Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-16

An Engine That Has Recently Com
pleted Fifty Years Service.

FL.
An Engine That Has Recently Com
pleted Fifty Years Service.
Correspondence Milwaukee Sentinel.
A few onlookers who We're attracted the
other day to the rear of the Upham block
where the hulk of a railroad engine was
being lowered into the basement to serve
as a portion of the heating apparatus, little
suspected that these We're the remains of
one of the most famous old-time locomo-
tives.
A half century ago &C Vanderbilt No -
as the engine was named, pulled the private
car of Americas first railway magnate
Commodore Vanderbilt. For several dec
AIDES 1t was the favorite of the president of
the road, dashing from one section of the
system to another, a gorgeous and stylish
monarch in those days, with shining brass
rods and highly FURNISHED steel. 1t was
built for the private use of Commodore
Vanderbilt, and was known in railway cir
cles throughout the country to be the fast
est engine then In use 1t is safe to say
that on several runs in this section of the
country, when forced to the utmost, it
would not fall far short Of fifty miles an
hour
The engine was built something over fifty
years ago by the Taunton CMass) Locomo-
tive Works. The exact date has never been
ascertalned by the present owners. 1t is
wood burner Of the old English type with
inside connector. The drive wheels were
six feet in diameter, with inside crank
shafts. One of the latter became broken
last summer, and, being difficult to repair
this was the cause Of it's unceremoniOus
retirement from the Upham logging road.
Old van was superseded after a long
ana faithful service as the cOmmodore's pri-
vate engine by one more modern For
q of of lit
car over the Vanderbilt system: Eventually
becoming unfit for this use it was shipped
TO Wisconsin and sold to Superintendent
h. e. Finney of Oshkosh, then of the Wis
consin Centra! road This was seventeen
years ago. and since that date, until last
summer. 1t pulled the Upham logging train
on branch road from the Central here
During its service about Marshfield 1t has
which in the early days were a common oc-
currence and greatly dreaded by the pio-
neers of the northern woods On every oc-
CASTOR when forest fires burned uncomfort-
ably close to this city or threatened the
upham property along the road Old Van
was called into service.
In the eventful forest fire of 1893 when
this city had its narrowest escape from to-
tai destruction, this locomotive was in the
thick OF the excitement. For forty-eight
hCurs 1t was attached to a string of empty
box cars ready at a moments notice TO
dash through the seething mass of flames
wished
attempt this means of escape. The fire an
preached to within less than a mile of the
post office In the suburbs of the ctty and
every citizen was called out to work for
the safety of the town as we'll as their
lives. After the citys safety was assured
the order came to take 100 men aboard the
cars and dash through several miles of
burning woods to protect some million feet
OF logs which were reported to be in dan
ger. The hazardous trip was made. but
those who were of the party will never for
get the terrible experience. The men In
the box cars closed the doors before start
ing to keep out the heat as much as pos
sible, but even with this precaution the
temperature inside the cars at the concIu-
sion of the Journey was as hot as house.
wife's oven on baking day. The engineer
and fireman were in the most dangerous
position, in the engine cab, almost without
protection from the ieaping flames dense
suffocating smoke and sitting heat The
two men took turns at the throttle, one
suIalng tne engine and Keeping a sharp
lookout for fallen trees on the track ahead
While the other lay PROSTATE on the floor
of the cab breathing through a soaked
sponge. 1t was on this hazardous trip that
inc speed OF Old Van probably saved the
hves OF the crew, as the men said after
ward that few minutes longer within that
| fiery furnace would have finished their
earthly career. The heat cracked all the
glass on the engine, and peeled off the
| paint, but otherwise it was no worse for
| the trip.
This was only one of many journeys of
| this engine during forest fires in the vi
cfnity of Marshfied. On one occasion her
cab was burned, and the engine would have
| been destroyed completely had there been
any 1nhammable material about the ma
chine
! Bill Kalat, the engineer, who is known
| TO old-tmers the country over, having pull
| ed the throttle on almost every prominent
railroad from Maine to California was run
ming Old Van, and the two old war horses
| We're an interesting pair. On one occasion
| there was a misunderstanding between the
| two which almost resulted in a serious ac-
cident. The wheels of the rear tender
| truck had left the track, and in the effort
| to get them on the engine was uncoupled
| from the tender. AS soon as the pin was
pulled the engine started down the track
| full tilt, with Bill Kalat and Fireman
| Frank Lueckenbach in hot pursuit The
men had not noticed the heavy down grade
before uncoupling the engine. Old Van kept
| the lead for fully two miles, but only lust
| enough to give the men the impression they
would soon overtake it, but they didn't.
| Jumping the track at a switch and half
way turning on its side was the way the
old engine wound up this escapade.
| Old Vans cab Is now used as a PLAYHOUSE
on e. e. Finney's lawn here and the rest
| Of the engine not used as furnace was
sold to local foundryman