The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16

The story Teid o. Twins whe Are Rnsipesru
Rmpisyed or the Pennsylvnnia Railroad.

The story Toio OF TWtna VINE Are EnntneSFp
Employed ou the Pennsylvania Railroad.
ALTOONA. Pa. Jan. 1B.-Two Of the best
known engineers on the Pennsylvania Railroad
systom are Pat and Jim Moran of this city,
who are twins and as alike as two peas. A
score of years aRo thoy were frcmen on the
Pittsburg division. Pat was several years tho
senior Of lin in experience, and was considered
ready for promotion to the throttle. Jim was
inexperienced in general railroadine, though
he could stoke q moRul over tho division with
tho best of them.
The happy day of Pats promotion camo at
last, and the roundhouse foreman was In
structed to send him out with q train. I'm
fortunately for tho foreman and all parties
concerned, when Jim turned up that evening
with his arms full of oil cans, the foreman mis-
took him for Pat.
Pat" said no graciously, you've boon pro-
NOTED, and you're to take tho extra fast freight
out tonight"
Jim noted the error with a chuckle; but he
was full Of nerve and love OF adventure, 80 he
held his tongue.
Take tho 49," tho foreman continued.
shell be yours until further orders.'
"All right, Dave Jim nswere cheorily;
and with an inward grin he gathered up his oil
cans and mounted tho .179. He knew how to
start her and how to stop her, and had boon
initiated into the mysteries of the air brake.
thcn q new invention, but beyond this Jim's
I stock was made up largely of confidence.
The old 40 steamed out Of the roundhouse
In her accustomed style, and Jim at the throttle
felt that II no could get her safely away before
Pat turned up he would have som fun before
the night ended. He got her up through tho
yard without a hitch, and finally, with the aid
of Providence, had his train started westward.
Then his troubles began.
For the first hye milea he pot along fairly
well, but when he struck tho grade on the
mountain side he was in difficulties. When
he threw on tho full head of steam the drivers
slipped and whirred uselessly around because
he forgot to drop sand till she got fairly start
ed. Then when he threw the throttle lever
back 1t came too far and the train stopped.
Joe, the fireman. cast apprehensive looks at the
out with ~frst-trip men before. and he thought
that this was tho worst he had ever seen.
and then another dificuity' sprSns up. The
water was getting low in the boiler and Jim
There's something wrong with this Internal
Joe leaned on his shovel a moment and re-
m" "Bat s 1ns! w % 'eo Work a 5 TiRnt cried 10 NM In dospers.
ton. and were still four miles from the top Of
THE wster'n last two miles, and then she'll
bust unless we draw the fire" Joe remarked
well. for heavens sake. see1f you can get her
to work" jim begged. Mortified at the prospect.
welcome sound Of water gushing into the boiler
rewarded his efforts. Jim heaved a sigh of re-
lief and ,o went t. back C. to his seat. u..,..
marked as he took up the shovel again. Jim
blessed him for his consideration.
Down tho grade on the other side Of the
mountain Jim counted on an easy stretch. The
summit of the ridge passed, he felt his nerve,
the train going at the rate Of thirty miles an
hour around the sharp curves below Cresson
when suddenly a sreas dark thing ioomed up on !;
the track directly ahead and n second later o
rails. With a blanched face Jim reversed the
engine and applied the brake; When,the train
see what had been struck.
Torch in hand, Joe scrambled off the engine.
He was gone se~verai.minutes, and when he
ground. I've " 'i kRnoekesd the : S"bblk blooming Hni as0f things Ing
joe remarked the engineer with dignity.
you oughtnt to kid your engineer because it's
plants DON'T browse On the Hileehanies sT"' ''''
"By the Lord: Pat" the fireman returned fer
Sed see form for fo airsein you the truth Go back
SIN i a6s !, Jim eEswled down from the
e the reur "h he T fennd p@ several lnf brsk nansnes st@a assI IN
over !Rt the Sc carcass p Of q 3 big ssis elephant j h..
you've made a record for your first trip. It's
the first elephant we've killed for a couple Of
Yes" put in another, cts about the biggest
one l eyer saw near here. Bill Michael Killed
fellows. L. IT! gua y 5u d,m Msa sent on ao me- } }osnd o %e'
Pat out Of his rum, amt Pat. I'm jim"
Never mind what You'll be-" Jim blurted
out; you wont be fred like me. anyway. Pc
r TSa sG up ! noW to t'w tefi the see oeera @sl Pm i Done G for.
Not another inch will I bulge that train, so
and the result of his conversation With tn,
operator was this message to the train runner:
Moran killed an elephant and lost his nerve. Advise
what is to be done.
The answer flashed back was explicit and
laconic:
Send Moran home and keep tho elephant.
Meanwhile there had been lively times at
with tho mogul Pat, having heard OF his pro-
mo .iiTn, turned up to be assigned to q run.
Take out nothing" the foreman nswered
But am Pat" said the owner of that name
We'll; BY thpSnde5,; i you're Pat; Jim stole
say Then as the fniii' conception Of Jim's trick
broke upon him he mmttered: IF that scoun.
drel gets home e. ally IN torture him with fire.
mischief, He did the first thing he could think
OF, and that was to send an empty engine after
Jim in, charge Of an experienced engineer. This
done, he called the and told him
the story. Messages flew ahead Of Jim order
ing him TO deliver the train to the empty en-
CINE following. But the operator had scarcely
licked of the last order when tho dispatcher
received the message from the scene OF Jim's
last misfortune. The train was held beside the
dead elephant until the extra engineer arrived
and then the trouble was over.
jim was not discharged, as he expected, al
though he was laid off.a month for his escapade.
He did not learn for several days that the ele-
plant he struck was one that escaped from the
wreck OF q circus train on the morning of his
adventure.