The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-03-07

see border, and where J
crosses the range Of the Big Smok.
Mountains are 10 be found some OF th'
steepest and sharpest grades ant
curves that American engineering cal
show.
A little beyond Valentine the lint
xigzags up a mountainside. taking near
iy fifteen miles OF track 10 cover per
haps one-fifth OF the distance. IL is
bad place for the hauling of heavy
freight: for much Of the way the road
bed is blasted out or built up on the
sheer mountainside, so that II over
hangs bare bluffs and wooded slopes
where the pines seem TO grow out OF
one another's tops; and the grade IL
such that no train is hauled by less
than two engines.
On the shoulder of the mountain II
becomes easier, however; for mile or
two IL is almost level where the track
makes a wide circle around the noun
tain: then il grows steep again. ana
here stands a little sawmill, with n
short siding for convenience in loading
cars.
Very early on n July morning two
years ago a freight train left an empty
fat car on this siding, and at O'Clock
A. was half loaded with walnut planks
for Ashevile. The brakes were not
set, II would appear, but the car was
blocked by strips of scanling under
the wheels. How these became dis
placed IL is impossible 10 say; perhaps
they were struck by the hoofs OF the
mules engaged In hauling the lumber;
perhaps they were loosely placed, and
the increasing weight OF the car grad
ually pushed them out Of position.
At any rate, the car suddenly slid OF
very softly, and began TO roll down the
siding toward the switch.
No one happened to notice the escape
of the car till 1t had made some twenty
or thirty yards, and then the men had
no time to overtake and stop II before
II should reach the end OF the siding
The switch was supposed to be set
for the main line for the west bound
passenger train was due 10 pass IN
fifteen minutes, and the men at the
mill watched the slowly moving car
I'm disgust, expecting 10 see II go on
the track at the open rail ends.
II might fall upon its side. requiring
a locomotive TO haul IL into place again;
I'm any case there would be hours or
labor in jacking ii upon the rails
But to every ones amazement and
horror II struck the switch with n
rattle and clank, went through and
moved out upon the main line, still
slowly but with increasing speed.
There is no station or telegraph office
at this point. The seldom used switch
is manipulated by the trainmen, and II
had evidently been left open with
criminal carelessness by the crew of
the freight train that had passed four
hours earlier. The passenger train
should already have left Valentine. the
next station below. and there was no
possibility of warning IT,
o. those steep grades the wild car
would attain a speed OF 100 miles an
hour before IL had gone far: IL would
crash into the train like n bolt from a
catapult; and collision and derailment
on those mountain curves are the
equivalent OF a high bridge disaster in
level country.
As has been said, the grade was
extremely slight for n mile or two. and
the car appeared 10 he moving so slow
ly that there seemed n possibility Of
overtaking il, boarding II and setting
the brakes. With this idea, half a
dozen men started frantically in pur-
suit. But the runaway had a long
start, and its apparently slow motion
was deceptive; il was really travelling
even now much faster than man
could run. One after another the heavy
booted mountaineers fell out of the
race, painting and breGthless. A few
still Kept on running. but hopelessly.
for the car had gained lead of more
than 800 yeards, which IL was impossi-
BILE to reduce. Then suddenly shout
sounded behind those struggling run
ners, and rs they leaped off the track
FhbN lhS's WIN ~ SihEl'
youthful figure pumping energetically
OH the handles.
A little beyond the sawmill the sec
tion gang had been at work, their hand
car standing on the siding. Cleve Nc
Grath, the eighteen-year.o son OF the
"boss," had just gone TO the car for
more spikes. when he saw the start
of the runaway. Like every one else
he watched for its derailment at the
switch; as 1t held the line he watched
the vain pursuit on foot.
Then he knocked away the blocks
from the wheels of the handcar and
Jumped aboard, throwing all his weight
ON the handles Of the propelling gear
Faint as the slope was, IL greatly facil
itated propulsion. He ratified over the
had overtaken the men. who gave him
n cheer as he darted past. The fiat cal
had passed ont of sight around n curve
and was now nearly quarter OF Q
mile ahead.
IL was his plan to overtake the wild
car. board il. and stop IL by putting
down the brakes. or course the dis
connected air brakes could not be used
but the hand brakes were still availa
BILE. and should be sufficient to bring
IL 10 n standstill.
But IL was absolutely necessary {,
overtakc the ear before il should strik,
the sleeper grade little farther dowi
the line; once on the rapid slope. III
tremendous momentum would caus,