The Elbert County tribune., 1903-12-17

About couple of rods such a night
as this. unless strong signal lantern
Is shown. then we can see farther"
Two rods would be of no real ad-
vantage IL we were to encounter, an
obstacle on the track" | suggested.
We'll, no; you can't stop AN ex-
press train much inside of quarter
of mile with the style of brakes
we now have"
"Ah. that's it. You require n more
powerful sort of brake; is that what |
understand you TO mean?"
Exactly; one that will act with
greater power, and yet not bring n
train up all standing. as 1t were. That
would he almost as bad as to run into
an object dead ahead" replied the
engineer
Something of TINT sort viii be in
vented"
"oh. yes, one of these days; I've al
ways said So"
In the meantime. the Lightning Ex-
press was rushing on its way. straight
into the Intense darkness. which. If
possible, was now rendered more ap-
parent by n fieecy fall of snow, which
was packed all about us by reason of
the great speed at which we were
running. | could not but admire the
perfect GOODNESS of the two men who
We're my companions. though my own
senses were in constant state of
nervous excitement. The intense dark
ness, the binding snow into which we
drove. rs 1t seemed to me not know
ing whiflar l.ap
alert. / could not divest myself of the
FEELING that there was perhaps some
thing in that darkness just ahead
which we were sure to run into ana
wreck the train. Finally, my excited
brain began to recall some of the
many railroad accidents of which had
ever read or heard. until, as l had Just
arrived at the height of miserable an.
ucipation. l suddenly exclaimed:
What is thatr' on hearing some
thing like prolonged whistle ahead.
Your ears are quick" sc!d the en-
gineer calmly. THAT is the Rutland
accommodation train; 1t will pass us
in u moment"
Even while he was speaking. there
appeared In front of us the bright re-
Meeting signal lantern upon the other
engine. seeming exactly in front of
us. and perhaps six or eight rods dis
tant, but scarcely had the eye settled
upon the dazzling object before 1t
swept past us on the other track so
quickly as to seem to have been a
nash of lightning. and. for an instant.
quite taking away my breath, though
my companions did not so much MS
WINK an eyelid. In this instance we
had not only the thirty miles per hour
headway of our own train, but also the
twenty miles per hour of the accom-
mediation train added to the speed
which so rapidly separated us. 1t was
not very pleasant thought which
passed through my brain Just then.
that misplaced switch might bring
these two trains upon the same track
facing each other. and. at this fright
ful rate of speed, the result can easily
be conceived
Frank Moore, the engineer had been
long in the company's service. He was
man of some thirty-eight or forty
years, intelligent, though not culti-
waited. and as 1 watched him standing
at his post. that dark and dismal night.
l thought how many lives were trust
ed TO his sole guidance. Surprising an
accident were to happen to him. what
would become of the hundred souls
and more In the train? But he stood
there as firm as the iron about him,
never for moment quitting his hold
upon either the valve which should
signal danger. or that which shut Off
the motive power in case of necessity.
Begrimed. by long exposure to SCOT
and smoke. his features were very
dark, but there was n kindly express
sion through all the bronze, and a
firmness visible in his face. which
challenged trust and entire confidence
in the man.
We had stopped twice for fuel and
water. at which times 1 might have
taken my seat in the passenger cars.
but sense of wild fascination seemed
to attach me to the locomotive, and
determined TO continued upon IL at
least while longer And so we dashed
still through the dense darkness and
the binding snow, as we had been
doing for so many long mile. Now
and then the engine would jump in
its fierce headway on striking some
rrifiing obstruction upon the rails, and
my heart would leap into almost audi
BILE action. and to me it appeared at
times as though the whole train was
going over an embankment to inevit-
able wreck. When one OF these expert
, ences was more decided than usual. /