Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-12-06

y. the western express, 10 south track
at Roxbury. three miles farther east,
from which point it would have to
proceed on the east-bound track as
fa- west as Purdon tower. to pass
around the accident at Monarville. /
heard the order to No. 9 going over
the wire.
Run south track, regardless of
east-bound trains from Roxbury, to
crossing switches just west of Pur-
don tower, to pass around accident at
Manorville."
All this vas regular enough. 1t was,
in fact, the ordinary method by which,
in such emergencies, one track is
made to accommodate traffic in both
directions. And ordinarily il would
have been sufficient, since my orders
TO allow nothing to pass east would
insure a clear track to the usurper.
But the most methodical regulations
are ineffective when somebody blum
ders. just as the strongest arch falls
when the keystone is removed. And
so it proved on this occasion.
just as RoXbury repeated the order
and was giving Speedily the sigma
lures the conductor of the 176, which
by this time was blowing of steam not
far from my office window, came up
the stairs and into the office.
"Well. old sport" he said, giving me
a rap on the back that made me gasp
for breath. its about time you
dropped that signal. A red lantern
and a white target don't look well
together"
what are you talking about??" l
replied, testify. 1t always did rouse
my fighting blood to be thumped on
the back.
why" said the conductor, Il am
talking about your signal. When we
came up it was white"
do you see that lever?" 1 asked,
indicating with the barrel" of my
pipe. We'll, that's the way it was
when you came up"
"All the same,' said he, eve had a
white signal. Your red lamp stopped
us. What's the orders?"
"Orders to hold you, that's all"
"WeIl what for?"
WELL, go and find out; and while
you are at it. take a course in col
ors."
| suppose we would have mixed up
if one of the brakemen had not come
up just then and asked me what was
wrong with my signal. l saw the con
ductor grin at hat.
"You fellows are all color-blind," ]
said, hotIy.
Nevertheless, 1 got up and started
downstairs, the conductor and brake
man following me. We stepped out
OF to the platform together. Looking
up to where the light was g~limmerine
at the top of the tall pole I could
make out that the arm was in a hori.
zontal position, indicating red; but
OF stepping back a few PAGES I saw
that the red glass disc, which ought
to have covered the white signal lamp
when the arm was in that position
had fallen from the frame. The re.
suit was that while the position OF
the arm indicated red, and the lever
by which it was raised and lowered
was in its regular notch, the target
which alone governs the movement OF
trains after dark, was white.
I looked, or at least felt, somewhat
foolish as 1 turned to the conductor
"Well," I said, you see how it is
Both of you were right and yet both
of you were wrong. Tn sorry 1 spoke
to you in hat way. Come up and
have a smoke. I'll have to give hand
signals the rest of the night"
"Oh, that's all right" he returned
with a railroader's usual good nature
He was throwing the light from his
lantern here and there, and a moment
later spied the missing glass in the
ditch,
Here she is" he said, picking it up
and looking it over carefully. Not a
crack. Must have been Jared out
when you dropped the signal after
the 49,"
1 looked at him quickly in sur.
prise.
"The 1852" I asked. you're the
176, aren't you?"
"Not much,' said the conductor.
coolly. "She's been ahead of us al
night. We've got the g."
We stood looking at each other
questioningly. Strange thoughts be.
gan to run through my brain. Then
the fearful possibility came to me
with a rush. Ny head swan and ]
staggered. The conductor caught hold
of my arm and steadied me.
"Why, what's the matter, Bud?" he
asked. There amt nothing wrong
is there?"
NO" I said. nothing only No. 6
and the ITO will have to perform the
hitherto impossible feat of passing
each other on the same track"
I saw his face, covered as it was
by dirt of the road, change color, and
he smiled in a CHASTITY way.
Maybe Purdon can stop EN-" he
suggested. at last.
1t was the spur that I needed, and
I sprang away from him. through the
door and up the steps. He came puff.
fng after me. In a moment / had my
finger on the key. The wire was open
I tried the train wire. Open, too!
Then I noticed what in my excite.
ment had escaped me before. There
was not a tick in the office. Every
wire was open.
I jumped to the switchboard and
tried the ground" on one wire, then
on another and another. All were
open east. With two trains, regard.
less of each other. rushing through
the night. in opposite directions, and
on the same track, there can be but
one natural and probable sequence.
The conductor was watching my
every movement eagerly.
whats the matter?" he queried
a~nxionslv. Cant Won raise him 2'