The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-01
Engineers Superstitions.

Railroad engineers are inclined TO be
superstitious says the Rocky Mountain
News They hesitate 10 admit the truth
OF the assertion. but, like all men who
are constantly exposed TO danger, they
come TO expect disaster TO be preceded
by a herald.
mo. l am not superstitious. said one,
but my wife is, and 1 have never been
In wreck since we were married, but
what she predicted IL was going to hap
pen l remember when | was running
out OF Salida on the Rio Grande that by
her insistence In the truth of dream
she saved my life. | was to have taken
out the freight I'm the morning, but she
awakened me soon after midnight. oh,
Jim,' she said. 4 have had such dread
ful dream. | thought | saw 4O4 tthat was
my engine) plunge into another engine.
l heard the crash, Jim, and the hiss OF
escaping steam, and the cries OF the
poor fellows pinned under the wreck.
You must not go out i'm the morning. /
know you will be injured
Il laughed at her and told her TO 60 TO
sleep, that she was nervous She pro-
tested. but l was tired, and was soon
snoozing the sleep of the just. When |
awoke at o'clock she was pale and
haggard, and ] saw that II | went out
she would be nervous wreck before |
returned. | decided TO give I'm for once
and fixed II up so that another man took
out my train. His body was brought
back that evening. They had collision
up the line. My substitute was killed
and the other engineer and both OF the
firemen badly injured. / pay more atten-
tion to my wfe's dreams now, but /
consider IL cowardly TO attempt to act
upon them. IL my engine Is going into a
smash-up | will be at the throttle, and
the little woman at home must depend
upon her prayers to save me-"
You may call It superstitious. II you
like" laughed Charlie Frye. the veteran
engineer on the Rio Grande. but | have
come 10 regard the number IL with a
certain amount of awe. To show you
how IL IL interviewer with the tragedies
OF my life: on July IS. 1901. i was pulling
train No out OF Denver At l3 minutes
past Il | struck a wagon containing Max
Wagner and his l3-year-od boy near
Petersburg. The boy was killed. re-
ported the accident from the Littleton
office and was delayed just IL minutes.
At Palmer Lake the conductor casually
remarked that We had just IL passengers
I'm the sleeper for Cripple Creek"
Tom LOTUS of the Colorado and South
ern looked serious when the subject OF
engineers superstitions was broached.
'Weli. | have an unlucky day." said
he. "or may be II Is a lucky day. for
although all kinds of mishaps occur to
my engine on that dayI have so far es-
capped injury IL is the last day of the
year When 1 climb into the cab on Dec.
81 | always say Now. look out Tom,
old man. Ten years ago the coming
Dec. 81 | was pounding along on a double
header from Trinidad to Denver. We
were making about thirty miles an hour
through binding snowstorm. You
couldn't see fifty feet ahead. Between
Benares and Huerfano we crashed into
another double-header, which was max
ing about forty miles an hour I'm the
direction of Trinidad | saw the other
train in time 20 reverse and jump.
escaped without serious injury. but one
of the firemen on the train bound south
was killed and the rest of the engine crew
were bunged up. Ii was all caused by
fool operator who forgot to give me an
order He fed the country. After that
something always happens on the ami
versary. Once an engine wheel snapped
off and went whzzing across the prairie,
but / stopped before any damage was
done Another time | dropped pair of
trucks before ] got three blocks from
the station. So II has gone. Some day
IL will be serious, / suppose"