The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-29


Ing time. He congratulated himself on
the squareness with which she chopped
II on, and the lively manner in which
she picked up her heels. until he re-
membered that the kid had had the
valves reset; then he resumed the mem
tai stunt known to engineers at fgger-
In ahead"
In places he could make up fractions
Of q minute. In others he would be
thankful to hold his own. He must have
enough water in her 80 he could shut
of his injector and lace the life out OF
her going Into NeWtown. II old Flanni-
gen should hold the semaphore on him
to-day he would feel like numbering
him. And so the old fellow unused as he
rode along, getting better natured ev-
cry minute as he saw that he was git
tim EN- there"
ey." There was mile and half OF stiff
grade right up to the statlOn-that was
where he would need to have them GO
ing. HALFWAY UP this grade the road
was SPAWNED by. an overhead railroad
bridge OF solid masonry. Fifty yards
this side of the bridge there was q
freight yard switch. the track branch
ing of on Dawes side. The yard was
concealed from approaching trains by
IN Immense coal shed, which at that
time Of day, threw a dense black shad-
ow on the switch. When the switch
was open. its round, red target blazed
warning TO approaching engineers.
When closed. the thin edge OF the sheet
Iron target was invisible. To render It
absolutely safe. Il was interlocked with
a semaphore 1900 feet down the line.
The rules required that the sema-
phore be pulled down-to safety-only
when In view Of the approaching engi-
neer. It could only be pulled down when
the switch was closed, because hole in
the switch rod would then be in q posi-
tlon that would allow the semaphore
locking bar to pass through 1t, locking
the switch. When the switch was open
the solid rod was presented to the lock-
ing bar. preventing the semaphore be-
ing pulled down. With the semaphore
at stop" the locking bar would be
withdrawn from the hole and the
switch could be thrown either way,
which was all right, as no train would
pass the semaphore, when in that posi-
tlon.
Surely old Mike Flanagan had been
on the day shift at the switch for years.
He vigorously enforced the rule, every
thing must be clear and the switch
closed ten minutes before n first-class
train was due. Strong in his integrity
he showed but scant courtesy. even to
the roadmaster; so he was respected
for his fidelity to duty as heartily Us he
was detested for his arrogance.
While dlsconnecting to put In a new
set of head blocks, the section gang
broke the bolt connecting the sema-
phore locking bar to It's crank: hence.
for n night and part of two days, the
vital connection between semaphore
and switch was broken. Mike, OF
course, knew this, but during the COM
troversy. when, with unnecessary tSio-
lence, he drove the way freight engine
back into the yard, 1t slipped from his
memory. Dave nearly pulled the Wills
tie of the dome when he whipped
around the curve. and Mike, the infalll-
bic, pulled the semaphore down, with
the switch open to. the freight yard.
When Dave saw the semaphore come
down promptly in response to his
whistle, his faith In that incompatible
combination. old Flanagan and the In
terlooklng system. assured him that
division. She was going like fright
ened deer, but he dropped her down n
notch. The sharp. distinct rhythm OF
the exhaust blended In a continuous
roar. and she fed, rolling wildly, to-
ward the open archway under the
bridge.
The longer point OF cutoff relieved
the boiler pressure. allowing the safety
valve to set. Without taking his eye
from the track. Dave reached In and
shut off the Injector. Again that
plume OF feathery white steam-lndi-
eating the l40-pound llmit-appeared at
the summit OF the dome. AS Dave peer
cd into the shadow Of the coal shed, the
red target glared at him like the eye OF
q blslllsk. and he experienced the sem
satlon railroad men know when their
time has come.
She heeled. her head whipped around
and, rolling over, she plowed through
ties and rails into the yard. The rip
ping up of track was drowned in the
clash OF rendlng iron and kissing steam
when she hit the way freight train. The
baggage car, detected from Its course
before the Janney coulper broke, leaped
over her and stripped the way freight
engine to Its boiler, killing the engineer
and fireman. Four coaches rammed
themselves into chaotic mass OF splln-
tered wood and twisted Iron against
the railroad bridge. The rear one up
ended itself on the plle-nccentuating
the horror beneath-and stood at an
unstable angle, demonstrating What
happens when an lrreslstible force
meets an immovable body"
While ruin and death were rampant
at the Newton switch, Joe and Annie
secure in Dawes absence-were snugly
ensconced in shady corner OF the
back piazza. A bobollnk huttered
from the topmost twIg OF the great elm
into the tall grass, filling the silence
with Its joyful notes. A locust droned
its sleepy chant ut their feet. Al the
voices OF nature sang OF peace and they
were lost In the semi-obllvlon Of loves
grand. sweet dream,
a railroad contrast
Although Dave plowed up considera-
BILE gravel, and knocked against the
companys property in grent many
pInces, he was one Of the first to assist
the Imprisoned passengers, and super
Intended the loading OF his engine on
fiat car. He laid of for thirty days.
complaining OF his back; but In one or
the rare Interviews they were now able
10 got. Annie told Joe that she feared
her fathers nerve was gone, and that
he would never run again. Joe would
not venture TO call-nobody did-hut ne
nodded cheerlly 10 the sour visage
whenever he saw It at the window as he
passed.
Dave came out of his shell and tried
II again. but II was no use. He made
three trips. but he would shut on at
Ncwtown switch in spite Of himself
and was no good for the rest OF the trip
Finding himself unable TO make the
time. he submitted to the inevitable
and applied for n switch engine. The
old man could have given him nice
fob in the passenger yard, but there
are always old scores TO be paid on on
railroad. Dave had been sassy
when he was boss Of the q and had
the superintendent ut his back, so now
he cot an old worn-out hog. In the