Arizona republican., 1899-11-22
A SIDETRACkED RUNAWAY
Arthur n. ElIiofrS Exciting FXpsri.
enCe at Casa Grands.

Mr.. Arthur H. Elliott, a pioneer of
Arizona and well known as a newspa-
per man. telegraph operator and mine
owner, is in the city. After the vicissi-
tudes of twenty years. involving some
perils and many discomforts. Mr. Ell
lott now finds himself in the way to
wealth and ease. He is the owner of
the Golden Palisades property in the
Vekol country which is being operated
by the Kansas City Consolidated com
of the property so far as it has pro-
ceeded indicates that it is all the
owner claimed for it, and that was a
great deal
As agent and telegraph operator for
the Southern Pacific il 1888, during the
construction period, Mr.. Elliott had an
experience which he will never forget
and which all the older railroad men
now in the service of the company in
Arizona remember quite we'll
One morning shortly after midnight
switchmen were juggling with a lot of
freight in the yards at Tucson Four
cars were left standing on the main
track, the first a car of steel rails. The
other three We're laden with lumber.
ties, etc. Something started them.
perhaps only a night wind, for the
yards at Tucson are, or We're then. on -
grade which is steadily downward al
most as far west as A1aricopa. The
cars moved off slowly. but every mo-
ment faster than the moment before.
They had passed beyond the jurisdi..-
ton of the switches before their move
ment was discovered. 4 light engine
cut in after them. but by the time the
pursuing engine was gotten under way.
the fugitive cars had acquired a speed
beyond competition by the engine. Tho
runaways gradually passed out of
sight and at Rillito. seventeen miles
this side Of Tucson, the engine stopped
and its crew listened intently. but not
Il sound rose out of the western desert.
Inc next station that could be
reached by telegraph at that hour Of
the morning was Casa Grande. where
Mr.. Elliott was the agent Shortly be-
fore ; O'Clock ne was startled bv n
message: Hold special. There's hell
on the track" There We're no other in
structions, but none were Immediately
needed. They We're following and when
they came the operator knew what to
40 The special bore a party of Off
Gals, among whom were General Man
aSer Towne and j. A. Fillmore. Mr.. Ell
hott had hardly received the telegram
before the special ran in. Mr.. Elliott
held 1t in spite of the protests of the
engineer and conductor. who said there
was no use lying there: if there was
nell on the track they would know il
when they came to it. Pretty soon the
east wind bore in a low and unusual
sound. 1t grew into rumble and then
roar. Then something fiery was seen
IN the distance. Mr.. Elliott knew that
whatever it was it had no business on
the main line. He accommodatinglv
turned the switch and waited. The
roar became terrific and the track
seemed to be burning up. The runaway
was coming and sparks were flying in
long streams from beneath the wheels
TWO carloads Of wood stood on the side
track The car Of steel, backed by
ninety thousand pounds of lumber.
struck them. The heavens were filled
with splinters and millions of sparks
flew from the steel rails, which were