The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
LOST LOCOMOTIVES NO. 81.
THE DIVIsION sUPERLNTEYDENTys
STORY OF a DIsAPPEhRhNOE.

Ghost which Ran over the Country -
Fate or mil Gilbert, the Enaineer.
"ono Of the most beautiful traits OF my char
acter." began the division superintendent, lis
an overwhelming love OF truth. For that
reason your demand for a story places me in
an unpleasant prcdicament, since the only
story I know Is ono which no one has ever be-
lleved. But you shall have 1t.
'somo years ago l was ysrdmastcr at Great
Plains, Neb., then the western terminus OF tho
Missouri, Nebraska and Western Railway. At
that time tho town consisted Of about 200
houses, six saloons. four churches, one school,
and the best repair shops in that part of the
country. Along In December we received
three nav engines from the Baldwins Ono was
nyard engine. another q twelve-wheel freighter.
and the third a big compound to haul the Cali.
fornia and Chicago express. Sixty-scven was
the number Of the last engine, and she was q
beautyi For q week or so she was put ut jerk.
ing tho big freights between Great Plains and
Millersburg just to get her wind, and then-
Doc. "a It was-she was fired up In the after
noon preparatory to making her first trip with
the express from the West. An engineer of tho
name Of Gabbert was to take her out, and a young
Irishman, Tom Brine, was to nre. Bill Cab
bert was an old hand and one of the best on tho
road, and we knew that IL any man was capa-
Bile of getting the best licks out Of an engine no
was that man.
There was quito b crowd In tho roundhouse
that night when tho time came for running 81
out and down to the. station. She stood, with
her brass work shining brightly in the dim
light, humming and stewing as though eager
for the road. Bill Gabbert looked her care
fullyiover from pilot to coupler, and then stepped
aboard and disappeared in the cab. A moment
later We loiterers outside saw him stagger out
and fall back against the tender and stand
there looking ahead with terror on his face.
"What is 1t, Billi' I cried. He turned toward
us, his features drawn and CHASTITY, passed his
hand across his face. and staggered to his feet.
He moved as though to leave the engine, and
then, pulling himself together. stood there look
ing down, dazed and white and trembling.
whats up, Bilf cried q dozen voices. He
shook his head; then said:
"'Boys, I've seen my DEATH he said, in q
voice low and hoarse. L was studying tho
gauge when all of a sudden 1 seemed to be
looking out Ola cab window, and to see some
thing on the track ahead. I jerked the whistle
cord and tried to down brakes, but couldn't.
Then the engine was over the thing; and l saw
that 1t was me. 1t was all as plain as day.
There was a mile post nigh, and the number
was 126. I tried to yell and couldn't make q
sound. and then-then-it all went away again.
He passed his hand across his face. Boys.
I've seen my death
Nobody spoke for a minute. Then: .Aw,
chase ,erself. Bill. It's indigestion you've got
cried one Of the boys, and Brace up, Bill
cried another, twas drnmln' ye were But
there was little conviction in the tones, and for
the most part the bystanders stood silent and I'M
comfort able, impressed more than they cared to
show by the engineers vision.
"'Bill,' said I, you're not feeling fit. Go
home, and lie down and let me send another
man out this run. Brinker here will go, eh?
That VII l., growled Brinker, just IN from
Bit. Yen be ali right by mornin'.' But Cab
bert shook his head. ,r
back to the cab and leaned out the window.
Hes not back from supper yet. Bill. 10
aid to ten you you'd find him at the SWITCH
sae eso6d nSSaf iad and h Ue cried. " hand
siasm. Then 81 gave a twanng Of her bell. her
new paint and polished metal she ran slowly
out through the big doorway on to the two glis-
nsss g rails ,ha is which curved away into the dark
nerves n1t WAS ISst Rl ad ssSSb.r e ID d1 pdii vide tH st Ga Ibr bis
shot off into tho night, and G7's tender Vent
"Illohlls uEONIlu luS CuINC lihC u Cdn On u uOk b
tail. 1t was a good quarter of a milo to the
station and owing to the long curve, ~ was
R Rad q bee cur tT SasaIIl Mne@ Ono a 'e or r% St ' OF f dle.a mee
and myself walked down the track to the paint
shop. which,. after a moments talk with the
Of the water tank, . ,hsnrs hurried past me-.
YES, sir. Where's 81, siri They tele-
phoned from the roundhousc that she came
%.se she did; dab6bert took her out
Cant find hcri Nonsense! What's that
0C @Th Hn snS an nT n. T: special, sir. I've looked
all over the yard and 81 has Chase. Some one
n sfla IN vent miles BY t aS f hohE' a while ago run
the east tower; Look out!,
her shoes grinding the wheels as she slid down
the frosty track to the platform, Two min
ing e the eastern switch y
Fnasw; iisg nt l. e yo a;qe' eo %n1 s6 f yHn any mean more ! a %iIdt
cats around here let me know and I'll resign.
There's ss, an ne, extra freight ATT ! banEed the
Brine. with a scared face, met me at the door.
"'They'ye found Bill Gabbert, sir, down tho
bringing him up. What's 1T mean, SIR, 1 shook
my head. Down the track a little bunch of
lights htTa flas b sx to and sas fro. c9% nd;a !1en en- 70 III.
house and bring down "A or 81. Tell Brinker
he'll have to take the rum; Il Drinkers not
there. find some one else.' Then. as Brine
rushed off, l turned and sprang upstairs to tho
despatcher's room. A minute or two later all
traffic to the east was stopped and side-tracked.
Then the dispatcher wired Millersburg. sixty
miles away. to ditch 81 in a good soft bed and
for Gods sake keep the tract: clear
The California and Chicago express pulled
out of Great Plains four minutes late, drawn by
S fnflee ft4inf brin BIfi Ssb tas th T3th a and ClsG Io%
skull. la, in the hospital two weeks before no
spoke. Then 1t was little enough no told. He
had opened, the throttle for q squirt down the
yard and when about 800 feet shy of the station
had put his hand out to slow down when q fit
Of dizziness seized him.. He clutched at the
side OF tho cab. felt as though some ono was
pushing him from the cab. found himself falling
w%ould-tell us. The blow had left him not
quite right in the head. it was thought, and tive
months later he was made foreman. of section
y and went down the road to live In the Sec
ton house. His engineering days were over.
Engine 81 was never again seen-at least
not in the flesh. Somewhere between Great
Plains and Wilson's. twenty three miles east,
she disappeared as completely as though she
had sunk into the earth or flown away through
set Of officials than those OF tho NJ, n. and w"
sRuf aha TppQf ha anrnatrhara - oho,,tad A..