The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-09-20
FLEEING FROM TRAINS.

Railroad men here are still talking
about the race for life on a recent
Sunday morning. between horse aud
a freight train across the long bridge
which spans the Genesee river at
Charlotte. The bridge is nearly half
a mile long, and the ties are open,
leaving six-inch spaces, beneath
which CLEANS the slow-moving river,
but the horse galloped straight across
this nerve-racking path few yards
In front of the locomotive, and only
sank down when exhausted by fright
and its efforts for safety. The train
was halted within ten yards of the
poor creature. The horse was found
to be uninjured, but every shoe was
torn from its feet. Another horse
which had started with it fell and was
cut to pieces.
What interests the railroad men in
the case, besides the battle against
such odds, is that it furnishes another
proof of pet theory of theirs con-
cerning the actions of animals caught
on the tracks by fast speeding trains.
Engineers and motormen have formu-
lated theory which, they declare,
has been so often proved that it might
be called law. It is this: They
declare that any four-footed animal,
be it a cat, fox, dog, squirrel, COW or
horse, which is surprised by rapid
ly approaching locomotive, will seek
safety in straight flight between the
rails, when it could save its life by
simple leap to one side.
"I have started up rabbits, saida
veteran engineer, land they invaria-
bly, keep to the centre of the track
until run down. Sometimes at the
very last moment they will leap to
one side, but not often. Cats, which
are pretty shrewd, in spite of asser-
tions to the contrary, will flee between
fast trains. Istarted red cow which
had strayed on the track through
somebody's carelessness in letting
down the bars of her pasture. She
had fair start, and careered down
the track about fifty feet ahead of my
pilot, with head down and tail straight
out behind. We had little time to
spare, so eased the engine off bit,
and finally the old fool cut to one side
and landed in the ditch. We must
have chased her for mile.
II have heard of Western engineers
pursuing antelope for miles between
the rails. It is mighty dangerous
business, can tell you, especially in
case of big animals, for killing may
mean a ditch for the engine and the
cars on top of yourself. It's bad
enough with small things like cats
and pigs. l never yet ran down an
animal but that / fancied I could hear
its death cry under the wheels and
somehow it would break me all up for
the rest Of the rum"
Other old timers have tales like
this to tell. One of them gave this
as his explanation of the peculiar per-
sistency which keeps the frightened
animals between the rails: II think
it's sort of hypnotism caused by the
combination of fright, the straight
level of the track and the cleaning
lines of the rails marking out the
course. To get away is the animals
first impulse. 1t sees level path in
front of it, bounded on each side by
straight bars. Behind is the smok-
ing, whistling monster which it must
escape. Consequently, it goes straight
ahead. Perhaps moment later, if it
lives, the idea flashes through its ter
ror-stricken brain to jump to one side
and it is saved. Too often, however,
the straight line Of its fight ends in
miserable death. F"