Evening star., 1898-07-30
RACE WITH LOCOMOTIVES.
Many Wild Animals Make a Trial of
Speed at Night.

From the Pittsburg Post
Running through the forest and swamp
lands OF Ohio and Indiana the engineers
and iremen who watch ahead of the great
engines that haul the flying express trains
see many wild animals dashing along the
track, and frequently denizens of the for
ests are run down and the trackmen find
their mangled remains in the morning.
Coons, wildcats rabbits, and sometimes
wolves, are caught by the fast flying linn
tied trains, and even SLY reynard. with all
his cunning. is often ground up under the
wheels
For many miles the Baltimore and Ohio,
Fort Wayne and Lake Shore roads run
through wild swampy woodland country
in Western Ohio and Indiana. These dense
ly-wooded swamps are almost impenetrable,
and they harbor nearly all kinds Of indig-
enous wild animals and birds In the
moonlight or by the aid. of the headlight
the animals can be seen scampering across
the tracks, and often the foolish rabbit
takes to the middle of the track between
the rails and races the locomotive for miles
until he plunges into culvert or bridge.
1T mas occurred to me several times in
my railroad experience said the old en-
gineer, that the American skunk can
make himself conspicuous longer and louder
than any orher living thing. Frequently
as we fly along sixty miles an hour through
dark and gray is seen by the glare of the
headlight running diagonally across the
track. The animal may possibly by quick
action and a skillful maneuver escape the
wheels. and distertly our noStrils are sal
uted with an ovorpowering scent which al
most makes us faint. We are 200 yards
away from the cause CT the smell in an
instant, but it clings to us for miles, and
the passengers in the who are awake
wonder what kind of oil is burning in the
supposed hot boxes. If we happen to kill
the little animal his memory clings to us
still for at least five miles"
One night few weeks ago as the flying
fast mail on the Lake Shore was making
up lost time across the Indiana swamps,
a big red fox dashed out ahead of the To-
comotive and took the straight, level track
right ahead of the train. In another in
stant a great black and tan hound with his
tongue protruding, ard his long, lank body
stretched out at full speed, took the road
bed just fifty feet behind the fox. More
steam was turned on, and with their heads
out the engineer and fireman watched the
contest of speed. 1t was a grand race be-
tween the two animals. with the mighty
engine coming close after them sixty-five
miles an hour, and the headlight showing
the fleet fox straining every limb and mus
Gle, and his enemy slowly falling behind.
The old hound appeared to know that there
was danger in his rear and took to the
westbound track. and in another minute
the rushing train went past him, but the
FOX, taxing advantage OF tne colnplCaCon,
disappeared in the woods again.
On the Pennsylvania railroad east of AL
toona few weeks ago the track inspector
found the remains of a wildcat on the
track, and on the Philadelphia and Erie
away up beyond Lock Haven last winter a
large black bear ran out in front of a
freight train and was killed. Deer are Of
ten seen crossing the Philadelphia and Erie
tracks in the Pennsylvania mountains, and
in the wild. lonesome places where the
trains stop for water If the attentive pas
senger who is awake will put, his head out
of the window and listen he will hear the
scream of the panther and the hooting OF
the owl.