The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-20

thing that interfered--therc were not
cars enough around to make it inter-
esting. In those days the freight traf-
fic was very limited. Each road kept
its own cars on it's own iron, as the
railroad men say, and the variety
from every road in the country could
not be seen on each track, as 1t is to-
day. So, to get enough cars a tribute
was levied on each passing freight
train. 1t delayed the traffic few days
OF course, but goods sent by freight in
the '40s were not perishab ble
The test was to be made over the
track from Worcester to Springfield,
and on December Is. 1870. thirty-1ivo
cars had been collected--enouSh. it
was thought. to give the engine
most thorough test. for thorty-five
cars made a tire nendCus load, as loads
were then, IN the afternoon Finch
and Marcy oiled up the paris anew
and made everything ready for the
triumphal trip to Springfield.
A couple of tCots on the whistle. Il
Changing of the bell. and Finch, olen-
ing the throttle, felt the great engine
roll out on to the main track wit!
seemingly as little effort as though
there We're not a string OF freight ears
behind her nearly q quarter CT Il mile
long. There We're two OF three men
in the cab with Finch and Marcy,
among them Wilson Eddy. known the
country over in later wears rs the
veteran master mechanic OF the Ers.
| ton and Albany railroad. Maicstical-
| ly the Massachusetts swung along and
there was nothing to mar the smooth
%
| was a brisk winter day and the rails
| We're covered with frost. but the great
wheels did not slip. kailroad acci-
! dents were a new thing then. and it
was as yet an undiscovered fact that
| an engine could run away. with it's
| engineer powerless to control ii. There
were but two brakes OH the train. but
| this caused no uneasiness, particular
| ly as there was that great engine to
| be depended upon.
In those days the railroad had not
yet Ecen extended across :he Connect
icut river at Springfield. but III, abut-
ments for bridge were being built.
BEFORE the handsome Boston and AL
bany 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 All end
at the river bank, 800 yards below.
This was the jumping-off place. for
| the tracks had not yet Eeen built out
en- the river bank not far away. 1t
was here that the engines were faced
about for the return trips.
| AS the Massachusetts. coming in
| triumphantly from it's 50-mile run, ap-
preached the brink of the hill a mile
back from the river Finch began to
slow down. and as he did so ne began
| to realize that the heavy train had
| considerable impetus. lie 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 surprise they seemed to have no
| effect on the heavy train.
| watch out. Finch" said Marcy, "or
you'll have us on the grade. It's
pretty slippery today"
| Finch made no reply. hut nervously
reversed the throttle. sending the
wheels spinning backward ocer 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 Firch cried:
my God. boys! don't believe l can
stop her."
Then suddenly the engine leaped for
ward as 1t felt the steeIer grade. and
| the speed increased each second in spite