The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-10-09
THE DRAWBRIDGE

r. R. The engineer l ran with was
Scotchman of the name Of Joe VII
hams
"Joe had only one fault-he drank.
1.-THE time refer to was the morning
Of the Fourth Of July. We were run
ming what was called the morning,
freight and had to start every day by
4:30. On this morning Joe was late.l
| In few minutes we got started, pick
ed up our load and were fairly of. It
was clear morning and bid fair for
fine day, but about sunrise It began to
get misty, and we were soon enveloped
IN one u the heaviest fogs l ever saw.
"At H, Eben Capron, another en-
gineez, who was of duty that day, got
on With Us. He was going home to
spend the Fourth and ours was the
first conveyance that came along.
When he saw that 1t was all that Joe
could DO to carry himself straight he
offered to run the train for him as far
as he went, but Joe declined.
Thicker and thicker came the fog
until we could scarcely see the length
of two cars ahead Joe went very
carefully indeed and did not run as
fast as is usual In fact, he went so
slowly that at last Eben commenced to
banter him on the prospect of getting
to the end Of the route sooner than
could naturally be expected
"'Well, Just look here said Joe. I'm
drunk, and you know it. and If
should go fast and run the train off the
track l reckon you'd both Of you
swear 1t was the fault OF the drunken
engineer
'By the time we got to @. the fog
had partly lifted. Here we had good
deal Of switching to do, and just as we
were ready to start the conductor came
up and said:
Nothing for P; keep straight
through to e. You have gone so con-
founded slow that you are almost an
hour behind time. / should have hur-
RED you up II it hadn't been for the
fog. All right, go ahead And he
waved his hand and started back to-
ward the rear car.
"'Well, I'll go fast enough for you If
that's what you want muttered Joe.
faster and faster we went until the
conductor evidently began to be afraid,
for It was still SO foggy that we could
not see over half mile ahead, and he
gignaled slower
There said Eben, do you see that?
You'll have the conductor here pretty
soon
"Well, the fact is'-and Joe slowly
w1nked one eye-Athefe's q vessel at P.
waiting to pass, and want to get over
the bridge before it's opened
'sThe river there was navigable and
was crossed by drawbridge, and very
often we had to stop and wait on one
side to let vessel pass When 1t was
open there was red ball boisted In
the daytime and red light at night
Then you are nearing IT, continued
Eben, for there's the last post before
you reach the river, supposing
the draw is open. Joe, you had better
slack up
"'What for7 The signal isn't raised
but you couldn't see 1t for the fog
"Oh, pshaw! There isn't any fog
now
Yes, there is fog now. For Gods
sake, Joe, don't murder us! Here, let
me take your place until we get
ACROSS
THE sentence was never finished. He
was standing up. hooking out ahead,
when all at once, as II he had been
struck by cannon shot, he dropped In
to his seat, and his face turned as white
as bleached sheet, while the black
etTeaks of SCOT and grease stood out In
horrible contrast. He had seen the red
signal! l whistled down brakes, and
he grasped the lever and reversed the
engine
1.-THE conductor crafty signaled stop
after he had heard the whistle aud
when the train was running by its own
momentum.
"As to Joe, he saw that everything
was done or being done, and he sat
there like a block Of marble. His
drunkenness was all gone. His first
words were
We'll, boys, I'll never get drunk
any more as hong as live
No, s'pose not replied Eben as
be gave the lever another jerk, for
probably you won't live more than
quarter of minute
Jump, If you want to- Joe an
swered. 7 hope l shall die If the train
gets smashed. But - that craft isn't
moving; the end Of the bridge is swing
ing toward us
That's 30; they are shutting 1t. God
help Us, we may be saved YETI
"Sure enough, the bridge was rapid
ly swinging into place The tender had
evidently seen us coming and was try
ing to close the draw against we came
up, but 1t was doubtful case.
I'VE had got 30 near now that we
could see the man on the bridge work
ing as II his own life, not ours, depend
ed on his efforts. Eben was hugging
the lever with all his might and Joe
had convulsively grasped one Of the
forward faucets, as If to steady him.
self, and for the last five seconds of
that awful suspense l do not believe
there was heart beat on the engine.
'Three ticks more Of the clock and
we should have rolled over the abut-
ment, but with thud the bridge swung
to it's place, and we were on It and
passing over safe and sound
"'God bless you, Smith, shouted Joe
to the bridge tender as we ran past,
and he waved his cap with wild joy.
I'VE afterward learned that the
bridge was open to let a small vessel