The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-24
CAUSED BY DYNAMITE

that makes a very acceptable rest for
cue crew Of the oal freight, which
took the siding at this point 70 per-
NIT the passenger train 70 pass.
The alr-urakes on freight cars
are great things Bil,n he eiacu-
lated as he watched the fireman
rake down the ashes 'beats all
what help they are in holdin' a
heavy train on a down grade. / saw
q times once when I'd have given a
pile Ot money II there had been such
thing then and twas right on this
division, too "
Lets hear about fl. Pete, said
the fireman, putting the poker away
and chipping OF some hard tobacco
for his cOrncOb
Its a good while ago now" the
engineer answered meditatively. II
was runnin' a pusher between Gone
maugh and Cress0n, helpin' freight
and coal trains up the hill 1t was
ust after the strike In ~ whsn the
boys raised Cain. and the cause Of
THAI strike II you'll remember, was
partly on account Of the company
cuttin' down the crews and doublin'
the runs Nowadays, with box and
coal cars titled with air, a brakeman
more or less don't make much differ
cnce, but then every man counted,
aud when theysdropped a chap of on
these mountain runs it made the rest
feel shaky, for there wasn't enough
inon left TO tend the brakes
zone night it was our turn 70 as
sist what was known as the Panhan.
die freight up the mountain. We
started out from Conemaugn about
li:20 pushin' the train, which was
made up OF about ten cars of hogs
two box cars and fifteen OF twenty
f0ur-wheel coal cars Jimmies, we
called 'em. The box cars were at
the rear; that Is, right in front Of u.s.
We made pretty fair time up TO
South Fork, where the food broke
afterwards. you know Then the
engine IN front began TO steam bad,
and what with Us pushin' hard and
IL pullin' by fits. 'twasn't long before
the cars were pumpin and jerkin'
pretty rough. Then saw the con
ductor comm back hard as he could
When he got within hearin' he
yelled For Gods sake stop that
bumpin, We have two cars ofdYna-
mite in the train.
''Did I stop itg You better be
lieye ! did, and mighty quick, TOO l
blOwcd for brakes and the engineer
ia front answered, and as the grade
there Is about eighty feet TO the mile
we soon stopped. I sent my fireman
forward to tell the other engineer TO
try and get his steam gauge up and
that I wasn't goin 10 bump myself
into eternity III ! knew il After he
was gone 1 discovered my water was
low and concluded to run back TO
stand pipe about half a mile down
the track to IN the tank. So cut
tin the c0uplin' myself, ] dropped
down. J found afterwards the crew
didn't know 4 had gone and had
failed to put the brakes on the last
cars thinkin' my engine would hold
'em.
Il hadn't more than got alongside
the pipe than I caught a gllmDse Of
the tall lamps Of the train comm
lickety split towards me. I knew at
once what had happened The train
had broke ia two and part Of IL was
runnin' wild down the hill That
often happens, you know, and there
amt much danger In stoppin' Inc
wild cars: all that's necessary bein'
for the engineer OF the pusher TO run
backward slowly. 50 as 10 make the
bump when it comes easier than If
the engine was stopped.
"But you can bet 1 wasn't hank
erin TO stop Two cars Of dynamite
that way and when 1 saw EN- comm
din't stop al the pioe but kept On
eoin'. Ny old push jumped, and
then nc out down the hill. Jimmy
crickets how she was a hummin' 10
less than a minute while the runa-
way was chasin' as hell lent Scared2
Well mebbo ] wasn't though il wa MT
long before We begun 70 gain on the
cars and leave them further behind.
Lord. how the little drivin wheels Of
that oid pusher did hum.
.AI this time was thinkin.
and fhinkin hard as well as fast 1
knew that bein' On the east-bound
track might run slap bang into a
train comm up and what would be
left after that wreck would ne blowed
to Kingdom Come when the dyua-
mite arrived. To q case Of that kind
mans got to think and act mighty
nromut. and 81 didn't take me long 70
form a plan. I bad a good bali mile
iead then and steadily gainin'. and
Il Fad wanted 60 could have had
time 90 stop. crawl behind q rock 10
"a the bill side and see the big
eest display of fireworks ever known
when the dynamite knocked the en-
CINE into smith