Barre evening enterprise. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-1898, 1898-04-18
A TRAIN ANNULLED.

Sheet IL Snan IOrBeO tuat uaVo NeAy
soon. "
"Why not? Are you a believer in
mysterious things Happenings in con-
nection with the figure 1872" asked Hay
den, the "third trick" man. who had
Just come in at midnight to relieve the
"second trick" dispatcher and take
charge of the trains on the road.
"No, not particularly; but dates
sometimes recall events. No, there's no
story, at least not now" Then, after
writing out brief transfer and watch
ing his relief sign it, Moore put on his
coat and hat and started to 60. At the
door he turned to say; "There are NO
extras. Nos. 1G and 13 are annulled.
No coal at McHenry for the north, SO
we decided not to run 13 today. Good
night!'
The footsteps OF the stairs died away,
aud the man in charge looked over the
nicely kept train sheet of the day pre-
vious with critical eye. The new
train sheet just dated was immaculate
save for the word "annulled" written
in the space reserved for freight trains
1G and 10.
After carefully examining the posi-
tion of trains and quitting OUT few
orders everything was in such good
running shape that Hayden had long
period of quiet. He filled and lighted a
we'll seasoned brier wood and sat smok.
ing medtatively. A train reported
"by" some way station now and then
was all that broke the silence of the
night. The click of the single sounder
fell musically on the ear of the lonely
man. But he was not alone. He did not
feel isolated when he knew that out on
that line were 20 wide awake men in
instant reach and dozen trains all
within his immediate touch. The dis
patcher looked up expectantly as he
heard the operator at Muldrow's Moun-
tain call. II was probably the same old
question:
els ID running tonight" He opened
his key and answered the call from the
mountain station.
"There's something coming up the
hill from the north" licked out the
sounder.
A glance at the train sheet showed
the dispatcher that there was not
train within rs miles of Muldrow's
Mountain.
"You re off on that" said he, smil.
ing at the thought of a joke on Opera
tor Kemp installing the full moon for
headlight or an early morning saw
mill whistle for that of locomotive
"There's nothing coming south, and
No. 20 is at Cordelia Junction.
"No l heard them coming out of the
tunnel and can see the headlight now,"
said the man at the mountain.
Hold them," was the laconic order
from the dispatcher.
The operator at Muldrow's Mountain
rushed to the door. a glance showed
him that his signal lamp on the top of
the station was burning brightly, its
red orb turned toward tide approaching
train and plainly visible quarter of
mile to the north. When he reached the
front of the Office the engine of the
train was almost abreast of him. He
saw dull, smoke bedimmed headlight
and noted that the engine was clouded
in steam, as if the cylinder cocks were
open, and the wet, vapory cloud hung
about the huge black boiler and shroud-
ed the cab SO that the engineer and fire.
man were not visible. Tho operator saw
in the cab bright red spot in the side
OF the little lamp over the steam gauge.
1t was the only thing plainly visible
through the mist. Kemp saw that it
was a eight train" and engine and
oaboose. He knew that they were rot
going to stop, as the train was then
running fully Is miles an hour.
Tho next instant the caboose was o.
posite' him, the pale green side lights
cleaning talefully through the fog.
Before Operator Kemp had recovered
from his establishment the train had
passed tho station and was beyond the
range of his vision. A minute later he
had communicated to the dispatcher
what bad happened, and then he sat
and listened to tho sharp swapping of
the sounder while the man in authority
gave an order to Cordelia Junction to
hold No. 20 for an extra south on.
glno unknown and sent instructions
to have the train get in Oh the side
track and wait.
At Cordelia Junction the telegrapber
had heard all that had passed between
Muldrow's and the dispatcher's office
and after be had delivered the orders to
the crew of No. 20 he stepped outside
to take a look at his signal lamp. IF
the man at Muldrow's had Let his sig.
nal 90 out and train got by there, he
didn't propose to have it occur at his
station. Then, as mariner casts an an
Choir to windward, he returned to the
office and trimmed and lighted n rcd
lantern.
No. 20 was Sin to clear" away down
on the "Y, and tho operator at Cor.
della was alone. An hour passed. and
he heard nothing of the extra from tho
north. Another hour was nearly gone
when he heard the roar Of an apnroach.
ing train, then four short blasts of No.
~ whistle as a peremptory demand
10, "sisnals," but he heard no reply to
the call. Then the extra was on Sim
lie saw they were running too fast to
stop at his station; he noted that thew
mad not whistled for the railroad cross.
lug aud were taking no notice Of his
station signal. Picking up his red Lamp.
ho swung it across the track in front OF
The engine. The train did not slackon
Its pace, but bore steadily on. The man
saw the smoked headlight-saw there
was no number displayed there in 40.
3ordance with the strictest of rules In
an instant more the wild train had pass.
"a Cordelia junction regardless of all
signals, and the stupefied operator heard
it whistling county road crossing a