The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-10-02

His face was as white as sheet.
shut her down-shut her down, for
heavens saker' he shouted "A
| freight's broke loose and is coming
down the grade two miles a minute"
Before you could snap your fingers
my face was as pale as Bob's.
Matt Irwin never lost his head and
with a coolness that comes to few men
In time of danger he asked, GLOW do
you knowF
'Seen her by flash of lightning.
0'Connor and Billy have Jumpedw
And then he swung out on the step
and disappeared.
Jump IL you want to, Harry" called
Old Matt I'm going 10 stick to her"
gave one look at the Egyptian dark
ness and concluded that | would stay
with old Matt.
Keep your eye peeled for her." he
cried. and commenced to let 81 cut
"There she Isl | shouted.
And there it was, sure enough. Ii
had Just come out of II cut. One of
he boxes was on fire, the flame stream
ing back half a car length and cutting
through the air like n meteor
She's four miles behind" said old
Matt, "and coming four feet TO our one.
II we can get around the curve, there's
show of her Jumping"
And then began that terrible ride
lie hooked 81 UP to the first notch
and then opened the throttle.
With seven cars behind us we shot
n IN.
Sixty-seven set low in her frame, but
every low Joint rung her bell for an
eighth of mile. She jumped and sway
ell and threatened TO leave the rails
The wind shrieked around us like
thousand demons, and the rain poured
against the windows In a perfect
stream
There's danger ahead and death be-
hindp' shouted the old engineer IF the
rain loosens n bowlder and drops 1t on
the track
shuddered. There was blasted
pine that marked the curve The next
second we reached 1t. For moment
thought 1t was all over. Then 81 right
ed. There was Il sharp jerk. We forg-
ed ahend faster, and our seven cars
cleared the roHdbed and went down
the BLUM with n crash that was heard
high above the storm, leaving n elean
track for the runaway behind that was
coming as swift and sure ms death.
If the runaway got around the curve,
the probabilities were that we would
he knocked from the track into the riy-
err
We We're very near To the bottom
now, where the roadbed followed the
river, and the engineers were cautioned
not TO run over fifteen miles per hour.
But orders We're not respected that
night. We were making thirty miles
per hour when flash of lightning
showed me that dark string of cars
coming around the curve. The. blazing
box was on the opposite side and inyls.
ible.
Old Matt gave 81 tho steam SO sud
denly she seemed to jump from under
us. but the runaway was not more
than half n mile behind ana was com
Ing with the speed OF a tornado
There was 10 getting out OF the way.
In moment It would be on us. | i'm
agined l could see the black mass com
ing down OH us In the darkness. when
heavy rumble was heard. followed
by n tremendous crash.
The rain had loOsened the rock and
dirt overhanging tho truck and 1t only
needed the jar OF 81 to set 1t In motion.
Something Ike 1000 tons of debris
rolled on to the track directly behind
us, and into this those runaway cars
plunged.
But we did not find this out until aft
erward. Matt kept CT UP to what was
tremendous speed on that track.
She plunged and rolled and rang her
bell continuously. \ dozen times
thought we were going into the river.
We pulled through all right. but that
was my last trip When | got Off the
engine, my hair was streaked with gray
and now 1t Is white as SNOW.
For some time 1t was thought that
the runaway cars had broken loose but
the company became suspicious and
had the ease looked into, with the re
suit Of running down some tough char
acters, who finally confessed to cutting
them loose with the intention of ditch
ing us between Haversack grade and
the bottom and securing the treasure.
Old Matt has retired from the road,
but do not think that either he or |
shall ever forget the run of 81.