The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-13

the foothills like struggling shoots from
a parent vine.
"On the fateful morning west bound
freight was heavy and I was unable to
get the fourth section of No. Is out OF
Livingston before 5:45, which on the ordi-
nary running time of freight trains would
bring them to Timberline only fifteen
minutes before the special was ordered
to leave. l noted, however. my two ia
vorite engineers had been marked up for
the freight, and felt confident they would
make a good run, in view of the fact
that the situation had been explained to
them when they signed their orders. /
heard the whistles sound to release the
brakes, the exhaust of the engines as they
started the train, and then as the first
car passed the office window l realized
the condition of the freight had not been
taken into my calculations. The entire
train of eighteen cars was loaded with
rails, and, to make the matter more in
teresting, each car was of modern ca
pacity and construction, loaded with all
it could stand While the engines could
easily take eighteen ordinary loads up
the hill in an hour, such a Train this
would tax them to the limit. and a si4ht
delay at least to the special seemed as
sured. Calling the operator at Muir I
told him to let me know as soon as
fourth No. 10 was coming and then turn
ed my attention to ordering the engine
and crew for the Z o'clock inspection trip
Other duties presented themselves, and
the sight of the yellow car pulled by a
single engine passing the window led me
to realize that nothing had been heard
from Muir
LAS the conductor and engineer came to
the window for orders | asked the operator
if he could hear the freight, but was an
swered in the negative. The chief train
dispatcher and new superintendent came
krt- g,,f.
ing if all was raedy for their immediate
departure. His smiling v.sase grew black
as a thunderstorm when he was told the
special would be delayed for few min
utes. His anxiety 20 impress the super
intendent with the clock-work regularity
of his methods overcame his better judg-
ment and he insisted the special should be
sent out as soon as the freight was re-
ported coming a Muir. To this l d.
INJURED ana insisted just as emphaticaIy
it would be hazardous TO allow anythin :
on the hill before fourth Is had passed
Timberline. He finally took the matter in
his own hands and completed" the orders
over his own initials just as Muir reporte /
the freight train in sight The conductor
took the sheets of yellow paper with many
an ominous shake of the head and all went
down to their train. In the few minutes
which elapsed before they started on their
journey the freight was reported entering
the tunnel, and l settled back in my chair
fun of forebodings mingled with wraih
that my authority should have been
usurped in what / considered an unwlr-
ranted manner. Five minutes had barely
elapsed when a frantic call from Muir
seemed to confirm my fears. Nor was ]
wrong. for ne told me fourth 10 had broken
in two close behind the engines while in
the tunnel and the cars passed his office al
a frightful speed. To add to the horro
of the situation, one brakeman had fallen
off at the water tank. and as the other
always remained on the engine while pass
ing through the tunnel the train was
manned only by the conductor. l pulled
the window open, only 10 see the special
disappearing around the curve.
There was but one thing to do, so tell
ing Muir to advise me of fur her devetoD-
mems, I ordered an engine and Sew for
the wreck train and sent the call boy for
the railroad surgeon. In a few minutes
| Muir reported the engines backing pas
the office in a vain attempt 10 catch the
cars and added that one brakeman was on
the rear engine. Poor Yancy, the conduc-
tor, was suffering with a felon on his left
hand and had been urged TO let some one
else take his run out, but pride wou no
allow him TO lay off on account of a lame
hand What could he do, handicapped as
he was, toward stopping the racing flat
cars with their shifting load of slippery
rails!
Another call from Muir, and expecting
the engines had returned with news OF
dead and dying, I answered with tremb-
ling hand. Special went by 7:35,' was
his report, and, while mechanically noting
the figures on the train Sheet l glared at
the instrument as though accusing it OF
lriling with overweight nerves. Some
thing coming up the hill again signalled
Muir, but ] was prepared for any mira
Gle now and sent the wrecking crew back
to the round house, apo'Ogized to The sur
geon for getting him out on a wild-gOose
chase, the solution of when did not occur
TO me until Muir sent the following mes
s9&e:
To Alien, Livingston. Stopped fourth
10 on Hoppers fiat and engines overlook
and sdetracked train there ten minutes
clear of the special wes,. Yancy.'
Il he'd the freight at Muir until the
special reached Bozeman, at the western
foot of the mountain, and then let them
go, bordering the while on the special
providence that watches over children and
some other people.
when the chief dispatcher returned tc
Livingston l learned they were ignorant
of passing fourth 10 at Hooper's ON &C.
count of its being hidden by the hills, and
TO this day the superintendent is in igno-
rance of his narrow escape from death"