The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-01
CLOSE TO DEATH.
Trainmen Tell Stories of Their Mar
row Escapes

Trainmen Tell Stories of Their Mar
row Escapes.
At the trainmen's conventionin Denver
a number of delegates were telling their
narrow escapes from death on the rail.
W. H. Wilson, a trainman on the B. &
Q. said:
4 had call from death once that
was so close that to this day my breath
catches when l think of it, said Mr..
Wilson. 1t was a dozen years ago and
1 was breaking on a Baltimore & Ohio
freight train. We handle cars OF dIfter-
ent sizes in carrying coal, but we be-
came so used to them that we could run
along a string of cars on the darkest
night in safety
'Once, on a certain night it was SO
dark that a man could hardly see foot
ahead of him. We were coming down
to a hill and / went out on the train
to set the brakes. 1 was running along
on the cars and suddenly fell between
two cars.
L screamed the instant I fell for l
was sure 1 would be bround to bits.
remember screaming and the next in
slant ! was f1oundering In water. had
fallen through a culvert into a creek
You see that culVert came in handy
How in the world 1 dropped between the
ties of that culvert is a mystery was
not even bruised. One of the boys had
seen my light go out and heard me
scream. The train was stopped, and the
boys came back, expecting to find me in
bits. They found me drenehed to the
skin and swearing emphatically.
L had a call nearly as close spoke
ND William Brennan of Hartford, Conn.,,
I was standing on the second car of a
freight train one night going through
Danb1iry Conn They have overhead
trolleys in that town. but where it
crosses the tracks the wires are strung
high and we have always cleared them.
I must have been on an unusually nlgn
car, for the trolley wire caught me
square in the face / never remembered
a thing for three days
when 1 was found I was lying on
top Of the eighth car in the train. SIX
cars back from where was standing
when l was caught. The wire must
have raised me from my feet and held
me six cars. I've got this scar across
my face as a souvenir Of that expert
ence / don't understand today why the
electricity in the trolley wire didn't Kill
me"
once" said G. E. McClelland, of Rich
mond Va, and I don't want to go
through it again. I was braking on
Chesapeake & Ohio freight train sew
era1 years ago, in the old days when
you had to twist the brakes. I was run
ming along on my train one day when
I stumbled and pitched down between
the cars. Luckily I. did not lose con-
not be here. AS 1 fell I threw out my
hands in an effort to shove myself clear
of the train. This I failed to do. but
Aattened myself out SO that I fell on
my stomach on the track and a dozen
cars passed over me. One of the boys
had seen me fall and it was supposed
that 1 had been killed. The boys were
considerably surprised when they saw
me get up without even a bruise. How
that train could go over me without
some of the trucks catching me is q
mystery
Il worked one day once: made one
trip and quit I said I'd never go in
the railroad business. but I did,, said
J. A. Wesmeyer. Of Denver. to a knot
of the boys. 4 was on the Alton work.
ing on freight. I was sent ahead TO
flag a passenger train. It was as dark
as the inside of a COW. AS I was run
ming UP the track 1 stumbled over
dead man. 1 just got down, scared
to death The train picked up the man,
and 1 was told to go ahead and flag