Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-06
HASTE SAVED THE TRAIN.
Woman, Telephone and Man With a
Bicycle Prevent a Disaster.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
The cool nerve of a plucky woman and
the speed of a man riding for life on a
bicycle was all that saved the Ukah ex-
press. bound from Uklah to Tiburon on the
line of the California Northwestern rail-
way, from destruction late on Friday after
noon. Mrs James Cochrane. wife of a
well-known San Rafael attorney, was the
heroine of the Incident. and to her courage
scores Of passengers on the endangered
train owe their lives.
Friday afternoon a storm of wind swept
over San Rafael Near the outskirts OF
town and close to the residence of Mrs
Cochrane huge eucalyptus tree fully 100
feet in height and two feet in diameter in
its thickest part, was blown over so that
the heavy portion of its trunk lay squarely
across the tracks of the California North
western railway. Shortly after o'clock
Mrs. Cochrane, with team of horses
started on a drive into the country She
passed close to the track in her carriage
and saw the big tree lying across the rails
Suddenly the thought struck her that the
Ckiah express was about due. She looked
at her watch and 1t read $40 o'clock. A
feeling of dread passed over her as she
realized that the quick moving train with
it's long string of passenger cars was due
at 5:15 O'clock.
Hurriedly jumping from her carriage she
ran down the track, hoping to flag the train.
Then the full peril of the situation dawned
upon her. The tree had fallen just at the
end Of a curve, which wound itself about a
tall hill. AT the beginning of the curve
the track emerged from a tunnel, and it
was evident that the engineer in his cab
would not be aware of his danger until he
was right upon 1t. Mrs. Cochrane con-
feSses that she grew sick with fear and the
thought came to her that the engineer
emerging suddenly from the tunnel would
not understand her signals until too late
Then she remembered the telephone, and
turning back ran over the rough ground
toward her house, where a line was in
stalled. Once she stumbled but the dis
lance was short and In less than two min
utes she was ringing for the railway depot.
Train Dispatcher Force answered her mes
sage. All that he heard was Tree across
track near the tunnel; hurry: a train is
coming
Outside the station G. f. Glllbridge. the
baggage master, who Is an expert bicycle
rider, was standing. Force called to him
the message. and with a jump Gilbridge
had seized his bicycle and was off. Force
threw him a signal flag as he started and
yelled string Of orders after him as he
spurted down the street. The distance was
only about a mile and the bicyclist rode
like the wind. After he had gone block
he heard the shrill whistel Of the coming
train as 1t approache the tunnel. It was a
race of man against train. with hundred
lives depending the result. Gillbridge
reached the fallen tree. jumped from his
bicycle, ran down the track. away to the
mouth of the tunnel, and as the engine
emerged from the darkness flashed his red
signal before the startled engineer The
whistles screamed Brakes down. and
with the engine shivering with the exer-
ton. the train come to a stop with the
nose of the locomotives cowcatcher scarce
ly two feet from the fallen tree. Engineer
Lewis, his face white from peril. Jumped
from the cab and hurried TO the signal
man.
1T was a close shave" he gasped. and
as the questioning passengers and Con-
ductor Crane pressed around him he could
only repeat. 1T was a close shave. close
shave"
Pretty soon half hystercal woman came
down the track. 1t was Mrs. Cochrane and
she told of the finding of the danger. The
crew and passengers thanked her over ard
over again.