Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-11-17

and straining for moment and gather
ing speed as the throttle opened wider.
She seemed to be stiff ut first from long
standing, but as she warmed up she
loosened her joints and at the end OF
the first mile she was whirling along
with the throttle wide open. The race
for life against the insatiate flood had
begun and Jim Moore sat with eyes
straining forward over his engine as q
driver looks over his horse, flying
through the last quarter with the wire
Just ahead. Twenty miles meant only
as many minutes under ordinary cir
cumstances. but these were not ordinary
circumstances. A hundred lives and =
great engine and train OF cars were In
the engineers keeping, and an angry
food, eager to destroy, was creeping
swiftly upon him to take them to itself.
Five miles out into the rushing sea
and as the last car Of the train rolled
across a trestle II swayed under the
contending forces of weight and water
and fell into the torrent, leaving in an
instant a gap where an instant before
the train had been. On they sped. and
the bridge over the river was In sight.
The water had risen to the tracks be-
tween the train and the bridge, and
Moore hesitated. It was as II he were
plunging into the very river ITSELF for
there was a wide spread of water In
which no sign of track appeared, and
the road might be washed out.
How is It, Dick?" he shouted to his
fireman, who from his side OF the cab
was looking forward.
Wet" yelled Long in response, pale
and frightened. but with his nerve still
holding good.
Watch the fire." commanded Moore,
with grim smile. and the engine
dashed into the unknown. The water
! flew out at either side from the great
drivers in clouds OF spray. drenching
the cab. but the track was firm and the
train passed through safely and onto
the bridge. The long slender structure
swayed and creaked and groaned. and
the waters reared beneath, but the net
work Of steel held. and the river was
behind them. Beyond the bridge for
half a mile the water obliterated the
track again. but the engineer did rot
stop to make inquiries. 1t was death
one way or the other-slow II he
stopped; sudden II he went ahead and
there was no track, and he chose the
quicker route.
Safely again. and on. over another
trestle which stood until the train was
half mile beyond. when it toppled
into the food and floated of down the
stream. Five miles more. now. and
the range of low hills with their eleva-
ton and safety rose before the hurry
ing train. The engine was whirling
along at mile minute. and but five
minutes were needed to carry them from
the jaws of death. Suddenly the track
sank and the engine plunged. Engineer
and fireman chung to their places, help
less. but the wheels stayed on the rails
and the engine dashed ahead. The water
poured into the firebox and clouds of
steam enveloped the men in the cab.
The steam in the boiler went down as
the water rose. but the engine struggled
on as II conscious of the peril, and in
a moment had caught the solid track
again, and with a groan and shrek
as of pain. yet OF triumph, she dashed
out of the water and to the firm earth
once more.
But she was not making a mile a
minute now. 1t was all she could do
to turn a wheel; but above the fl0
she gained heat and steam again, an
ten minutes later the train pulled into
little station on the high ground and
the danger had been passed.
White faced and trembling passen-
gers came hurrying from the cars to
the engine with all kinds of praise and
congratulations and purses, but Moore
and his fireman were quite calm. They
were as badly shaktn up as any pas
senger they pulled. worse perhaps. but
they were not showing II to the public
and in another ten minutes the train
was running on to Bridgeport as II moth
ing had happened.
Got any tobacco, Dick?" asked Moore
when things were moving smoothly.
Long handed him over big plug Of
the juicy black kind
Well" said the engineer biting of
a generous chew this amt exactly the
kind of Thanksgiving eating was figur'
ing on, but / am darned glad to be able
to get away with It."
ME, too" said Dick as he bit on Z
hunk and heaved sigh Of relief.
No. AZ arrived in Bridgeport ten hour
after dinner time.-Detroit Free Press