The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1901-10-03
the rattle Of coal and Bob Duncan, the
forward brakeman, stood in the cab.

forward brakeman, stood in the cab.
His face was as white as sheet.
"Shut her down-shut her down, for
heavens saker' he shouted. "A
freights 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 GOODNESS that comes TO few men
In time of danger he asked, How do
you know
"Seen her by a fash Of lightning.
| O'Connor and Billy have jumped!'
And then he swung out on the step
and disappeared.
Jump if you want to, Harry" called
old Matt. I'm going to stick to herp
gave one look at the Egyptian dark
with old Matt.
keep your eye peeled for her." he
cried, and commenced to let 81 out.
"There she isr' l shouted.
And there it was, sure enough. 1t
had just come out of a cut. One Of
he boxes was on fire, the flame stream
ing back half a ear length and cutting
through the air like meteor.
"She's four miles behind" said old
Matt, land coming four feet to our one.
If we can get around the curve, there's
show of her jumping"
And then began that terrible ride.
He hooked 81 up to the first notch
| nd hn
With seven cars behind us we shot
down the grade of It's feet to the mile.
Sixty-seven set low in her frame, but
every low joint rung her bell for an
eighth of mile. She jumped and sway
ed and threatened to leave the rails.
The wind shrieked around us like
thousand demons, and tie rain poured
against the windows in perfect
| stream.
There's danger ahead and death be-
hind!' shouted the old engineer. IF the
.ain loOsens a bowlder and drops it on
the track
/ shuddered. There was q blasted
pine that marked the curve. The next
second we reached it. For a moment
/
ed. There was sharp jerk. We forg-
ed ahead faster. and our seven cars
cleared the roadbed and went down
the bluff with a crash that was heard
high above the storm, leaving clean
track for the runaway behind that was
coming as swift and sure as death.
If the runaway got around the curve
the probabilities were that we would
be knocked from the track into the riv-
er.
| We were 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 were not respected that
night. We were making thirty miles
per hour when fash of lightning
showed me that dark string Of cars
coming around the curve. The blazing
box was on the opposite side and invis-
ible.
Old Matt gave 81 the steam so sud-
denly she seemed to jump from under
Us. but the runaway was not more
than half a mile behind and was COM
/ ing with the speed of tornado.
There was no getting out of the way.
/ In moment 1t would be on US. Inn
agined l could see the black mass COM
ing down on US in the darkness. when
heavy rumble was heard. followed
by a tremendous crash.
The rain had loosened the rock and
dirt overhanging the track and 1t only
needed the jar of 81 to set 1t In motion.
Something like 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 81 up to what was
tremendous speed on that track.
She plunged and rolled and rang her
bell continuously. A 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 case 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 67.
/ Young Men as Authors
Keats was dead when just a little
over his twenty-fifth year. Shelley