The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-05
THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL SATURDAY

hind Billiard. Our side Of the cab is quite
cut on from the fireman's side by a swelling
girth of boiler. which leaves an alleyway at
right and left wide enough for mans
body and no wider. Billiard and are at
the right-hand alleyway. Billiards. back
and black cap just before me. Dan, with
his shovel is out on shaky steel shelf be-
hind, that bridges the space between engine
and tender. That is where he works. poor
| lad! We are breathing coal dust and torch
smoke and warm oil.
"Fs-s-s-s-s!" comes the signal and in
stantly we are moving. Lights flash about
| us everywhere-green lights, white lights,
| red lights, a phantasmagoria of drugstore
| bottles The tracks shine yellow far ahead.
steady pounding and Earring begins, and
| grows like the roar OF battle. Our cab heaves
with the tugging of captive balloon. Our
| speed increases amazingly. We seem con-
| stantly on the point of running straight
| through blocks of houses, and escape only
| by sudden and disconcerting swayings
around curves that all lead, one will VOW,
straight into black chasms until the dazzle
| Whoever rides here for the first time feels
that he is ticketed for sure destruction, un-
derstands that this plunging engine must
necessarily go off the rails in two or three
minutes. say five at the latest; for what
| guidance, he reasons, can any man get from
million crazy lights. and who that is hui
man can avoid a snarl in such a tangle of
humping switches? am free TO confess, for
my own part. that I found the first half
hour of my ride of so absolutely terrifying.
Thus, at break-neck speed, we come out
of Chicago. all slow-going city ordinances
1 10 ba a
chasing a transcontinental record schedule,
and have fifteen minutes to make up. l
breathe more freely as we get into open
country. We are going like the wind but
the track Is straighter, and the darkness
| comfortable. begin to notice things with
/ better understanding. AS the lurehes come,
1 brace myself against the boiler side with
out fear of burning; that is something
learned. find out later that / owe this
protection to a two-inch layer of asbestos.
! catch faint sound of the engine bell, and
discover, to my surprise. that it has been
ringing from the start-indeed, it rings,
without ceasing all the way to Burlington.
the rope pulled by steam jerking con-
trivance, but the roar of the engine
| browns it.
Deep shadows enwrap the cab, all the
them every minute two Dan, back
there on his iron shelf, stokes coal in at the
| red-hot door. Two faint lights burn for the
| gauges-a jumping water column in front,
a pair of wavering needles on the boiler
These Billiard watches eoolly, and from
time to time reaches back past me to turn
the injector cock, whereupon steam Kisses
by my head. For the most part he is quite
still, like an Indian pilot, head forward at
the lookout window, right hand down by
the air brake valve, left hand across the
throttle lever. with only seconds jump
to the reversing lever that rises up from
the floor straight before him. AS we race
into towns and roar through them, he
sounds the chime whistle, making its deep
voice challenge the darkness At curves he
eases her with the brakes. And for grades
and level stretches and bridges he notches
the throttle up or down as the need is.
Watch his big. strong grip on the polished