The record-union., 1899-12-31

- 49, AsA--A1-AS = ~ = - ,
a thing was 1t that when the train came
to full stop the front wheels OF the
forward truck of the baggage car were
hanging over the opening made by the
washout- No one was injured save the
engineer, who escaped with couple
of broken ribs and a dfslocated Shout
der. He completely recovered, however,
and is one of the most trusted en-
gineers on that particular line to-day.
A F1REMAN'S AERIAL FEAT,
A rather amusing thing occurred IN
connection with this wreck. There was
little coal in the tender, what was left
being in the rear end, and the fireman
had gone back to shovel 1t forward.
The impetus Of the engine caused it to
jump clear across the gully and stick
its nose in the opposite bank. The rear
part, being the heavier. dropped first,
carrying the forward part OF the ten
der with it, causing tender and engine
to shut up like a jackknife. The fire.
man was tossed clear over the engine,
and alighted uninjured on the track
beyond the washout He was a lanky,
i
and the brogue still strong upon him.
In telling of his experience afterward
he said:
Sure, 1t was quare expayrance
there was. Zone mint stopped wild me
shovel over the coal hape, and the next
mint there was and me shovel and
the coal all flying troo de air, and each
trying to see who would get there first.
Glory be that ! was not hurt at all, at
ALL It's brave man is Moike (the
engineer) fine, big, brave man, sor- The
last thing he said was. What do
you think it was, sor, and him expect
ing to die the next mint, at that, sor?
Without turning his head he yelled out
to me: Jump, you red-headed scoun-
drel!' he yells, and while / didn't have
no tonne to do as he tould me, take
it very kindly that he thought of me
as he did,
The tears stood in the honest fellows
eyes as he told the story. '.Scoundrel!"
was not the word the engineer used;
he spoke with far more vigor.
An engineer is supposed, winter and
summer, to lean constantly out of the
cab window and maintain vigilant
n.
impossible, and again unwise, as in the
case of storms, where no good can pos
sibly result, and the faculties of the en-
gineer might become benumbed
through exposure. But as a general
rule he is expected to do and does this,
especially when running in daylight
A certain wreck occurred on biting
December day. The thermometer reg
istered more than 20 degrees below zero
and boar frost, completely covering the
forward windows of the cab, had eff
fectually cut off any view of the rails
through them. 1t has always been sup
posed since that on account of the cold
ness of the day the engineer had taken
a chance, and was not watching from
the side cab window. This he denied.
FORTY MILES AN HOUR.
He was running the through North
ern express, which had a limited time
schedule. A sidetrack at the foot Of a
heavy two-mile grade ran to a, steam
sawmill, and on this span lay train
of a dozen or fifteen cars. The first
two or three cars were loaded with
compressed hay in bales. When the
express reached the foot of the grade
it was running atca high rate OF speed,
probably forty TO Sforty-flve miles an
hour. The switch lay wide open, and
into the siding the express crashed
without any abatement of its head
long speed, and struck the other train.
Such was the force of the impact that
the forward cars were literally rent III
twain and the broken bales of hay
scattered on either. side OF the track.
A fierce fire soon started.
The fireman. two mail clerks, and a
brakeman lost their lives, but no pas
sengers. save onesl woman, who died
later from injuries received. Scarcely
anv one. however, escaped unscatched.
OF the three mail clerks one was killed
outright the two others were both
caught in the broken car. One they
dug out and got free, with the excep-
tion of one foot, but, try az they would,
this foot they couldn't loosen.
Twice had the fclerk's clothes caught
fire and he was, almost beside himself
with fear. He begged them to cut his
foot off with one fof the axes whieA had
been brought from the adjacent saw
mill. Twice the brakeman raised the
ak to do as he was urged, and twice d
his heart fail him. Then, handing the
ak to a bystander, he bent and ran his
hands down the mail clerks leg until
they touched what seemed a red-hot
iron bar. Regardless Of blistered fin
gers. he grasped it with both hands
and exerted all his great strength upon
it.
At the same time two other men
pulled with all their might on the i'm
prisoned shoe, and it slipped off. The
clothing of all four men was on fire
when they got out. The brakeman said
afterward that had his effort failed he
should have tried to chop off the mail
clerks foot, but that he didn't think he
would have had time. Had that failed
he intended shooting him, as he was
armed with a revolver.
The other mail clerk was inextricably
caught They had only dug him out to
the waist line when the onrushing fire
drove them back. The clerk cried pite
ously and begged them to kill him, but
they had no arms. He was soon be-
yond help. The conductor tried to get
at him with an ak, only to be pulled
out by his companions so terribly
burned that it was four weeks before
he was about again.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.
Dangerous Element In France.
While large majority of Frenchmen,
al f. Il