Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-01-11
TWO NARROW ESCAPES

1.-THE headlongs manner with which the
poor victims Of failroad accidents uncon-
sciously go to their deaths is q strange
thing to think about" remarked Wash
ington official from Illinois. For instance.
we read that Mr. and Mrs. Howard, who
were killed In the New York Central tunnel
disaster on Wednesday, and who only re-
Gently gave up their Washington residence
and moved to New Rochelle, were 50 anx-
ious to catch thesill-fated train that they
started to f9S 1t a couple Of minutes
before 1t WIS due They happened to be on
opposite 81 PES ofsfhe New Rochelle street
leading to#the s<ation, and, racing along
toward thu depots in this way. they pre-
scented so humorods spectacle that many
or their friends who were walking more
leisurely chaned them and pretended to be
making bets as to which Of the pair would
reach the station first They Just did con-
trive to scramble aboard the train, and half
an hour later they were dead. We read
agaan tnal there was young woman VINO
rushed into the station as the train stood
waiting and hnrriedly asked the ticket
seller for a. monthly Communication ticket.
Sne GAO not have quite enough money to
pay 1or the ticket, and she asked the ticket
man to trust her for the balance, q few
cents, until her return from New York
that evening. The ticket man didn't know
her very well, and so he refused to COM
ply with her request. She missed the train,
ana thus, IN all probability, her life was
spared. for she always rode in the car that
SUFFERED the greatest damage.
myself have escaped death in two bad
railroad accidents through the merest
chance. What my friends and relatives are
generous enough to term my extreme pig
neaoedness nearly caused my finish in the
nrst or these disasters. I started from Chi
cago TO town IN southwestern Illinois at
o CLOCK one afternoon, having taken q berth
was boarding the train I saw three of my
Cnlcago chums getting on, too. They were
oound Tor st. Louis and had berths IN q
car that was only removed by one from
the engine-the train was composed Of
seven cars. We exchanged greetings, and,
telling them I'd see them later on the train.
swung aboard my rear car. I Joined the
three friends about half an hour after the
car started. had a smoke and chat with
tnem, and then returned to the rear car
1 was reading in the smoking compartment
ABOUT an hour later when they all came
after me to get me to go forward to their
car and Join them in q game Of whist. I
demurred. I was interested in a magazine
yarn and didn't feel like playing whist
Ihey begged me to make up the four, and
continued to stubbornly refuse. Finally
after they'd been at me for about fifteen
minutes. and was still determined to
stay In that rear cars smoking compart-
ment. they exchanged chances with each
other. %:
well said one Of them, you've got to
come forward and play whist with us
Wnether you. want to or not, see!'
mats right-he's got to- chirned in
the other two.
Not as long as I've got my health, I
DON'T have to-, I replied, little nettied
at their persistence.
well. come ahead, fellows, and help
me me, Ietcn him forward said the one who
mad first said that I'd have to play whist
tney were all three younger men than my
self, and we were all very close friends.
Inc three deliberately grabbed hold of
me. gently but determinedly pulled me out
OF my seat, hauled me into the aisle and
started forward with me. I struggled to
free myself, but they were all athletes and
l could barely wrfggle in their strong grasp.
l was angry and let them know it, but that
didn't bother them a little bit. The train
mad IN the meantime come to a stop on
account OF hotbox or something Of that
sort They hauled me right through the
s aasies ana SestIbq1es of five cars until we
reached the one where they had their
berths. Then they calmly pumped me into
seat in the smoking compartment where
they had the card table already fixed They
had no sooner deposited me in that seat
than there was a terrific crash from be-
hind. A freight engine hauling a heavy
train had crashed into the rear car and
smashed 1t to kindling wood. Three men
and a woman In that car were mangied
sons were terribly injured. The handshakes
that I gave those three young men for
their disrespectful behavior in dragging me
into their ear only q minute or so before
my death would have been upon me were
the most cordial I ever extended before or
since.
"a few years later was travelling with
my wife from Omaha to Chicago on a train
that was made up entirely Of day coaches
we started on the trip unexpectedly In the
morning, and it only days ride. Four
or five hours after starting was seated
In the smoking car, which was hitched d.
rectly behind the engine, smoking a cigar
and reading. heavy snow storm was in
progress and the train was going under
half Roadway. I had my cigar about half
smoked when the conductor came to me
and tapped me on the shoulder.
Are you Mr.. So-and-So?' he asked me.
Il am said I.
We'll, your wife in the rear car wants
to know whether you have her pocket book.
She wants to buy some magazines said the
conductor.
II hated to abandon that good Y1alf-smok-
ed cigar, but took a few long draws on
it, threw 1t away and walked back to where
my wife was seated. 7 had Just entered
her car when I was thrown to the aisle
by a tremendous jolt. The engineer of q
train coming in the other direction had
failed to see the red signal in the heavy
snow storm, and his train had crashed into
ours. About q dozen persons in the two
forward cars were killed, and among them
was the conductor who had spoken to me
but a moment before