The Portland daily press., 1900-01-13
MOMENTS OF DANGER.
craeiai seconds In the 1--we. OF
Esgfneers

hhhhfuous anu NJ tue same time tne MOST
responsible task Of any OF the men who
run tho train. and the passengers on one
Of the great iiers rs they loll back In their
seats reading the most recent work Of &c
tion or gazing placidly forth at the seem
cry scarcely ever give q thought to the
fact that ahead Of them Is a dust and oil
begrimed man who, for the time being.
literally carries their lives in the hollow
Of his sweaty hand. 1t Is extraordinary
how few cases there are where engineers
have been found derelict In the moment
Of trial. There have been innumerable
wrecks since railroads were first intro
duced into the country, but the record of
the number of engineers who have failed
when the crucial test came Is in6ni-
tesimal.
When once danger appears In front,
an engineers duty Is, first, to close tho
throttle; second. to apply the airbrakes;
third. to reverse the engine-that Is, to
throw over the reversing lever. which
enables the engine to run In the opposite
direction from which 1t had been going;
fourth. to reopen the throttle. To do
these four acts calls for but a small frac-
| ton of time. but where wrecks result the
danger Is usually so imminent as fire.
val to accomplish them, and often when
the ruins have been cleared away the
body of the faithful guardian has been
discovered with his hand stiff in death on
the throttle, reverse lever or brake. and
bearing silent witness as to how far he
had got toward the accomplishment of
that duty which he had yielded his life
to perform.
Many engineers are reckless ard will
take awful chances. At one time a GER
tain driver was taking through a special
/ train consisting Of four empty freight
cars and caboose. The station master
told him that the down train was trihe
late and due at the next station beyond,
seven miles away, at 2:37 o'clock. Glanc-
Ing at his watch, the engineer said he had
nine minutes and decided to take the
chance. He had to cross bridge just
beyond the town he was leaving, and mid
way across he began to increase his
speed. As the engine struck ground again
| on the other side and they headed
straight mp the rivers valley he threw
her wide open and gave his engine every
ounce of steam there was in tho boiler.
Three miles farther on. when running to
the limit Of his capacity, he struck the
down train head on. Both engineers and
hremen were killed outright, and the
engines reduced to a condition that rem
dered them only fit for the scrap heaps.
Strange to say, no passengers or other
members of either crew were killed out
right or afterward died as the result of
injuries received. Only the shoulders
and head of the fireman of the special
were ever found. He had been driven
Into the door Of the fire box feet FIRST. but
had stuck at the shoulders. The white
hot fire within had completely incinerated
the rest of his body. To look at the door
Of fire box such a casualty as that seems
all but impossible. the opening looks SO
small. In reality, however, ii is large
enough, as any railroad man can tell you.
The watch of the engineer of the spe-
cial when found was still running and
was four minutes behind. 1t was to this
error OF his timepiece that the tragic
death OF himself and his three compan-
ions was due.
In daylight it is the habit OF the ehgi-
neer to follow with the eye the glistening
track of rails over which he must travel.
Should n rail be misplaced, 1t would
break this line of light and betray itself
to the watchful man in time TO stop and
save his train. This particular wreck,
however, resulted from that curse and
dread of all railroad runners-the wash
out. The culvert which caused it was a
short one, its width being hardly greater
than the combined length of engine and
tender. The masonry had been carried
away; but, the fishplates and spikes
holding firm, the rails still crossed the
gully. This held the rail line of light
true and in consequence the engineer
was well up to the danger before he real
lied it. He was able to stop the train,
but to do so had to go into the>ditch him
self although fortunately he did not lose
his life.
He was washed out of his cab window
by the food. His jumper catching over
stone. the train newsboy fortunately
found him in time TO save him from
death by drowning. So close thing was
1t that when the train came to full
stop the front wheels OF the forward
truck OF the baggage car were hanging
over the opening made by the washout.
No one was injured save the engineer,
who escaped with couple OF broken ribs
and dislocated shoulder. He complete
ly recovered. however, and is one of the
most trusted engineers on that particular
line to this city.
A rather amusing thing occurred in
connection with this wreck. There was
little coal IN the tender, what was ielt
being in the rear end, and the fireman
had gone back to shovel ii forward. The
impetus of the engine caused 1t to jump
clear across the gully and stick Its nose
In the opposite bank. The rear part, be-
ing the heavier, dropped first. carrying
the forward part of the tender with it.
causing tender and engine to shut up
like jackknife. The fireman was tossed
clean over the engine and alighted unin-
jured on the track beyond the washout.
He was a lanky, six foot Irishman.
with carroty hair and the brogue still
strong upon him. In telling Of his ex-
perience afterward he said:
"Sure, ii was quare expayrience
there was. I one mint STOPPING wild me
shovel over the coal hape and the next
mint there was and me shovel and the
coal all flying troo de air, and each trying
to see who would get there first. Glory
be that l was not hurt at all, at all. It's
brave man is Moike (the engineerl, fine,
big, brave man. sor. The last thing he
eoiI NoS- What do van think il was,