Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-02-10
A REPORTERS HEROISM.
Pinned Uuder Locomotive and Dy-
ing lte Dictated His Story
of the Wreck.
BY MAJ, GEORGE +. WILLIAMS.


by steel clad knights in search of ad-
venture on the roadside or in the me-
lee of battle. heroism has been the abb
sorbing and dramatic theme of poet
and singer. Today, when repeating
rifles and rapid-fring field or naval
guns are the weapons of war on land
or sea, heroism displayed on the scene
of conflict is always a theme for
praise by writer's of prose or poetry.
In all the wars OF ancient or modern
history heroic acts have illumined the
pages of each epoch or century and
these deeds are embalmed in history
as the most precious gifts to human
ity.
But it is not alone on battle fields
or in the hostile encounters that hero
ism is displayed. Heroism belongs
to every age and generation. 1t is
this quality that gives a nation or a
people distinctive character or force.
AS it was during all of the centuries
of the Christian era, SO it was in the
nineteenth century just closed.
papers would look for heroism among
the men whose efforts placed before
them the news of the day from all
parts of the world. do not intend
to allude to or describe the work of
war correspondents who participate
in head-long charges or desperate en-
counters in search of material for
glowing and rapid description of strik-
ing scenes, but to the work of every
day life.
In the summer of 1892, the Chicago
& Alton railroad modernized two or
three hundred miles of its track,
when the officials of the company
organized an excursion train for the
purpose of showing how far they had
progressed. Every prominent citizen
of Chicago was invited to take the
trip and most of them accepted. These
gentlemen, the railroad officers and
a reporter from each of the Chicago
morning papers, formed the excursion
party.
The reporter representing the Chi
cago Inter-Ocean was Eugene White
head, who made himself famous by
inventing what is now known as base.
ball nomenclature. He was the first
writer who wrote of daisy cutters"
'sky-scraping fly-balls." ''grounders"
and similar phrases now so common
in descriptions of the national game.
AS the &c. & A" excursion was really
junketing expedition, Mr.. White
heads managing editor assigned him
to it as a special mark of favor.
Eugene Whitehead was one Of those
men who are ever seeking a new SEN
sation, and it struck him that ride
in the cab of a locomotive during a
trip over an improved railroad would
be something out of the common runin
newspaper experience. Inviting Roy
l.. Quackenbush, a reporter for anoth-
er Chicago newspaper. to join him,
they entered the cab, and, for nearly
an hour, remained there, swallowing
dust cinders and smoke, until Quack-
enbush grew weary, and at the first
stopping place retired for the more
pleasant atmosphere of the passenger
cars
The train had been running at
speed of from 80 to 60 miles an hour,
and the excursion party forgot all
about Whitehead's dusty ride on the
locomotive amid the hilarity and feast
ing among themselves.
The train went on at it's headlong
pace until it reached a culvert, which,
being imperfect. gave way under the
weight of the engine AS the masonry
crumbled the locomotive turned over
| and fell into the creek. The engineer
and fireman were instantly killed, but
Whitehead was alive and entirely con-
| scious, despite the fact that he lay
pinned under the huge mass of metal,
| and could not be extricated.
Every possible effort was made by
| the excursion party to relieve White
heads sufferings, but all failed. Mr..
QIackenbush then endeavored to
cheer his friend and comraie by
telling him that wrecking outfit had
been telegraphed for, and that when
it arrived he would be extricated.
That's all right old man." said
Whitehead THE wrecking train will
not get here in time to save me; even
if it does, / am going to die. Say,
Roy. will you do me a favor?"
III do anything, Gene, for you.
What is it?" exclaimed Quackenbush
with many tears running down his
| cheeks.
well, Roy" replied the crushed and
dying reporter, its this way. | want
you to take down my dictated story
of this accident and send it over the
wire to the Inter-Ocean. Will you dc
it?"
"Of course | will, Gene" sale
| Quackenbush. But why worry your
self about your duty to the Inter
J Ocean. I'll send your story myself.
You don't seem to understand me
Roy" and Whitehead's voice grew