The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-20

No Eng. ST. viii hold at O'FaIons for special 2o2
c. and f. Special 202, Rosebud.
Special 2O2 Eng. 6S6 will run TO Salt Rocks regard
salt Rocks! I glared at the words and the letters
1 reread the first order and read again the second.
OFallons for No. !. That right O'FallOn's il
But it Wasnt il the first station oral
Ions ne had ordered the special TO run TO. 1t was
lap order. Ny scalp began to creep A lap order for
doomed them to meet head on somewhere between
yon-
My mouth went sticking dry The sleet outside had
and the window shook again in the wind. 1 asked my
SELF afraid 10 look around, what Blackburn could be
doing in Galatians The horror of the wreck
impending through his mistake began to grow me;
know what suffered; I ask myself now what he
suffered, inside, alone, m the dark.
On you who lie down upon the rail at night TO
sleep. in deSpatchers hand, think you n
darkened berts of the cruel responsibility on the man
ing2
others may blunder; others may forget, others may
fall and stand again; not the dispatcher single mis-
take uanlhs hlm Mhen ne rams ne Lalls forever,
Young was, realized that night the meaning
soldier. the officer. the general. the statesman the
president may make mistakes, do make mistakes, that
live hOnOred the obscure dispatcher under the
lamp who for single lapse pays the penalty OF eternal
my boys heart in the face of the error in the face
Of the slaughter, I pitied Blackburn.
Galatians room door opened again and Blackburn
came out of the dark. I had left the table and
standing in front of the stove He looked at me al
most eagerly; the expression of his face had complete
~ changed. 1 in my life such a change
in so few mpntes any mans face, and, like all
the rest, it alarmed 1t not for me to speak
if had been able and he did not He walked straight
to the table. closed the order book plugged Cal
lahans house wire again, and began calling him. The
assistant superintendent answered and Blackburn sent
You need not come down
heard Callahan reply with a question: What is
Blackburn stood calmly over the key, but he made
no answer Instead; he repeated only the words
Callahan. easily excitabe always was wrought up,
Blackburn" &c answered the wire. impateuty.
what in Gods name is the natter But Blackburn
only pulled the plug and cut him out and sunk into
Mr.. Blackburn I said, my heart humping like
an injector Mr.. Blackburn" He glanced warranty
anything" faltered 7 do?"
Even if the words meant nothing, the offer must
there isn't" With the words the han door opened
and Bucks. storm beaten in his ulster threw it wide
and stood facing both. The wind that swept in be-
Jack, viii you light up?'
1t Blackburn who spoke to But Bucks
broke in instantly, speaking to him.
Callahan called me over his house wire few
minutes ago, Blackburn and told to meet him here
right away Is anything wrong?" he asked, with
xiety restrained in his tone
dropped it smash to the floor No one said a word
and that made worse I struck second match.
and a third. ard with a fourth got the lamp on the
despatchers table lighted as Blackburn answered
superintendent Something serious has happened"
he replied to Bucks Il sent lap orders at o'clock
for No; and the Irving special"
Bucks stared him.
Instead of making meeting point at O'Falon's
sent order to O'Fallon's and ordered the
special to run to salt Rocks against one
Why, my eOd!" exclaimed Bucks that viii bring
them together in-the Peace CONGRATULATIONS!
Blackburn. Blackburn" ne cried, tearing off his
storm coat. walked to the table, seized the order
book steadied himself with hand the chair;
I never him like that. But it looked if the
horror long averated the trouble IN the Peace river
canyon. had The sleet tore at the old depot
like wolf with the sash shivering, Bucks turned
like an executioner on his subordinate.
What have you done to meet it?" He drew his
watch and his words sharp doom. Where's
your wreckers? Where's your relief2 What have you
you speak? VIII you kill two trainloads of people
without effort to do anything
voice rang absolute terror to me; I looked to-
ward Blackburn perfectly helpless
Bucks, there viii be no wreck, he answered
steadily.
wreck? Two passenger trains meet in hell and be
wreck Are you craZy2''
The despatcher's hands cIutched at the table. NO"
he persisted steadily. I not Bucks. Don't
make I tell you there viii be wreck
Bucks, uncertain with amazement, stared at him
again.
mean Don't stand there like that DO you know
what you have done?" The superintendent advanced
toward him he spoke; there trace of pity in
his words that seemed to BacSburns pent heart
than all the bitterness
Bucks" he struggled putting out hand toward
his chief at am SIRE of what / saw There will be
no wreck. When I what I had dOne-knew ii
too undo i'll begged God that my hands might
not be stained with their blood Sweat OOzed from
bead of agony. 4 was answered, ne exclaimed with
a strange confidence. there viii be wreck. I
what viii happen. I do not know what; but
there viii be wreck. believe me or MOTT IS So
His steadfast manner staggered the superintend-
emit I could imagine what he debating ne
looked at BIackburn-wondering maybe. whether the
mans mind gone Bucks staggered; he
looked it and he collected himself to speak again