The state herald., 1900-12-21
4 whirlins

4 whirling
train Nd me Mohave
Passenger u }hse of mid
its load 0. r0a. nub WY bse parched
J. ues mountaiu COUNT al anS aIrauav Ind,av
bosom has e.pI4h the monoto-
secret OF atnwaterless plains.
nous view oik. The sun went
the passenGlare. outlining the
approach gfar-away range in
down In Ind gradually as night
NA bare PEI were more hopeful
fantasttion. 1t was the cath
came ind most Of the passen-
sisnS hing on spending mer-
A TJN OF YIN the favored spots Of
Y = h NI ger7 sunshine and flowers
- "a wi
II N% t9we heard the warning
iZ~ Qe engine. and saw a scat
or NJ of cattle flying away in
Z kn either side OF the trtack.
engine shrieked, the train
krvously and seemed to sway
lily on its course.
Ext moment we were bounding
AZ fe ties in an uncomfortable and
hg manner. The cries of star
III bmen were drowned In the roar
tping steam, and panic-stricken
looked vainly for means of es-
u A group of Mexicans, awakened
sleep by the Jar. plunged head
\ through an open window as
tgh the devil were after them The
Vi IN finally spent Its speed. and the
Foughly frightened passengers
sferged to learn the number of the
shd and wounded. and to tender what
ID they could. The engine was COM
HFietely hidden in great cloud of
team, which marked its position about
Nialf the length of the train. When
4 1.-THE steam finally exhausted itself.
\ sad wreck was exposed The tender
~ OF the engine was upturned. and the
engineer sat upon piece of wreckage
dazedly nursing an injured hand. The
fireman was some distance away. his
Il hair and whiskers singed by the hot
outpour from the engine. Neither was
seriously injured. and not n passenger
II was scratched. Beside the track, shiv-
ering In the throes of death, lay q
handsome steer-the cause OF all the
trouble. His neck had been twisted by
a mad rush at the cowcatcher. As the
engineers eyes fell upon the form OF
the animal a smile OF satisfaction
spread over his wan face. rs he said:
That critter must have been In the
:, bull fights at some time In his career.
for when he spied that red flag yonder
on the cowcatcher. he shook his head
viciously and refused to leave the track
with the rest Of them. / slowed up
and whistled several times to give him
a chance. but he only snorted defantly,
kicked his heels In the air and kept on
his stubborn course. Finally he turn
ed, and I opened the throttle wide.
Al thinking that the best method OF
throwing him clear of the track. With
an angry roar he came full at the en-
gine. his head bent low to the track.
We all know the rest"
The steer at once became an object
OF great interest to the relic Hend. One
man secured horn and another cut
out a tooth. and the next day various
camera views were taken OF the vail
ant animal that had wrecked train.
We were twenty miles from the next
station. and the eastbound passenger
was due within an hour. Luckily
telegraph operator was on the train
and the wires were hastily tapped so
that the dispatchers could be Informed
OF the accident and hold the trains
both ways.
We passed n cheerless night on the
desert. and Christmas morning found
us disconsolate party. There was no
dining car attached to the train. and
those travellers that were not provided
with lunch baskets rallied at the III
luck that had placed them In so mis-
cradle plight Finally. some OF them
went on \ fornging expedition. and
down the track n few miles they locat-
ed 4 section house controlled by Mex
leans. Here they appeased their hun
ger on frijoles. chile con carne and
the other warm dishes OF the natives.
A wrecking train at length arrived on
tho scene. but the work OF repair was
slow and tedious. Several yards OF
track had been torn up. and II was
necessary TO construct a "shoo-fiy"
around tho wreck. This took tho
greater part Of the day. Meanwhile
: the passengers looked on In \ helpless
way. and all vowed that they had never
passed a Christmas amid such dcsolatc
surroundings.-c. N. Stark.