The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-10-27

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| stone cold. In spite of their haste, he
left here 11s minutes late, and she be-
haved so badly that he arrived at the
next station two minutes late. He was
only half way yet, and the prospect
was pretty blue. The next station was
junction from which three engines
ran on a branch out to some coal
mines. One of them would be there
when he arrived. He telegraphed
ahead to have her ready for him, his
engine being disabled. His conductor
and old friend, Phil Howard, as well
as every man on the train, knew that
Jakes record was in danger at last.
As there was seldom any baggage at
W, and none to put off this trip,
Howard told the baggagemaster to
jump down and uncouple the engine the
moment she stopped, saying he would
take on any baggage that might be
| there, in order to save time.
The baggagemaster uncoupled the
air hose, but, before he could pull the
pin, Howard called to him: Never
mind that now, Jim; come up, here's
funeral to 60.
| While the train crew were busy
loading the casket the sta ton agent
handed Jake a message which read:
mo engine here. Have forwarded your
message to Lelands."
Lelands had been the end of he di-
| vision before modern methods com
| PEELED the company to lengthenit out to
200 miles. There was big roundhouse
| there, and plenty of engines. The
| deferential care with which a caske t
! W three full minutes late-the
limit. Neither Jake nor Howard knew
| that the baggagemaster had uncoupled
the air hose, and in the hustle at the
station that worthy had failed to OBJ
serve that no change of engines had
been made. So Jake pulled out with
no brakes on the train, and determined
to lose no more time if it was humanity
| possible to avoid it.
The roundhouse foreman at Lelands
received an order to have an engine
| ready to take train 10 on its arrival.
She was due in % minutes, and, won
| dering what could have happened to
"Old Reliable" as Jake was popularity
| called, he got his whole force on the
jump, Within five minutes of 19's ar
irving time he had an engine,
coaled, watered, and with her safety
valve simmering at 14O pounds to the
| square inch, standing on the main
track in charge of hostler, just beyo nd
the station. 1t was mighty good job,
well and quickly done.
After leaving W, the "S7" be-
haved a little better; she had thrown
out much of the offending matter, and
would stand pushing a bit; but at her
best she had never made up quite a
minute between there and Lelands-
and she was far from being at her best
now.
When he reached the summit of the
hill from which he could look down
into Lelands, mile away, he knew
he would arrive there only 21a min
utes late-technically on time. He
knew to an inch how far he could use
steam, and it was with a sigh of relief
that he shut her off and dropped the
lever down. He blew for the station,
glanced curiously at the airbrake
gauge-which showed the proper
pressure-and leaned YEARLY out the
window with his hand on the brake
valve
As the train rolled rapidly down the
grade he applied the brake-gently,
to slow it up. He felt at once that it
had no hold. He glanced in alarm at
the gauge, and turned the valve all the
way around. The truth flashed over
him with paralyzing chill. He had no
brake!
He set his teeth grimly, and the gray
eyes flashed with determination as he
swung his great weight on the reverse
lever and horsed her over into the
back motion. There was great big
chance that his time had come. AS he
reached for the whistle cord to blow
a call for brakes-more for the infor-
nation of the man on the engine ahead
than from any faith in the hand brakes
he told his fireman to jump.
nat IN sidl T. DldSl VI lllC w ulStIC
sent a chill to the heart of every rail-
road man who heard it. Jake was
coming in at the rate of so miles an
hour, and no brake!
The hostler leaped from the extra
engine and ran half way across the
yard. The telegraph operator showed
a blanched face at his window, and
tried to think whether he had made a
mistake.
The brakeman feared to venture out
on the car platforms to set the brakes.
Phil Howard, the veteran railroader,
understood his friends wild appeal for
help. Regardless of probable conse-
quences, he jumped to brake wheel.
But the onward rush of ten heavy Pull
mans is not to be checked by single
hand brake.
With a crash and roar "S7" ran her
! rose under the other engines tender;
she threw it-a crumpled and battered
can in appearance-clear over it's own
boiler. The spare engine shot ahead,
but again "S7," her drivers sliding, was
driven into her like a ram. This time
Jake's engine lad her forward truck
derailed, and, IS she plowed into the
fsac ho IoL L. -,