The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-13
A RUNAWAY ENGINE THE PROBLEM OF SLOWING UP
 FOR COUPLING. Some Strenuous Moments-Feels Queer to Be Chased by Some thing You Are Trying
 to Capture.

Philadelphia Ledger
 IT one wants to get plenty of excitement let him try to catch a runaway engine" said a railroad engineer the other day .'I had the experience some years ago. and I shall always remember 1t as one of the principal events of my carer as an engineer
 Tt was not that 1t was especially dangerous although 1t was ticklish business too hut if gave me the sensation that imagine is felt by hunters of big game. that one feels in any adventure where death or great personal injury is likely to be the result of failure
 The runaway I speak of took place near Grafton w. Va, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. A passenger engine which was com ing westward over the third division light that is. with no train atached-had sidetracked at Newburg. ten miles below Grafton to get cut of the way of an express which was fol- lowing close behind. While waiting at that place the engineer and fireman left the engine and went to nearby boarding house to get something to eat The engine was one of the large, high-wheeled type, and had on a high pressure of steam at the time.
 Tt was afterward thought that a boy had climbed aboard of her and had pulled open the throttle but this was never found out for certain At any rate. the engine got un- der way, and before any one could stop her passed out of the sidetrack and by breaking the steel tongue of the switch had let herself on to the main track.
 The engineer and fireman, hearing the alarm that was raised rushed out from their dinner just in time to see their engine round. ing curve toward Grafton at a good rate of speed. which she was increasing at every mo- ment.
 The Problem.
 There wasn't another engine at Newburs that they could give chase with so the only thing they could do was to rush to the tele- graph office and let the people at Grafton know that the engine was coming. Grafton was the end of the division, and at that point the road branches off to St. Louis, the main line continuing to Chicago over the Fourth Di- vision. All engines were changed there, and l was waiting at the lower end of the station with my engine to take the express westward over this division to Wheeling
 'As soon as the division superintendent heard of the runaway he telegraphed to every point along the Fourth Division to sidetrach all trains. and gave orders that the switches In the yards at Grafton should be set that the runaway would have a free track straight through and out on this division.
 'The wild engine had fortunately started out ahead of the express, for which she at hrs had been sidetracked. and thus had a cleal track I was ordered to hold myself in read iness to start out in front of the runaway and at some point along the road, while run. ming at the same rate of speed. allow her tc run into my engine and bring her to a stand. still.
 "A brakeman was sent up to the roof of the station house to look out for the runaway, and let me know when she came in sight. From his position he could thus be able to see hel when she got within half a mile of the sta. tion. Everybody was wildly excited. and work of all kinds in the yards was suspended, the and as many of the town people as had learned trainmen, the employees of the railroad shops of the runaway gathering along the main track to see the engine go through.
 The Runaway Sighted.
 Then, when everybody was almost breath less from suspense, the man on the roof sung out, Here she comes!'
 T at once started my engine, and I started in hurry. too. I wanted to get up d good speed and put a comfortable distance between myself and the runaway. Of course, I didn't get to the engine she came through the yards, but was told that 1t was the sight of lifetime.
 "She came a-nyinE. tossing about and sway. Ing from side to side. Her speed was so great that the spectators who were along the track rushed away panic-stricken. as 1t looked as If she would surely jump from the rails. She made an awful racket as she hit the different switches running into the maintrack. Her fur mace door was wide open. the fire inside hay ing blown to a white heat
 Tt said that there was live pig or her pilot when she came through Grafton. and that the engine was running fast that the pig couldn't fall off. As to that. however can't say for there was no pig there when We finally brought the engine to a stop
 'The spectators didn't get to much of the runaway. she was through the yards and out on the main line again like a flash. Then the chase on. although this was case of the quarry doing the hunting.
 We must have nearly three miles be fore we caught a glimpse of our pursuer. This was when our engine was the further end of horse mile in length. the runaway just turning the curve into sight She was coming fast she could turn a wheel. and We were running pretty lively ourselves. but the wild engine had gained nearly a quar- ter of mile us.
 The sensation of dropping back on a flying engine with no aboard was certainly d thrilling one, and I was trembling some from nervousness On a straight piece of track this kind of work wouldn't be difficult. but on that part of the road. where the curves were almost continuous 1t was risky business. as were nearly always out of sight of each other around curve, and so I couldn't accu- rately Euage the distance between, us.
 Overtaken by the Quarry.
 T kept on slowing down, drawing closer to the runaway little by little but all the time running near mile minute gait, until We were not more than POO yards apart Then all of a sudden the runaway seemed almost to leap forward she struck a short piece of down grade. and gained on so rapidly that she almost top of us before we could get out of the way. I pulled the throttle wiIo open. and again got at a safe distance
 Nearer and nearer We came to each other as I gradually slowed down. our speed then being about fifty miles hour The steam on the runaway engine was beginning to play ou. and her speed was being gradually reduced
 Then. after slowing down litt'e more the runaway came into my tender with an easv bump and our work over.
 II immediately shut off the steam .ou my engine and allowed the runaway to push Us along, thus holding us together. My fireman then climbed over the tender down tu the pilot of the runaway. along the running board and into the cab. and shut or the throttle
 We had gone nearly twenty miles before We had brought her to a stop After coup ling together We ran back to the nearest teIe- graph point, from where I let the superinten- dent know that the engine had been caught. and business on tho road was once more re- sumed. We then proceeded to Grafton
 "A few days later received a nice letter from the superintendent. compimenting the fireman and myself for our work and inclos- ing check for $500, to be divided between