The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-04-12
ADVENTURE on
AN IRON HORSE
Thrilling Experience at the ThrOttls.

From the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road comes a thrilling tale Of an ad-
venture on the iron horse, the story Of
which has probably never been dupli-
Gated under similar conditions since
railroading has reached the great stage
of development which it now occupies.
Engineers aud firemen lead at all times
life filled with the most perilous ad-
ventures, and from their endless varie-
ty they learn 10 look on danger the
mere recital of which would appall the
reader whose lot is cast in easier lines
as commonplace.
However, in the case about to be re-
lated the incidents were Of a nature so
dramatic as to even impress the case
hardened nature Of the engineer and in
one single night to sprinkle his head
with gray, twenty years before IFS adj
vent might reasonably have been look
ed for.
The knight of the throttle and lever
who relates this most novel and inter-
esting instance Of the dangers which
beset that occupation is William II.
Msrkey. who is at present running one
of the big "1300'' locomotives hauling
the Royal Blue Line between Wash
ington and this city. Mr.. Markey
went into the employ OF that company
many years ago as freight fireman ON
the division between Baltimore and
Martinsburg, w. Va. He was promot-
ed to be an engineer, and later became
substitute passenger engineer on the
main line via Washington. lie is con
sidered to be one Of the most trust
worthy men in the employ Of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad, aud his
variety of experiences makes him
most interesting talker. He told his
story in the Fifty-eighth street round
house few days ago.
"Yes, we meet many strange perils
in our lives, although the many pre-
cautions which have been thrown
around i. are said to eradicate the
danger. This is true in regard to the
passengers who are carried, for really
believe that if by any misehance two
trains would crash together head-on at
the rate of mile a minute the loss Of
life would be confined entirely to the
two engines and possibly the mail and
baggage cars. l can tell you Of one
case in connection with collisions
where we dashed apparently bead-on
into the rear Of freight train on
side track at a speed of seventy miles
an hour. During that brief time my
fireman and myself passed through
few moments OF suspense, the agoni-
zing nature of which can never be de-
scribed, and the most remarkable feat
ure of it all was that the train whica
we expected to hit was safe on side
track and we dashed by in safety.
"The circumstances leading up to
this, for US, appalling tragedy, were
simple in themselves; but they never 50
nearly cost two human lives It was
night at the time and the entire affair
originated in the omission of the con-
ductor Of the freight train which we
had to Pass. He forgot to turn the tail
lights off on his eaboose indicating that
he was in 10 clear.
Probably you are ignorant of the
fact that when freight train is run
ming on the road at night it displays
on either side OF the rear platform of
the last car a red light. These lights
indicate the dreaded hind end, the
the terror OF the unlucky engineer,
who after laundering around a sharp
curve is suddenly confronted by them.
A sight which means unless there is
time to stop, which seldom is the ease,
a hind-end collision with all its hOr-
rors. The red lights must always, by
the rules, be kept displayed while the
train is on the main track for the bene-
tit of other trains which may be fol-
lowing.
Now there il another rule which
states with equal positiveness that when
the freight train takes the siding to al
low another train to pass these lights