The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1902-05-01

the managers hand and said signifi-
cantly. looking deep into the railroad
mans soul. You won't lose me!'
The inventor continued to call upon
the manager. every day at first. then
twice week and later only three or
four times a month.
One evening the general manager sat
In q box at the theater. Between acts
a gentleman who sat almost directly
behind the railroad man left the box
for a moment. Presently the general
manager became aware that his friend
had resumed his seat. and, with his
gaze still on the audience. remarked:
II lose half the pleasure OF the play
because Of an innate dread Of fire.
wish somebody would invent some
thing that would put out fire without
drowning people,"
II can do it." said the man at the
managers elbow.
"HowY
| "How do you put out candlew
"Well. would blow it out"
Exactly. First would lay sys-
tenn of air pipes under the building"
The manager felt a chill creeping
slowly over him. Somewhere he had
heard that voice before. He began
slowly to turn his head, but his neigh
Dor put hand upon his shoulder and
babe him listen. ''You tremble when
your own life is in DANGER" said the
man, "but you do not tremble for the
hundreds Of lives that are constantly
endangered by your carelessness, mar
rowness and stinginess. On yonder
mountain side tonight people play at
the open door of death as
"Ahemv said the managers friend,
returning to the box The wind crank,
seeing that he held the gentleman's
seat, arose. smiled, bowed and walked
away.
Always after that the manager car
ried about with him a haunting dread
of the wind crank. He would turn q
corner in a crowded street and meet
him face to face, and for the briefest
moment the man would search the soul
of the manager. Once in the city that
was headquarters for the company
they held a great exhibition, and the
general manager was chosen to wei
come the president of the United
States The moment he came to the
edge of the platform and faced the
waiting multitude, waiting not to hear
the railroad man, but the president, he
became embarrassed. Ladies and gen.
tlemen," he began, II see before me-
Here the speaker paused awkwardly,
like schoolboy who has forgotten his
lines. Before him rose the gaunt face
of the wind crank, who stood in the
front row, towering above his neigh
bors.
Pulling himself together, the railroad
man went on. His friends began to
tremble for him. What he said had
nothing to do with the exhibition. the
president or the people there assem-
blcd. ''The company has always en-
deavored to keep abreast of the times.
We have adopted every safety appli-
ance that has been invented, but SO
long as human hands. guided by the
brain of man
At that point man who was intelli-
gent when he was sober broke in on
the orator, "Oh. come often tn perch
an let som'on' talk at can talk sensew
Blushing to the very roots of his hair.
this local orator, the man who had
been called 1.-The Chauncey of the
west" stumbled from the stage.
At last the long winter came to an
end. and the inventor went away with
had been rid Of him for a long while
when one day his special stood upon
short spur near the mountain top wait
ing for the eastbound overland express.
Presently the party were made aware
of the approach of the opposing train.
but instead of the low singing of the
rail, for which they had been listening.
they heard suddenly the roar of a run
away train and the frantic cry of a To-
connective for brakes The flagman who
had opened the switch to let the spe-
cial back in on the spur stood there
waiting to let them out again when the
express should pass. All the people had
climbed down from the waiting train
to stretch themselves. The engineer
was oiling his engine. The fireman had
climbed up bank to gather some wild
flowers that grew where little stream
of clear cold water gurgled from the
rocks. Seeing the f1agman still holding
to the switch. the general manager ran
toward him. calling to him to let go
and stand back.
What might have happened If the
manager had remained quiet no man
knoweth, but when the hagman saw
him coming and heard him shouting
without understanding what he was
saying he glanced nervously in the d.
rection of the approaching train. The
wild engine at that moment rounded
curve and headed down a short tan
gent straight for the switch. The flag
man was seen to glance back again at
his own train, which stood we'll in the
clear, then throw his weight on the
switch lever. Over went the rail for
the spur, and across it came the flying
train.
An air hose had blown off just as
they tipped over the top Of the hill (this
was before the days Of the self acting,
self adjusting automatic air brake),
and the few hand brakes at the crews
command had served only to steady the
train. They could not hold the big
mountain engine. and now she shot in
on the spur. wide open, splitting fire
and screaming like a wild fend. She
hit the special with crash that shook
the very hills. The special train. with
it's lighter locomotive. was driven back
three cars or more and crushed like an
eggshell against the rock cliff that rose
perpendicularly Mt the far end of the
spur. The heavy sleepers crushed the
mail and express cars against the
wrecked locomotives. There were the
old familiar shrieks Of the broken en-
gfnes, the means of the mangled and