Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-03-16

woods, told ME that he saw many such
vast explosions in the air in the midst
of the awful heat.
The heavy glass in the side of the
cab bent in with the great heat, and
then burst in pieces, some of which
cut gashes down the face and neck oi
the engineer. He saw that he could
not advance; he did not dare to wait
to extinguish the fire, which was burn,
ing the cars and the engine in all ex'
posed places; he feared to start back.
ward, for it seemed like running into
an awful furnace of fame to reverse
his engine and seek safety in that di.
rection.
But it was certain death for all to
remain where he was. Like an elec-
trio flash the thought came to his mind
that there was dark, foul-smelline
pond of water and mud backward s
few miles. On that instant his lever
was reversed, and his train began g
race with the flames of death.
AS the train got under way, several
persons fell from the front Of the en-.
gine, where they had been piteously
pleading for their lives, and Root told
me his first impulse was to try to save
them; but he could not wait-the re,
morseless fire swept over and engulfed
them. He had three hundred lives
behind him; to have tarried for the
few would have been to sacrifice tn,
many.
Now flame was around them, above
them, over them, under them; th,
very air seemed fire, and the roaring
was deafening. In the cab the heat
was intense, and it became unbear
able as the engine got under way The
flesh on the faithful hands that graspet
the hot lever was almost cooked, ant
they were so swollen that Root coulG
hardly maintain his grip; but the
thought of yielding to physical pair
never entered his head.
He would not have known of The
cuts on his face and neck but for the
blood which was running down from
them, but the pain in his swollen hands
and on his blistering face was excru
ciating. His faithful ireman's cloth
ing had caught fire from the flames
and the man was ducking himself il
the tank. Then, seeing the ter
rible distress of his chief, he threw
bucketfuls Of water all over him, whicl
gave Root some relief for while.
TWiee lee or tAAgee tAgeettii times mes the enginee
was overcome by the torture, anu 11el
7 y. II. g
man picked him mp, lifted him to hi
seat. and threw water on him. Again
the half-cooked hands that held th'
lives Of three hundred people in theil
grasp closed over the lever.
1t was not the work of many minute!
TO send the train back to the pond
but they were most terrible minutes
for the people in the coaches behint
the engine. Three of the passengers
went crazy in that little time, ant
Jumped to their death through pane
Of glass; it was only by the creates
efforts on the part of the cooler headed
passengers that Others were kept from
suicide.
The exposed woodwork Of the en-
CINE caught fire, the cab lamp melted
down, the sides of the coaches wer'
charred and burning, and yet on thu
train sped, the roar of the fire unceas
ing, the coaches resoundlng will
shrieks and screams.
Had the courage and the nerve o
the engineer deserted him, had th'
train stopped, in few cruel second
the three hundred people must hav'
burned to death; but he held his post
until at last the swampy place wa
sighted. He slowed the train down
the frenzied people plunged madl.
into the foul water, and the enginee
fell exhausted to the floor of his cab
The crew OF the train ran to Root
aid, but he told them he would saw
himself; they must save the people
And Just at the last moment he man
aged to crawl down to the water No
the cars had taken fire, and wer
rapidly consumed Two Cinnamon /
one of them would not leave, and wer
quickly burned to death.
Possibly five hundred people, an
perhaps even more, lost their lives i
the town and in the vicinity, althoug
the exact number Of those who perishe
will probably never be known.
AS [ sat in James Roots little bee
room and heard him tell modestly {
his part in the saving Of these hun
dreds of people, do you wonder that
was deeply moved at this unassumin
witness to the truth that the golde
age of heroism has not yet passe
away?-W. S. Harwood in Youth
Conpanion