
 My reversing the engine startled the half dozen railroad men in the single coach I was hauling, and they at once rushed out on the front platform to as. certain the cause in time to witness ar act worthy of the bravest man.
 "As the little girls form sank ha.