The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-04
LOCOMOTIVE GOT FRIsKY.
FLED FROM cUYLER SWAMP UNDER
COVER OF NIGHT.

The j. j. McDonough's wild Run
From Dale Avenue Into the City.
Followed the street Car Tracks Tn
ill Ii struck the Best street Curve.
Nearly Demolished a Corner shop
as IL Left the Track-Chased by
Convicts From the Waters Road
Camp.
The county had a runaway yes
terday morning. 1t was not an
attempted escape of convlcts, how
ever, but a hired and inanimate
servant which attempted to escape from
the thraldom of county work For some
time the locomotive y. ]. MeDonough'.
has been used by the county in hauling
gravel and doing other work in the con-
struction of Dale avenue.
The locomotive has been abused and
criticised as old and unworthy and unfit
for heavy work The custom has been 20
leave convict trusty in charge of ii az
night, the engine usually being kept IN
the neighborhood Of the convict camp near
Waters road. 1t is part Of the trusty.s
work to have the engine fired up and III
readiness for the arrival of the engineer
early In the morning.
Something happened night before last
to put the trusty out of his reckoning.
Awaking about 2 o'clock in the morning
ne concluded that 1t was nearly daybreak
ana that 1t was the heavy rain that was
responsible for the prevailing darkness.
he flred the engine up and waited. The
engineer did not put in an appearance. and
the darby concluded to go over to the con-
Vlct camp and see what was delaying him.
arriving at the camp. he found that he
nau cheated himself out of several hours
sleep, and that ii would be some time be-
fore the engineer would report for duty
In kindling the fire the convict is sup
posed to have moved the throttle so that
when The steam began to accumulate the
engine cid not need any assistance to begin
its forward movement
Returning to the railroad track he look
cd Tor his engine Ii had disappeared in
the darkness, and there was nothing 10 in
dlcate what had become of II. During his
absence the engine had quietly got a move
on itselr and proceeded in the direction of
the city. At what speed 1t moved or what
appearance 1t made moving alone through
the darkness no man can say for none
peaeld the sight For nearly two miles
the engine moved through the suburbs
| making switches and taking sharp curves
| ana no one either saw or heard or knew
what was taking place Like a ghostly
engine, guided by an unseen hand. il
moved through the night The late hour
and the heavy rain account for this. II
was well indeed that there were no be-
| lated travellers on the road, or serious ac-
cidents might have occurred.
Leaving Dale avenue the engine fol-
lowed the county track on EstiIi avenue
70 Habersham street, where 1t made n
sharp curve and took the belt line track
Tor further voyaging. 1t kept on towards
Bun street, threading its way across the
network of railway tracks at that point.
ana made the sharp curve beyond. AT
mat point 1t came to grief in attempting
| 10 make the switch across Bull street
small shop built very close to the tract,
on the north side was bombarded by the
| two fiat cars which followed the engine
The engine jumped the track and planted
hself IN the sand, while the fiat cars were
left partly on and partly off the track.
The engine was found some time after
ward by some of the county employees who
| had started from the camp to look for h
as soon as its disappearance was reported
by the trusty. The matter was reported
TO Chairman Dale of the County Commits
| sioners and Superintendent Chaplin ear;v
! IN the morning and both visited the scene.
The extent of damages to the engine could
not be tod though it had evidently suffered
somewhat. Superintendent Chaplin snent
part OF the day with force of hands try
ing to get the runaway back on the track.
but was unsuccessful. The Job was NOT
a pleasant one in the cold driving rain.
and 1t was postponed until to-day. The
railway track on the big belt was blocked
during the day on account of the accident.
Chairman Dale and Superintendent Chap
lin We're subjected to many facetious re-
marks by their friends on account of the
runaway OF the county engine.