Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-03-26
The Jdgudr
Special
BY PAUL r. BULLARD.

| CIRANOE AFFAIRS happen upon tn
y solitary railroad of Spanish Hon
duras. Hold-ups. collisions and run
away trains are of frequent occur
renee on its so miles of length. but it
most extraordinary incident was tina
in which George Powers took part.
II was in the ''dry season" when thu
banana plants were weighted will
their punches Of green fruit, ready FOL
cutting.
zone day"-as Powers tells the story
THE fruit steamer Breakwater an
chored Unexpectedly in the otfing OF
our Caribbean sea harbor Of Porto
Cortez. Soon, at her agents orders
there was hoisted at her masthead the
signal indicating Fruit, ready for a
quick cargo And when the ship had
reached the dock fruit train was be
ing made up.
"Then we learned that the Break.
water was expected to sail for New
Orleans with a cargo Of bananas early
the next morning Extraordinary eff
forts must be made TO load her with
a suitable shipment in less than a
days time To hurry was decidedly
untropical. but the bonus given by the
railroad officials was as oil TO Intricate
the machinery of the transportation
departments; and l was handed these
orders:
Engineer Powers will take engine No 10,
with Is platform cars. and proceed with
best speed to La Pimienta; load cargo OF
bananas. return 70 San Pedro load fruit
there. Report at this office after the run
and not later than ten p. m to-day.
(sgned) COLVILLE (supt. Of Trans).
"such an order meant hurry My
fireman oiled 10, the only locomotive
available, and the yardmen made up
the train. BY noon we were started.
There was work enough ahead 10 keep
us all out Of mischief for the next ten
hours. To cover a round trip Of 100
miles, load is cars with bananas and
pull them into Porto Cortez within
ten hours would be the record for
speed upon the Honduras railroad.
so old 10. with throttle wide open.
was soon putting up the rough road
bed to La Pimienta at an unaccus-
toned pace. The telegraph line was
equally busy. and when we ran past
San. Pedro the ox-cars were already
unloading their nine and ten-hand
lunches alongside the track in readi-
ness for our return. Between four and
five o'clock we whistled for La Pimi-
anita fha farrnfpuc
There the station agent had a gang
of leaders ready, and before the
train had quite stopped the green
lunches were being passed TO the load
ers in the ears. In an incredibly short
space Of time the bananas rose, tier
upon tier, TO heavy load; and all the
time my fireman fed the sticks of soft
pine 10 our roaring fire box. for we
should need good head of steam TO
get back to San Pedro in season. The
agent sarcastically asked me: is the
engine good for the heavy pull with
out a breakdown and / replied
Number IS is about to surprise every
body by record trip And so we did |
both because of and in spite Of an I'M
precedented adventure.
"At six o'clock we had loaded all the
fruit in sight, and whistling for open
brakes we started for San Pedro.
The down grade helped us materially.
In less than an hour we had covered
the distance and were taking the fruit
aboard from our last stop.
Delay began here. There were few
men to load the fruit, and the handling
Of il was slow; every bunch was thor
oughly inspected, by the leaders lest
they should grasp tarantulas crawling
among the bananas. But at eight
o'clock the train was loaded. the
pitchpine headlight was lighted, the
throttle opened and the whistle
shrieled its farewell to San Pedro.
1.-TWO hours only were left in which
10 make the run in schedule time over
35 miles Of rolling country and with a
weight Of IS heavily loaded cars. The
passenger with her light freight.
was allowed four hours for the same
run. The darkness was intense. and
the vibration Of the train soon became
so great that the headlight was shak-
en- into mere sputtering. and at a
lurch went out. The front Of the en-
CINE became the limit Of my vision.
The white mile markers were
passed SO quickly that my fireman
lost his count. and we could not tell /
where we were. But No. II was doing
her best. Not a valve had blown out.
nor a rod broken. Our gathering over
the track was varied only by the
frantic squealings Of a fine. fat pig.
sent by the agent at La Pimienta { % the
captain q the Breakwater as a deli
cacy for his table Piggy continually |
squealed from its berth in an open
fruit car
In one place large limb extended |
from a tree out over the track. lust
high enough 10 clear the stacks Of /
the passing engines The pic seemed /
90 scream more loudly than before and |
we heard a new sound
What was that2' asked nv
startled fireman. Did you hear that /