The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20
The Sky-Scraper
Fr.nh II. spesrman

Il emu OF Lake Michigan was appalling u
| spectators. IT was a battle between TWO
commercial giants-and a battle TO the
death IT shook not alone the country, II
shook the world: but that was nothing TO
I, US; our orders were simply to move the
wheat. And the wheat moved.
The last week found US pretty well
/ cleaned up; but the high price brought
grain out OF cellars and wells. the buyers
/ said-at least il brought all the boarded
wheat, and much Of the seed wheat, and
/ the 18th day of the month found fifty cars
| of wheat still in the GAINESVILLE yards. I
was at Harvard working on time card
/ when the word came, and behind IL spe-
| cial train from the general manager, stat
| ing there was thousand dollar premium
| In II for the company, besides tariff, II we
| got that wheat into Chicago by Saturday
/ morning.
The train end of it didn't bother me any;
| 1t was the motive power that kept us study
| ing. However, we figured that by running
| McNeal with the sky-scraper back wild we
could put all the wheat behind her in one
train. AS it happened. Neighbor was at
| Harvard, too.
Can they ever get over Beverly with
| fifty, Neighbour 1 asked doubtfully.
Wen never know till they try It.,
| the company If they do, that's all. How'll
you run them? Give them plenty of sea-
room; they'll have to gallop to make It,"
Cool and reckless planning, taking the
| daring chances, straining the flesh and
blood. driving the steel loaded to the snap
| the company wanted the prestige and the
premium, too. To gain them We were ex-
| pected to stretch our little resources TO the
/ studied minute. then turned to the
dispatcher.
ond f. that gives the right OF way over
| every wheel against them. II they can't
make it on that kind of schedule. it isn't
in the track
It was extraordinary business, rather,
sending train OF wheat through on a pas
senger schedule. practically. as the second
section Of our east-bound flyer, but we
4 haf oh
1t was noon when the orders were flashed.
At 3 o'clock No. was due to leave Zanes-
busy warning all operators and trainmen:
even switch engines and yardmasters, or
the wheat special-Second 4.
The flyer. the first section and regular
passenger train, was checked out of Zanes-
vile on time. Second 4, which meant
i George McNeal. Dad and the sky-scraper
3:l0 While we worked our timecard, Neigh
Dor, in the dispatcher's office across the
hall, figured out that the whea1 train would
enrich the company just S11,OoO, tolls and
premiums, If IL don't break in two on
Beverly HILL" growled Neighbor. with
qualm.
on the dispatcher's sheet, which is sort
Of panorama, / watched the big train whirl
past station after station, steadily drawing
nearer TO us, and doing 1T, the marvel, on
the full passenger time. 1t was great feat
and George McNeal, whose nerve and
brain were guiding the tremendous Load
was breaking records with every mile
stone.
They were due in Harvard at O'Clock.
The First 4. our flyer, pulled In and out
on time. meeting No 90, the west-oound
overland freight, at the second station
east of Harvard-Redbud
Neighbor and 1 sat with the dspatchers.
up In their office, smoking. The wheat train
was now due from the west, and, looking
at my watch, i stepped to the western
window. Almost Immediately 1 heard the
scraper. whistling for the upper yard
shes coming, L exclaimed.
The boys crowded to the window; but
Neighbor happened to glance to the east.
That's No. So"
Where do they meet?"
mo. So takes the long siding In from the
tunction'-which was two miles east-'and
she ought to be on 1t right now" added
the dispatcher. anxiously looking over the
master mechanics shoulder.
Neighb0r jumped as If bullet had struck
him. She'll never take siding tonight.
She's coming down the main track What's
her orders?' he demanded furiously.
Meeting orders for First at Redbud,
Second 4 here. seventy-eight at Glencoe.
Great Jupiteri'' cried the dispatcher, and
his face went sick and scared. they've for
gotten Second A.
They'll think of her a long time dead"
roared the master mechanic, savagely.
jumping to the west window. Throw your
red lights! There's the Skyscraper nowi'
Her head shot that instant around the
coal chutes, less than a mile away, and
tfty-five going dead against her. / stood
like one paralyzed, my eyes glued the
burning eye OF the big engine. AS she whip
ped past street arc light l caught a
glimpse OF George McNears head out of the
cab window. He always rode bare headed
II the night was warm, and knew 1t was
he; but suddenly like flash. his head went
in. knew why we'll as If my eyes were
his eyes and my thoughts his thoughts. He
had seen red signals where he had every
right to look for white.
Red signals now-to stop her-to pull her
fiat on her haunces like a bronco? Shake
weather flag at cyclone!
/ saw the fire stream from her drivers
| II churninQ In 4.
i knew he had twenty air cars behind him
sliding. What Of Ii?
like an avalanche. What did brains or
pluck count for now with ffty-five dancing
along like a schoolgirl right into the teeth
of it?
1 don't know how the other men felt AS
. for me. breath choked in my throat, my
knees shook and a deadly nausea seized me.
Unable to avert the horrible blunder / saw
| its hideous results.
Darkness hid the worst of the sight; 1t
was the sound that appalled,. Children
asleep In sod shanties miles from where the
two engines reared in awful shock
. jumped in their cribs at the crash Fifty
fives little engine barely checked the Sky
Scraper. She split like banana. She
bucked like a frantic horse. and leaped
fearfully ahead. There was binding ex-
plosion. sudden awful burst of steam: the
! windows crashed about our ears and we
| were dashed to the wall and floor like lead
pencils. A baggage truck whipped up from
the platform below. came through the heavy
sash and down the dispatcher's table
like q brickbat, and as we scrambled to our
feet a shower of wheat suffocated U.S. The
floor heaved; freight cars slid into the depot
like battering rams. In the height of the
, confusion an oil tank I'm the yard took fire
and threw a yellow glare on the CHASTITY
scene.
i saw men get up and fall again to their
Z knees; was shivering, and wet with sweat.
The stairway was crushed into kindling
l wood. / climbed out of a back window
down on the roof of the freight platform,
and so to the ground There was a running
TO and fro, useless and aimless men were
beside themselves. They plunged through
wheat up to their knees at every STEP All
at once. above the frantic kissing OF the
buried Sky-Scraper and the wild calling of
the thinks, / heard the stentorian tones OF
Neighbor, mounted on a twisted truck. or
ganizing the men at hand into wreckins
gang. Soon people began running up the
J yard to where the Sky-Scraper lay, like an
other Samson. PROSTATE in the midst of the
destruction 1t had wrought. Foremost
among the excited men, covered with dirt
] and blood staggered Dad Hamilton.
where's McNeal?' cried Neighbor.
Hamilton pointed to the wreck.
why didn't he jump?' yelled Neighbor.
Hamilton pointed to the twisted signal
| tower: the red light still burned in IL.
You changed the signals him." he
cried, savagely. What DO you mean? We
Z had rights against everything. What does
he wed In