The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04
ON THE DYNAMITE TRAIN
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 1T Is ON TINE
MAKES EVERYBODY ALERT.
Characteristic Anecdotes Told by
Railroad Men in Charge of the
Consignment of "Dry Goods
New York Times.


'Five-thirteen on time!" it repeated. need
lessly for the final ''e" dot had not left the
wire before all were intensely alert.
Their excitement seemed strange, for
theirs road where ION time is the
usual climax Of every train report
''Frothinghom said he would drive her for
all there was in her tonight" said the man
in charge 1.-THE Doctors at his house down
at tbs Neck, and it's the only chance he
has Ia the whole week to get home. Billy.
run down the yard and that Logan's
clear OF the main. He's got forty-seven cars
on. you know"
The man had hardly left TO make sure
that the long, waiting freight train was of
the switches when there came sullen rum
bic from the bridge two miles away. lapsing
into silence as the advancing giant swept
through the little. sleeping city on the near
SIDE OK the side OF the bay. Red and green
lights changed to white along the track
There came a rushing as of great wind
through the trees-a roar, crash and the
: dynamite train went through.
BY the glare OF headlight and furnace the
yardmen caught a glimpse of Frothing-
ham and his fireman staining every nerve
and recognized on the boiler front the num-
speed. but new relegated to haul milk into
the big city. save for this. her weekly
chance. to redeem her old-time glory when
she carried away a light special loaded
with mixed goods. largely explosives.
''All sorts Of things the conductor in
charge was even then explaining. What
ever the company wants 10 get over the line
quick when there aren't many regular
trains in the way, that il she does go up
70 the stars she won't take anybody but her
own people with her That's why they run
her out Sundays and why she Is most al
ways behind, for we take no chances Of hit
ting anybody else"
Three or four freight cars, each with a big
: "perishable' label and a rickety old pas
senger and express car, both dimly lit,
s made mp the train In the last men were
+. Wrapping and throwing of bundles or
newspapers-in the coach were a few rail-
road employees of duty No one else, for this
fier. though her schedule is of the fastest.
carries no passengers. Only a few slept In
the swaying car. The others chatted.
FINE COTTON PRINTS
Fine lot OF cotton prints up ahead this
morning said one. referring to the mark
ings on certain small. square wooden boxes
carefully piled on straw. Wonder what
they want OF all those dry goods down at
the forts?"s .s @
ITO make Bingham aprons for the sol
diers and contractors. L guess" said an
other with a grin. continuing: We'll the
company wouldn't stand to lose lot If this
mornings outfit should go up" And he
looked about the dingy old car.
II don't know rejoined grizzled train
man. What IL she busted one OF them
new steel bridges. eh?'
Pretty near down to Stephenson's inlet
--1iready," said another, breaking into the
talk. They've put in a lot of concrete there
= IN the last two months. QuickSand bottom.
That's where the morning express went
you remember"
well, l ought to-" said the old man. 81
went down with her and came up. That was
my worst wreck. Didn't know much about
n. though. Just a blaze and q thunderclap
an was in bed with sister asking me II
felt any better now. But they've never got
that crossing just right and it's my opinion
they never will, though they're working on
2 It almost all the time. Passenger trains were
cut to ten miles an hour there all last win
(. ter
The dynamite train was now rushing
through sombre pine forest and the men
gathered at the windows TO see the danger
spot AS the train shot out from the trees.
the rising gale swept furiously across the
fire deck OF the engine. 1t caught the fire
from the open furnace doors and the blaze,
forty feet or more out into the darkness,
lighting up the water and revealing great
gray bV-ttresses of artificial stone stretch
Ing far away from either end Of the often
.FWeI. is all right just now. that's sure.
He tool: 1t without letting up single notch
on the old girl and il never quivered," said
an engineer. lifting down his dinner pail
and moving toward long. pine box.
Don't sit on that Kennedy said the con-
ductor. there's somebody in 1t. That other
ones empty" Soon all were eating and
talking as the train ran out upon a broad
plain. An extra freight had killed a tramp
two nights before, and a detailed description
OF the accident let loose.
SAVED HIS LIFE.
Among the stories told was one OF a run
ner who went into the frebox of his own en-
CINE and saved his life by doing it. He was
In charge Of brand new locomotive, being
hauled out from the Paterson building shops
to service amid Colorado mountains. The
cold machine was in the middle of a long
freight train. An axle broke far ahead as
they were going alopg a ledge-like cutting
up on a steep slope. and car after car
started rolling down toward dry river bot
tom a quarter OF o mile away. To leap or
! stand still meant certain death. and the en-
gfneer as he felt the machine go over, dived
Into the firebox and shut the heavy door.
2 The next minute he WAS tumbling from
crate bars TO crown sheet as the ponderous
engine played ''ring-a-ring -a-rosy" with the
cars down the hill, all that was left soon
being half buried at the bottom between
boulders. splintered trees and dislodged soil.
After salvage gang had uncovered q
badly battered monster mountain engine
two days later, they were astounded TO see
crawl from its bowels competent member
OF the brotherhood. thirsty, hungry and
dirty, but with never a scratch upon him!
Three wholesome looking men had sat
alocf during the entire run OF the dynamite
train. Hardly OF middle age and neatly
dressed; only their clear eyes set of and
made brighter by narrow borders OF coal
dust trimming the lids, and their coarse
hands. proved them 10 be aristocrats OF the
same calling as the rest. Now, for the first
hour OF daylight they had been discussing
I'm animated fashion the pages of a small,
well-worn book produced by one OF their
number.
Those are the runners of the fastest
trains the whole system said the con-
duct0r. 1T isn't often you see three such
:. men as them together. That one there by
the window. the smaR-ene, IS j.. who
saved the limited or Wednesday night. Ora
cious what story that would have been
for the newspapers I'll bet the company is
glad Il didn't get out"
eeted. II was. he confessed, visions of such
career as theirs that brought him into his
pertIous trade. Here before him were real
heroes OF his Juvenile imagination-the men
who by day and night. from state TO state.
guide the flying trains laden with all that
n richest IN the life and product OF the Ma
ton. with strong, ever-ready hands and
nerves so steady that their own gaze along
the giittering steel ahead is hardly less fixed
and unwavering than the mighty beam from
the headlights of their own engines.
- Curiosity consumed him 70 learn what
deep subject 50 engrossed them during this.
them ne szlanced down and read the title
flr.f |s~,-. M OF Int