Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-06-13

tanks We're scarcely more than hum
dred feet apart. AS Barney's engine
came into the town limits he could see
the Midland standing at the water
4ank, the fireman up on the back Of.
The engine tank, with his hands on the
spout, ready to throw it free the in
slant the tank was full.
Fer one instant Barney hesitated,
then shut off to make the stop. "Only
twenty miles in he muttered, land
this stop means ten minutes. / guess
we're up tree" But the next instant
he turned to the fireman for the first
time since they had started.
'sHey, BillyY' he called out sharply.
"Run back and see how much water
we've gotv' Billy needed no second
bidding, but grabbed the broom on the
instant, ran back over the coal, jerked
off the manhole plate, reached down
and touched the bottom of the tank
with the end of the broom handle, and
then, holding it up SO that Barney
could see how much of it was wet, he
called out:
s'Only about thirteen inches. Well
never be able to make 1t with that"
But Barney appeared to be satisfied,
for he turned around, gave the throttle
a jerk that brought an angry snort
from the engine, and in another mo-
mant they had passed the water tank
and were flying on through the town,
leaving the Midland crew gaping at
them in open mouthed establishment.
How in began the fireman as he
got back to the deck, but Barney inter-
rupted him with: Here; take her a
minute, and don't ease her mp either.
We've got one chance. and only one.
and we're going to take it."
AS he stepped down from the seat he
picked up the coal order book, scrib-
bled hurriedly on it for a moment with
the stub of a pencil he found in it, tore
out the page and handed it to the fire.
man with the remark. Drop that to
the operator at H." Then he turned,
picked up the end gate and coal pick
and started back over the coal.
Still at q loss to account for his
movements. the fireman glanced at the
message he held in his hands, but it
brought no light to his mind All he
could make out was, 'Wire headquar-
tiers to have the south yard section
gang on the lookout for fire on the
track and have the ice house track
clear ready to load ton or two when
we get in" He was enough of a rail-
road man. however. to know how to
obey orders. and in far less time than
it takes to tell it he had folded the
paper, weighted it with a small chunk
! of coal and turned to watch Barney.
AS the engineer reached the back end
of the tank he jerked the lid off the
manhole and then took the end gate
and slipped the upper crossbar over
the brake rod on the first car in such
a manner as to allow the bottom edge
to be directly over the manhole. This
done, he picked up the coal pick, took a
firm grip on the brake rod, braced his
feet for an instant on the end gate
and swung himself up on the roof of
the car In another moment Billy IN
derstood at least part of the mes
sage He was going to get water
supply from the ice boxes in the refrig-
orator.
Entirely unassisted and with only the
coal pick for an ice hook Barney haul
ed up the big 200 pound cakes out Of
the ice box, ran them along the running
board till they reached the end of the
car. then gave them a lick or two with
the pick, and down slid the pieces into
/ the tank. Although they were rum
! ming fully fifty miles an hour, he work
/ ed just as swiftly as though they were
standing STILL Not lick was missed.
and not a cake got away from him.
\ When the box at one end of the car
was emptied he ran to the other end
! and began on the second one. When
that was emptied he climbed down
upon the tank, took off the end gate,
dropped the lid over the manhole and
came back into the cab.
"Now shut off your overflow he said
| as the fireman yielded up his seat.
Throw your tank valve over and open
/ your injector throttle. We've got to get
steam enough into the tank to melt
that ice. put in fifteen cakes. They're
/ good for twenty gallons apiece. l guess
that will let us in. In fact, it's got to, =
he continued as he glanced at the steam
gauge, ''for we can't spare steam
enough to melt any more"
From then on not word was said.
| Barney took his place on the seat box,