The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-06
BEAT LIGHTNING BOLT
A NARROWING TALE RELATED BY
A LOCOMOTIVE EN-
GINEER
a RACE WITH JOvE's BOLT


The Engineer Saw the Ball Strike
Opened the Throttle and Led the
Fluid Merry Race-By Throw
ing Il Switch He Saved Himself
and His Train.
The experience of Engineer David Jack
son in the storm during his run from
Kingston to Campbell Hall, o er the Wall
kill Valley railroad, is a marvellous one
says a Kingston, N. Y, dispatch to the
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Jackson is a freight engineer and had
nearly finished his homeward trip when
overtaken by the storm. 1t Travelled i'll
the same direction in which he was going
and in a spirit of dare-deviltry he at
tempted to beat it home. The elements
evidently took umbrage at his temerity
and a bolt of lightning struck the track
behind him.
A fiery ball followed the rails in the
wake of the flying train, seemingly in no
hurry to overhaul it, for a distance Of
three or four miles. The engineer and
his badly frightened companions resorted
to all sorts of desperate measures to in
crease the speed of the train. The iron
monster, under full head of steam and
straining every nut and bolt responded
nobly to their efforts and managed to hold
its own for the distance mentioned.
At last, when the lightning was almost
upon them, Jackson was struck with
happy thought. He determined to slack
the train, throw a switch and sidetrack
the destroyer. The lightning, which ap-
parSptly travelled but trifie faster than
the -flain, rapidly overhauled them while
they were slowing up and was almost
upon them when the fireman dropped off
the engine, and, grasping the switch han
die threw it over with scarce a second to
spare. The story herewith is given as
Engineer Jackson tells it:
TOLD BY THE ENGINEER.
1--WE lay over in the siding at Spring
town for No. 2 to go by, and while we
were waiting I saw a big, black cloud
forming up on top of the Shawangunks.
I knew a storm was coming, and was
anxious to get home in front Of 1t. So
after Tom had left US. having a clear
track, 1 let her open and started. We
had just got nicely under way when the
front end of the storm hit us.
I'VE had light, mixed train of emp
ties and were getting over the ground
pretty fast, seeming to hold our own
against the cyclone, which doomed up
mighty black a mile or two behind u.s.
I NO to1 10 I.o
ing our end up and l tore a piece of pa
paper and dropped it out of the cab win
dow. The wind caught it and hurled it
ahead Of the engine and 1 knew we
weren't travelling fast enough Then l
spoke to my fireman and told him to
chuck some resinous wood that we hap
pened to have onto the fire and open up
the drafts.
Just then I saw Charley Morton. the
conductor, crawling over the tank. His
face was whittier than new boiled shirt
and he shook so he nearly lost his hold.
" For Gods sake, Dave, throw her
open wide he said; lightning hit the
track and is coming down behind US
A RACE WITH JOVE'S BOLT.
Il couldn't believe him first off, but
then 1 didn't think he was Joking. for
Charley is the most solemn ticket punch
er on the line. We rounded a curve lust
outside of Gardiner at that moment. and.
hanging out of the window and LOOKING
backward, l saw it for myself. About
half mile behind a ball of fire was
bowling along on the outside rail of the
track. 1t seemed about the size of a
sugar barrel, and was coming end on
Every rail length it would bound in the
air for six or seven feet. I opened the
throttle wide and took another look
thinking perhaps 1t might bounce off and
become sidetracked, but never-it came
back fair and true upon the rail every
time it left it, and that it was gaining
on US l could plainly see. Something had
to be done Immediately if not sooner
We were pulling into New Hurley and I
began to slac5en up
Great Scott! man, what are you do
ing? says Morton. Don't you see 1t al
most on top of us?
m going to slack this train at the
top Of New Hurley here says 1. and
when she slows up 1 want you to drop off
and throw the switch there and wen
switch the lightning off
Excuse me, Dave, you better let Au-
gust 60, says he pointing to my fire
man. He's nonconductor you know.
and the lightning wouldn't touch him if
1t caught him at the SWITCH
II was the first joke 1 ever heard Nor
ton crack and 1t made me laugh right ont
although 1 knew that certain death was
redhot on our trail 800 yards behind.
THE LIGHTNING SIDETRACKED
well, when we reached the place An
gust got off all right; he lost his feet and
nit the gravel pretty hard, but was up in
a minute and had thrown the switch. The
lightning whizzed by at the same instant
1t didn't even scorch him, however. but
Travelled the length of the switch and tore
loose a humping block. 1t bounded across
a field and took to a barbed-wire fence
which 1T followed for half a mile before
running against a hog pen built in the
corner of lot. Every last hog in the
pen and there were seven choice ones
there was killed by the bolt, and, strange
to say, while it left no mark on their
hides, 1t seemed to have melted every
bone in their bodies and the seven of
them lay there, all in a heap, without
& orm or shape, like a pile Of mush.
Il tell you it is the closest call
ever had in ali the years I've been rail-
reading. Morton is sick abed with nerv-
Gus prostration and 1 haven't got over the
shock yet myself"