The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-15
EXCITING RACE FOR LIFE.
Wild Ride Down Mountain side,
Followed by Burning Cars Full OF
From the PhEaaelnhla Times.


OIL.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Boys" said the old engineer reflective
ly. as be rehlled his pipe, and returned
the tobacco pouch to the conductor, 1T
is just twenty-seven years tonight since
I had an experience which mighty near
drove me from the road. but that's neither
here nor there. II you fellows care to lis
ten IN tell about it while we're waitin'
here for No. to pass
Let her go, Bill chorused the crew,
for the engineers stock Of stories was
known and appreciated by every man on
the division.
well" began ne veteran as he settled
back comfortably, that was long before
we had many of the improvements now
used.
That was before the days OF pipe lines,
and every gallon OF oil burned east Of the
mountains had TO be shipped by rail. At
first It was all in barrels, but II wasn't long
ill someone invented the tank car for
carryin' it in bulk and then the fun be-
gan for the train hands. Perhaps YOU
don't see anything particularly unusual
in the idea of a tank car, exceptin' its
bad smell. but If you imagine one of them
things loaded to the last gallon and in a
blazin' wreck youn begin to understand
what l mean
when an oil tank caught fire there
was only one or two things to be done,
One was 10 git away from it right quick,
the other was to keep it from dom any
more harm than it had to. No use try
in to put out the fire. No, sir. Might
as well turn a hose on he'll itself. Water
made il worse. OF course when a tank
began to burn ii was only a matter of a
few minutes till she busted or exploded
just like an engine, exceptin' much wrose.
Every crew used to carry an old army
musket in the caboose, and when a tank
jumped the track and took fire, the men
would shoot holes into her to let the oil
out and prevent an explosion. Fact,
KILN tanks we used to call it.
'One night when our turn came it was
one of them oil trains. We started out an
hour ahead of the night express, and bar
rim accidents were due at the summit
twenty-five minutes ahead of her, glvn'
me fifteen minutes 10 drop back to the
halfway passin' sidin' and still clear her
by Ten minutes
Everything worked smooth as clock
work on thai trip. We got to the summit
In good time, and when we cut loose from
the rear end the car inspectors were just
beginnin' 10 tap the wheels and examine
the runnin gear of the tanks. We had
plenty of time to make the switch, and so
we were joggin' along slow an easy, back
wards, of course, and 1 was wonderin'
how much extra time 1 had made that
month, when suddenly my fireman, Pete
Jones. give yell
What's the matter, Pete?' 1 asked,
startled like.
Matter! For Gods sake, look up the
track
81 looked, and was never worse scared
in my life. Away up the line, mebbe two
miles and a half, was a blaze as big as
barn afre, and CROWN brighter every sec
ond We didn't need to ask each other
what it vas. We knew. 1t was the oil
train. or part of it, broke loose and run
min away and on fire to boot.
"a man has to do some mighty quick
thinkin' at a time like that and the whole
case sprung into my brain like a fash
Them cars We're comm down on us like
a streak of CREASED lightnin', and behind
us the express was comm up at a rattlin
good clip and mighty close at hand, too
We were sort of between the devil and
the dark blue sea, as the sayin' is.
zone thing we might have done and saw
ed our own lives all right, and that was
TO jump off and take to the woods, but
I'm glad to be able TO say that while the
same thought came to me and Pete, we
both put it aside straight off. We rail-
readers don't set up to be heroes, or any
of that kind of thing, but there's mighty
few of us who wouldn't take his dose
like that rather than be responsible for the
KILN of a whole train load of unsuspect-
in passengers. No sir. We stuck to the
old engine. but that didn't mean we were
goin' to be either roasted or hlowed up.
Not much. That is, If we could prevent
It.
Gwen run for the throw-off switch,
Pete I yelled across the boiler. He I'M