The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-24

Passenger train No. was whirling
It's load Of humanity over the Mohaye
desert a great, wide expanse Of mid
mountain country whose parehed
bosom has exposed many an uncanny
secret of death from thirst and Indian
devlltry Wearied with the monoto-
nous view Of treeless, waterless plains,
the passengers gladly welcomed the
approach OF twilight The sun went
down Ia an angry glare, outlining the
bare peaks of a far-away range IN
fantastic forms, and gradually as night
came on. there we're more hopeful
signs Of vegetation. It was the 24th
Of December, and most Of the passen-
gers we're building on spending a mer-
ry Christmas IN the favored spots Of
the land OF sunshine and flowers
California.
Suddenly we heard the warning
shrek OF the engine. and saw a scat
tered band Of cattle flying away IN
terror from either side Of the trtack
Again the engine shrieked. the train
ierked neryously and seemed TO sway
uncertainty on It's course
The next moment we we're bounding
along the ties in an uncomfortable and
terrifying manner The cries Of star
tied women were drowned In the roar
OF escaping steam. and panic-stricken
men looked vainly for means Of es-
cape A group Of Mexicans, awakened
from sleep by the Jar, plunged head
long through an open window as
though the devil were after them. The
train finally spent its speed, and the
thoroughly frightened passengers
emerged to learn the number Of the
dead and wounded, and TO tender what
aid they could The engine was COM
pletely hidden in q great cloud OF
steam, which marked its position about
half the length of the train. When
the steam finally exhausted itself, a
sad wreck was exposed The tender
Of the engine was upturned, and the
engineer sat upon a piece Of Wreckage
dazedly nursing an injured hand The
fireman was some distance away. his
hair and whiskers singed BY the hot
outpour from the engine Neither was
seriously injured. and not passenger
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 as he said.
THAT critter must nave been in the
bull fights at some time In his career
for when he spied that red Sag yondei
on the cowcatcher. he shook his head
viciously and refused to leave the tracA
with the rest of them. I slowed III
and whistled several times to give hin
a chance. but he only snorted dehantly
kicked his heels in the air and kept Oh
his stubborn course. Finally he turn
ed, and / opened the throttle wide
thinking that the best method o
throwing him clear OF the track Witt
an angry roar he came full at the en-
CINE, his head bent low TO the track
We all know the rest"
The steer at once became an objec
OF great interest to the relic lend. On'
man secured a horn and another Gu
out a tooth. and the next day variou
camera views we're taken Of the vail
ant animal that had wrecked a train.
We were twenty miles from the mex
station, and the eastbound passengs
was due within an hour Luckily
telegraph operator was on the trail
and the wires we're hastily tapped 81
that the dispatchers could be informei
OF the accident and hold the train
both ways.
We passed a cherries night on th
desert, and Christmas morning f0un
US a disconsolate party. There was n
dining car attached to the train. an
those travellers that we're not provide
with lunch baskets rallied at the ~
luck that had placed them in 50 mis-
erable a plight Finally, some Of ther
went on a foraging expedition. an
down the track a few miles they local
ed 3 section house controlled by Mex
leans. Here they appeased their hun
ger on fri3oles, chile con carne an
the other warm dishes Of the nativei
A wrecking train at length arrived p
the scene. but the work Of repair va
slow and tedious. Several yards {
track had been torn up. and It va
necessary to construct a "shoo-hy
around the wreck This took th
greater part Of the day. Meanwhil
the passengers looked on in a helples
way. and all vowed that they had nevs
passed a Christmas amid such desolal
surroundings.-C. n. Stark.