Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-10-14
A BATTLE OF GIANTS

1 bat for the supremacy. Only
few feet of a connecting switch In the depot
yards in Kansas City were IN dispute. but
the smashing, rending. wheezing giants
wrcstied and rocked a. they charged into each
other usth Jars that shook the whole com
u,uUity Neither would yield 10 anything
short Of dissolution; both pulled and
whcezcd ga the hot steam ietted from the
escape valve aud journal heads.
Night MAS falling rapidly on that chill Nc
ycrnhcr dav half a score Of years ago bNct
the depot buildings, on, IN Union avenue
over the many tricks under shelter she1>
and extending far away % The skirt OF The
bluiIs hunk a paii % smoke aud mist Smoke :
hclchod out bv the hundreds Of "burro" en-
Sines that backed and plunged forward
switching cars into place. cutting others out
aud increasing the din by blow ING on steam
or footing harsh whistles wnle they strug-
Sled. Smoke pitched out on the heavy air
By huge monsters waiting unccuplec Tor the
signal - pick up their flying express trans
and rush out into the night
| Smoke from other monsters, mcSuis with
low wing trucks and four sets OF drivers
/ crawling slowly by With long freight trains
! srakiur their trails Niist iron an atmcs-
/ rhcrc CHARGED with flying particles cf VA
/ Ter. snow. and slect. Men running about.
some with lanterns. waving irSntically CD
and down from side 20 SIDE Or dropping
straizh; before them as they wigvazSed %
| conductor CT brakeman orders Tor making
/ fy;rs switches Other men in uniforms
/ without lanterns. carrying bundles ot "a
rsrs hsu'n- bis .rucks bacrsge-ls5cr
! across the smooth platform
smoke and sect. snow ara smoke. MCn
-rzrrcd IN ulsters. collar ur % their cars.
h,-ss .br-,s. r. rocks,. stamping chilled
! fec- iu restless energy in fnc VAN effort &c
Keep warm. f,r ,hc wind hit shUcvdy and
the air Vas sled with fyinr 7rcssecs cf az
--,,-,.-r bl.-r,rs Here ana there s'ons
he h'-Ts A +5rv iet az icht s0r1uE rnomcr
t,---~ --. az The s-,crn. the lamn.Eltcr vac
, ,,,l,-- rs ---,-ss IN The carly evening
! T-r- -s AZ The couch of wards wand.
30 a---. ana tho ~,~fs harl1 Cut ~
> s--f.- --f----. 81 va. hustle. for 70 was
P ~ sr-s,~ - r-rfy ,lr-a--u-c ari arrival oi
, eastern ana western passenger trains.
y, --es- ,.r~,el Ike "a colossus 10 the
western limits IF the depot Fickcrirs
f.-,.s -,,vri -~er r1r- q icr enormous
i.--. ,..-.r,.--r rf- -~-'cs --f r-a -r,fv
,-- h~- -r--.-rt,-~s Proud us ,ady. cree,
--s s-,.rr~ s.a.,.f che -,e-lt r-rs-n u hlr
/. frr-..,re f-,fr-rt straight forward over
.r. .f-.---.h kan ara -fr far west S.s
v--s ~e-,-i breaker in tho run which sped
z +be cannon l,-l rf the Union Pacific toward
D-rvrr g-.e % her GO some 90 ynrls die
. .--re law ale r--- Inc of express. Lax
F. F..
urvi-t--'v on. into the storm. she cru.,
II r-1 -t.+ lir load rs easily as c.h
d, t.rTes tov. She wss beauty ard sh'
- lrew +. She was proud e Ter power an.
n r-,-tri ara rrhcszel as her ar rurrr too'
,ir much Ike the pulsa;.ous of might,
- hear
Ia No ''71C' took dec0 traughts of tho kcc
. -s- 7. was r,thr-r 90 her tlat tLCv cast
nm n f--.t about her escape valve ~
- t-e-v that once within her bosom THAI q
rr-u-f rush out a-sir bot as hadcs E-h
T. --~,~t1v she stood fhcre on guard waitir
~, sor the signal Over thc same bridge wh.c
80 should fccl the weight &C her " heels iu
d, few minutes. coming ou; az the west. was
\. LIZ mocul stenminc slowly along 90 b,
&c vsv o. where she should Y'ck up a ;raiu
q. the Missouri Pacific yards ari haul it c-s
ward She should swervc On Che south wine
W she nerrri 20" but somebody had mn
d. placed che switch
NJ. ~oio.~ going Light. as ;hev say vh,
n. an engine IS uracccwrar rushed wcu
"A ~ on after SIZE should havc turned back 81
~ q ;he yard No. "Ci0" WIS celebrating g.
season ara came ca rcck.e-eiy. as ii sec
irr for tr-ul,e IS she drcw near cr .u.
IT, for tic waiting express giant 90 make c
lr her number the mocul turned loose vhlsi
and bell Two long blasts ~ hcr whist
IL followed instantly hv two short tocts. in.
Gated thlt slc would Qar. the switch wi'
nc GA, stopping " siouilS down. Her b
lie tangled rl6e.y IN challenge o. che bore dor
On -'T96
a One long. harsh whistle rarr out cn g
air as So retortcl lrrr.ly % the CD
ience. Instinct with life. Tl'satins fas'
ng ar5 faster as the mighty engine noticed :
az disccur;esy ~ tie enemy, she seemed