Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-22
ON A RUNAWAY ENGINE
An Interesting Fragment of Early Railroad
History.
How the First Heavy Engine, "The
Massachusetts.' Made Its
Trial Trip.

From the Boston Transcript.
1t was a proud day for Reuben Finch
when he was selected as engineer of he
big. eight-w heeled freighter Massachusetts.
Back in the los. when railroadng was
young and innovations were regarded with
an interest not iaded with the many inven-
tons and contrvances of modern science.
the news that the Western railroad, which
now forms d part of the Boston and AL
bany system. had put on mammoth
freight engine. larger than any Yet tried,
excited a widespread curiosity, not limited
to the circle of railroad men. which was
then much smaller than it is now. Among
the engineers and :iremen, however, the
curiosity had something of excitement min
gled with it, born of the desire to be put in
charge of the great engine. And so Finch
envled man the day his appoint
ment was made known. Not less fortu-
nate than Finch. in the estimation of the
brotherhood, was James Marcy. who was
selected to run with him as fireman on the
Massachusetts. 1t was something to be
placed in charge of a mighty monster
which made all the other engines on the
road look like children's toys.
Early in December the Massachusetts
was brought up from the shops at Lowell
and was sent up and down the road. while
Finch adjusted every little part till she
the engine was awaited with great inter-
est. as fabulous tales were told of the num-
Der of cars she could haul. The test was
to be a severe one, but there was one thing
that interfered-there were not cars enough
around to make it interesting. In those
days the freight traffic was very limited
Each road kept its own cars on its own
iron as the railroad men say. and the va
riety from every road in the country could
not be seen on each track as it is today
so. to get enough cars tribute was levied
on each passing freight train. 1t delayed
the traffic a few days, of course, but
goods sent by freight in the '40s were not
perishabe.
The test was to be made over the track
from Worcester to Springfield, and on De-
cember Is, 1910, thirty-five cars had been
colected-enough, it was thought, to give
the engine a most thorough test, for thirty
five cars made a tremendous load, as loads
were then. In the afternoon Finch and
Marcy oiled up the parts anew and made
everything ready for the triumphal trip to
Springfield.
A couple Of toots on the whistle. clang-
ing of the bell. and Finch, opening the
throttle, felt the great engine roll out on
to the main track with seemingly as Ut
tie effort a. though there were not a string
of freight cars behind her nearly quarter
of d mile long. There were two or three
men in the cab with Finch and Marcy.
among them Wilson Eddy. known the
country over in later years as the veteran
master mechanic of the Boston and Al
chusetts swung along and there was moth
ing to mar the smoothness of the machtn-
ery's motion. 1t was a brisk winter day
and the rails were covered with frost. but
the great wheels did not slip. Railroad
accidents were a new thing then. and it
was as yet an undiscovered fact that an
engine could run away, with its engineer
powerless to control it. There We're but
two brakes the train, but this caused no
uneasiness, particularly there was that
great engine to be depended upon.
In those days the railroad had not yet
been extended across the Connecticut
river a Springfield. but the abutments for
bridge We're being built. Before the
handsome Boston and Albany station was
built at Springfield there was a steep grade
which swept down into the city from the
east. Beginning about a mile back from
the city the track dropped quickly down
past the station and came to an end at
the river bank, 300 yards below. This was
the jumping-off place. for the tracks had
not yet been built out on the bridge. To
the right. diverging slightly from the main
track spur led to the roundhouse, which
stood the river bank not far away 1t
was here that the engines were faced
about for the return trips.
AS the Massachusetts, coming in triumph
antly from its fifty-mile run. approached
the brink of the hill 9 mile back from the
river Finch began to slow down. and as
he did so he began to realize that the
heavy train had considerable impetus. he
was afraid to risk going down the grade
with so few brakes, and decided to stop
and block the wheels, seeing that the track
was very slippery So he shut off the
steam and applied the brakes. To his sur
prise they seemed to have no effect on the
heavy train.
watch out, Finch" said Marcy. cor
you'll have us on the grade. It's pretty
slippery today.
Finch made no reply, but nervously re-
versed the throttle sending the wheels
spinning backward over the greasy rails in
spite of the weight of the engine, but not
staying in the least the movement Of the
train. The dip in the grade came nearer
and nearer. and at last Finch cried:
My God, boys! l don't believe / can
stop her.''
Then suddenly the engine leaped forward
as 1t felt the sleeper grade. and the sped
increased each second in spite Of Finchs
efforts car after car swept over the
brink and pushed forward with a force that
was not TO be resisted. The occupants OF
the cab could do nothing but cling to the
engine with helplessness which became
despair as they that the big engine
was entirely beyond control But as the
Massachusetts came rushing down toward
the depot the full horror Of the situation
burst upon her occupants. for there seemed
to be no way to escape plunging straight
into the abutments of the new bridge.
There was a scramble for the side of the
cab Eddy made the first jump and he
rolled off the tracks just at the station.
unhurt. Moore. the conductor, and Nichols.
a fireman. who was riding in the cab,
Jumped next and We're not seriously in
jured while back of them the train hands
were jumping to the right and left for
their lives. Finch bravely stuck to the
Massachusetts doing all he could to stop
the headlong rush and planning to jump
at the last moment at the river bank, and
Marcy stayed with him.
4 few seconds more and the Whole tram
would be piled up in the river, but just
then q curious thing occurred. AS the
Massa chusetts reached the point where the
spur track led off to the roundhouse Finch
felt a sudden jerk sidewise that told him
the engine had taken the switch, and real
izng that it must plunge into the round
house instead of the river, he jumped
without an inStants hesitation and with
out seeing what his landing place was go
ing to be. He luckily struck Il clear spot
rolling yards away from the track. while
the mighty engine with its long train OF
cars went rushing at full speed through
the double doors. Marcy had delayed his
lump too long, and was buried in the debris
into which the roundhouse engine and
cars were resolved
Abel Willard. the master mechanic of
the road had heard the engine coming
down the grade. and supposing that it was
some engine wanting to come in there had
thrown the switch. The force with which
the Massachusetts. pushed by the heavy
train. struck the roundhouse was tremen-
dous. The old engine Hampden, which
was standing on the track inside. was