The times., 1899-11-12
lFrom the New York Tribnne.l

(From the New York Tribuuc.)
To the engineer belongs the most haz-
ardous and at the same time the most re-
sponsibIe task of any of the men who run
the train, and the passengers on one of the
great flyers, as they ioH back in their seats
reading the most recent work Of fiction OF
gazing placidly forth at the scenery.
scarcely ever give thought to the fact
that ahead of them is a dust and oil-be-
grimed man who. for the time being. lit
orally carries their lives in the hollow of
his sweaty hand and TO whose watchful
and alert eyes and unf1inching nerve they
may owe their escape from a horrible
death.
But so it is, and this man, the engineer,
usually of humble origin and meagre edu-
cation, is man for all that. and one OF
force, and with the power and viii to do
and to die in the pursuit of his duty should
the occasion ever occur. 1t is extraordi-
nary how few cases there are where engi-
neeTs have been found derelict in the mo-
ment of trial. There have been innumera-
bic wrecks since railroads were first intro
duced into the country, but the record OF
the number OF engineers who have failed
when the crucial test came is infinitesimal
1t should be remembered that there is no
way III WHICH lHG Courage OF lHS EuElUGEI
can be tested, and only by actual participa-
ton in wreck can he receive his baptism
of fire.
When once danger appears in front an
engineers duty is first, to close the throt-
tie; second to apply the air brakes; third.
to reverse the engine-that is to throw
over the reversing lever which enables the
engine to run in the opposite direction
from which it had been going; fourth, to
reopen the throttle.
To do these four acts calls for but
small fraction of time, but where wrecks
result the danger is usually so imminent
as frequently not to leave even sufficient
| interval to accomplish them. and often
when the ruins have been cleared away the
| body Of the faithful guardian has been dis
covered with his hand stiff in death on
| the throttle reverse lever or brake, and
! bearing silent witness as to how far he
/ had got toward the accomplishment Of that
| duty which he had yielded his life to per-
form.
Risks That Result Badly.
Many engineers are reckless and will
| take awful chances. At one time a certain
driver was taking through a special train
consisting of four empty freight cars and
| a caboOse The station master told him
| that the down train was a trifie late, and
| due at the next station beyond seven
| miles away, at 2:37 o'clock Glaucing at
! his watch. the engineer said he had nine
| minutes. and decided to take the chance
He had to cross a bridge just beyond the
| town he was leaving, and midway across
! he began to increase his speed. As the
! engine struck ground again on the other
| side and they headed straight up the riv-
| er's valley he threw her wide upen, and
| gave his engine every ounce of steam there
| was in the boiler. Three miles farther on
! when running to the limit of his capacity.
| he struck the down train head on Both
| engineers and firefnen were killed outright
| and the engines reduced to a condition that
| rendered them only fit for the scrap heaps.
| Strange to say no passengers or other
/ members of either train crew were killed
! outright or afterward died as the result
! of injuries received. only the shoulders
| and head Of the fireman of the special were
! ever found. He had been driven into the
! door of the firebOX feet first, but had stuck
at the shoulders. The white hot fire within
had completely incinerated the rest of the
| body. To look at the door of the frebox
such casualty as that seems all but i'm
! possible, the opening looks so small. In
! reality, however, it is large enough, as
any railroad man can tell you.
! The watch OF the engineer of the special
when found was still running and was
! four minutes behind. II was to this error
! of his timepiece that the tragic death Of
| himself and his three companions was due
| Light Line That Failed.
In daylight it is the habit of the engineer
to follow with the eye the Clustering track
of rails over which he must travel. Should
rail be misplaced, it would break this
line OF light and betray itself to the watch
| ful man in time 10 stop and save his train.
| This particular wreck, however. resulted
! from that curse and dread of ali railroad
runners-the wsshout. The culvsrt which
| caused it was a short one, its width being
| hardly greater than the combined length of
engine and tender. The masonry had been
| carried away, but, the tishplates and spikes
| holding firm, the rails still crossed the gull
/ ~ This held the rail line of light true
and in consequence the engineer was well
up to the danger before he realized it, He
was able to stop The train. but to 60 so had
TO go into the ditch himself although for
tunateIy, he did not lose his life.
He was washed out Of his cab window by
the flood. His jumper catching over a
stone, the train newsboy fortunately found
him in time to save him from a death by
drowning. So close a thing was it that
| when the train came to full stop the front
wheels of the forward truck OF the bag
! gage car were hanging over the opening
| made by the washOut. No one was in
| jured save the engineer. who escaped with
/ a couple OF broken ribs and a dislocatsd
| shoulder. He completely recovered, how
| ever. and is one of the most trusted engi-
neers on that particular line to this day.
Fireman's Aerial Fent.
A rather amusing thing occurred in con
nection 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 it forward. The impetus of
! the engine caused it to jump clear across
/ the gully ana stick its nose in the oppos- te
| bank The rear part, being the heavier
dropped first carrying the forward part
| of the tender with it, causing tender and
engine TO shut up like a jackknife. The
| fireman was tossed clean over the engine
and alighted uninjured on the track be-
yond the washout.
He was a lanky siX-foot Irishman with
| carroty hair, and the brogue still strong
upon him In telling of his experience aft
erward he said:
Sure it was a quare eXpayrience there
/ was one mint STOPPING wild me shovel
over the coal hape and the next mint
there was l and me shovel and the coal
| all ayn trOo de air, and each trying - see
Who could get here first. Glory be that 1
was not hurt at ALL at all. It's a braVe
| man is Moike (the engineer), fine big,
brave man. sor The last thing he said
| vas What do you think it was, sor,
and him expecting to die the next mint, at
| that, sor? Widout turning hi head he yells
| out TO me Jump, you ed-headed scOun-
drel' he yells and while l didn't have no
| tonne TO do as he tould me, | take il very