Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-25


That's what l always think about-the chill
dren. Manned and scalded and burned.
jim if 1t ever happens again, quit Dispatch
Ing; get into commercial work; mistakes
don't cost life there; don't try to handle
trains If 1t ever happens with you, you'll
kill yourself"
That was all he said; 1t was enough. And
no wonder Callahan loved him.
The wind tore frantically around the sta
ton; but everything else was so still. 1t
was / o'clock now, and not a soul about
but Callahan. D-f, D-i, J, clicked sharp
and fast. Twelve or fourteen cars passed
here-just-noW eaSt-running a-a-a" CAL
lahan sprang up like a fiash-lstened
What? Running AWAY
1T was the jackson operator calling: Cal
lahan jumped to the key. whats that?"
he asked, quick as lightning could dash it.
Twelve or fourteen cars coal passed
here, fully forty miles an hour, headed
east, driven by the WI
That was all ] could send, for Ogalala
broke in. Ogalalla is the station just west
of Jackson. And with Callahan's copper
hair raising higher at every letter. this
came from Ogalalla: Heavy gust caught
twelve coal cars on side track, sent them
ont on main line off down the grade.
They were already past Jackson, eight
miles away, headed east, and running down
| hill. Callahans eyes turned like hares to
the train sheet. Fifty-nine, going west,
From Calendar to Griffin is twenty
miles run. There is a station between
but In those days no night operator. The
runaway coal train was then less than
thirty miles west of Griffin, coming down
a forty mile grade like cannon ball. If
50 could be stopped at Calendar, she could
be laid by in five minutes, out of the way
of the certain destruction ahead of her on
the main line. Callahan seized the key
and began calling "Cn." He pounded until
the call burned into his fingers. 1t was an
age before Calendar answered; then Gala
hans order flew:
And Calendar answered Fifty nine just
pulling out of upper yard. Too late to stop
her. What's the matter?"
Callahan struck the table with his clinch-
ed fist, looked wildly about him. then
sprang from the chair, ran to the window
and threw up the sash The moon shone
bit through the storm of sand, but there
was not a soul in sight There were lights
in the roundhouse a hundred yards across
the track. He pulled revover-every rail-
road man out there carried one those days
and, covering one of the roundhouse win
dows, began firing. 1t was a risk. There
was one chance. maybe, to a thousand of
his killing a night man. But there were a
thousand chances to one that whole train
load OF men and women would be killed In
side of thirty minutes If he couldn't get
help. He chose window in the machinsts
section, where he knew no one usually went
at night. He poured bullets into the I'M
lucky easement as fast as powder could
carry them. Reloading rapidly, he watched
the roundnouse door, and sure enough, al
most at once, 1t was cautiously opened
Then he fired into the air-one, two three,
four, five, six-and he saw man start for
the station on the dead run. He knew. too,
by the tremendous sweep of his legs that it
was Ole Anderson, the night foreman, the
man of all others he wanted.
ole" cried the dispatcher waving his
arms frantically as the giant Swede leaped
across the track and looked up from the
platform below, go get Bucks. I've got
runaway train going against SO. For your
life. Ole. rum
/ The big fellow was into the wind with the
word. Bucks boarded four blocks away.
Callahan, slamming down the window, took
the key and began calling Rowe. Rowe is
the first station east Of Jackson; 1t was
now the first point at which the runaway
coal train could be headed.
RIO R-o,' he ratified. The operator must
have been sitting on the wire, for he an
swered at once AS fast as Callahan's fin
gers could talk he told Rowe the story and
gave him orders to get the night agent,
who. he knew, must be down to sell tickets
for So and pile all the ties they could gather
across the track to derai the runaway
train
Then be began humping for Kolar, the
next station east Of Rowe, and the second
ahead of the runaways. He pounded and
he pounded, and when the man at Kolar
answered, Callahan could have sworn he
had been asleep-just from the way he
talked Does 1t seem strange? There are
many strange things about a dispatcher's
senses. Send your night man to west
switch housetrack, and open for runaway
train. Set brakes hard on your empties on
siding, to spill runaways if possible Do
anything and everything to keep them from
getting by you. Work quick"
Behind Kolar's o. K came frantic call
from Rowe 'Runaways passed here like
a streak. Knocked the ties into toothpicks
Couldn't head them"
Callahan didn't walt to hear any more
He only wiped the sweat from his face 1t
seemed forever before Kolar spoke again
Then 1t was only to say: "Runaways went
by here before night man could get to
switch and open It,"
Would Bucks never come? And If he did
come, what on earth could stop the runa-
way train now? They were heading into
the worst grade on the West End. 1t
averages 1 per cent from Kolar to Griffin.
ana there we get down off the Cheyenne
nils with long reverse curve and drop
into the canon of the Blackwood with a 3
Per cent grade Callahan, almost beside
nlmseif, threw open north window to look
lot Bucks Two men were flying down
Main street toward the station He knew
them; 1t was Ole and Bucks
sa sut SUCKS! never before or since was
seen on street Of McCloud such a figure
as BUCKS In his trousers and slippers with
ms night shirt free as he sailed down the
wind. In another instant he was bounding
up the stairs. Callahan told him.
What have you done?" he painted. throw
ing himself into the chair. Callahan told
him. Bucks held his head in his hands
whiie tnf boy talked. He turned TO the
sheet-asked quick for SO.
She's out of Calendar tried hard to
stop her. l didn't lose a second; she was
gone" o wa"
Barely an instant Bucks studied the
sheet. Routed out of a sound sleep after
an elght-hour trick, and on such a night.
oy SUCH a message-the marvel was he
could think at all. much less set q tran
which should save 80. In twenty minutes
from the time Bucks took the KEY the two
trains would be together-could he save the
passenger? Callahan didn't believe II.
A sharp, quick call brought Griffin. We
mad one of the brightest lads on the whole
division at Griffin. Callahan listening
heard Griffin answer. Bucks ratified a oues-
ton How the heart hangs on the faint,
uncertain tick Of sounder when human
lives hang on It'll
Where are your section mem" asked
Bucks.
I'm bed at the section house"
who's with your
Might agent. Sheriff with two cowboy
prisoners waiting to take 59'
Before the last word came, Bucks was
back at him:
To Opr.:
Ask sheriff release his prisoners to save
passenger train. Go together to west
switch house track, open, and set 1t. Smash
In section tool house, get tools. Go to point
of house track curve, cut the rails and
point them to send runaway train from
Ogalalla over the bluff into the river.