The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-22

close together ard people in all the cars
said. They're making up lost time. Lucky
| this IS four-track road
All would have gone well II Orville had
kept 20 the main road. but when he
/ reached Bridgeport he though Il would De
fun TO try a run up the Nsugatuck Val
| ley road, which Is q sIngle-track affair.
AS luck would have IL the switch was
set for a local train that was going 70
make up and start out on the y. V.
| road in a few minutes. and Orville's ex-
press came along so fast that they hadn't
time 20 set the switch. This was before
the days of the block system. Don't
make me lose time telling you about the
block system now. Ask your parents
when they are not reading.
To Orville's great delight the train
glIdsd out onto the switch and was soon
flying up the Naugatuck Valley at a 2.i0
clip.
Many of the passengers wanted to get
on at Bridgeport, and they pulled the
bell-cord. but Orville didn't know what
that meant. and Dan was too busy show
cling coal 10 notice anything else so they
sped on past Stratford at a speed that
had never been known in the history Of
the ~ V. road. People few 20 their win
dows 10 see a fast train 20 by. and some
Of them tainted FOR JOY and some of them
tainted Of fright. but that didn't stop the
train, which went on totally unconscious
that there was a freight train on the
same track not five miles ahead.
Dan. who was very near-sighted, didn't
notice that they rad left the main road.
and the engineer for a time was so abb
sorbed in his business talk that he did not
notice either. But when he did he leaped
10 his feet in an instant, and said: Il beg
pardon. but that son OF yours has made
a mistake in the road and the train has
lost its way and its right OF way, and
there'll be trouble in a minute unless l
90 back
Then he took off his oily cap to Mrs.
Mason and swung himself up on the roof
and ran to the engine.
In the mean time Orville was naturally
delighted at the wonderful speed he was
making, and that on a new road. He ad-
mired the scenery and yelled to Dan to
coal her up, and shouted with delight al
the thought that he was master OF a tram
of eleven cars. And I'm afraid the
thought that he was going to land a lot of
people miles from their destinations rath-
er pleased him, for he was a mischievous
boy
The rest is history.
Just above Derby the freight. which was
running ahead of them, jumped the track
not five minutes before Orvilles express
reached that point. 1t was loaded with
absorbent cotton, and the tracks were
embedded yards deep in the soft stuff
Just as the engineer reached the tender
the train rounded curve and the wreck
lay ahead of them. 1t was too late 10 do
anything. and really OTviIle didn't know
what to do, SO he let her slide The engi-
neer was unable to reach the cab before
the collision occurred
l tremble to think what would have
happened if the freight train had been
loaded with granite. But cotton Well
the train just lay- down in il as a sheep
lies down in the grass. The terrified pas
sengers jumped from the open windows, |
and not soul was injured except the fire. |
man, and he barked his shin and / think |
1t served MIN right for not paying more |
to where Orville was going.
That young man felt he was something |
OF hero, for he took a flying leap |
the cab window and landed three |
cars ahead IN the cotton. but he changed !
his views when an old gentleman came I'D !
and scOiGed him rOundly for taking 100 1
much of a responsibility upon his shoul- |
ders.
As FOR the engineer, he was laid off for |
ihree months for talking business during i
business hours (Which seems queer. and /
Mr.. Mason was asked 10 resign from his /
and it is now an unwritten 4
RUE OF the y; \. y. y. & Il. r. r. that no /
BOY under thirteen can run an engine /
without permit signed by all the direc- |
tcrs.
Copyright 1900. by Charles Battsll LoOmis)