The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-10

ca
sruch has been said and written
about fast runs made on roads leading
been selected as space annihilators and
various engineers have been made he
roes. All of the stories have been well
told. and largely read for there is
thrill and fascination about wild
ride that makes the heart pulsate and
throb with unwonted force. Peace
hath its victories no less renowned
than war. There is one run that has
never been written up. The dusty
train sheet in Montgomery shows the
exact figures as told here. The tell
ing of it does not involve any blood
curdling, bone breaking. hair raising,
nerve SCATTERING experience. There
were no frightful sights or proximity
to death or impending doom or death.
1t was simply a great run on win
ter's night when a long train ioaaeo
with precious human lives and Vaiua-
BILE mail and baggage, drifted over
ITS miles of massive steel rails IKE
a rock drops through the BIRD hauhteo
air. No double head lines in the news
papers told of the wondrous midnight
ride or of the terrific flight. 1t was
simply the business transaction oI
great railroad and good men.
On a winter night in January OF TINS
year train No. Sc on the A. 81 w. +.
R. R. made the run mentioned. me
writer spent seven years OF his Ire
on that road in many capacities ana on
the night in question he obtained per-
mission to ride with engineer Jas.
Hicks on the mammoth 81 along with
Clarence L. Wickersham, travelling
passenger agent.
That night train No on the L.
& NJ r. r. going north, from New
Orleans to Cincinnati was four hours
late. 1t was due in Montgomery at
615 D. m. and western No. SO should
leave at $40, The l.. & N. had left
the old French city late. In the early
morning it's quaint houses with cum
ming gables, its flowers and memories
were left while the fast train thund-
cred through the swamps and marsh
es, glided over trestles and bayous,
skinned rivers and inlets of the Gulf.
and the whistle mumbled mournfully
among the lofty expresses and ever
greens. White villas dotted the Gulf
at places and the scene was like I'M
to that of soft italian scenery. Sim
ously and subtly the serpentine train
glided into and out of Mobile. up the
long business street, along the river
front, among the immense shipping
1t hummed and roared and flew. Mile
after mile was passed and the long
train of Pul1mans and coaches looked
like black snake of monstrous size
with eyes of fire, gliding through
dense forest after the night had lower
ed gloomily over the earth.
Under the magnificent car shed in
Montgomery at 1900 p. m. stood en-
CINE 81 of the Western of Alabama,
To ~" TO in
charge. The baggage car was attach
ed to the engine. The rest of the
train being made up from No. 4 on
it's arrival. Conductor Zach Martin of
SO Luckin Street, Atlanta, who for
over thirty years has presided over
a bell cord on the West Point Route
waited under the shed lantern in
hand. Both he and Hicks were used
to delayed connections. They did not
worry at all, but simply thought of
the long ride before them, and of their
families in far off Atlanta.
Hundred pound steel rails on oak
ties, ballasted with white granite, were
the ties that bound the two capital
cities and were the silvery ribbons ov-
err which the monster engine 81 and
mighty train were to roll Far to the
south at last there came the calling
for q road crossing by the engine of No.
Ing. Gusts of wind carried it gloomi-
ly and fitfully around the corners and
the wind whimpered up the streets and
around the caves of the houses like
hurt spaniel. Shutters creaked and
awnings tapped as ,Hough to an
nounce that spirits were abroad in the
land, but all this was forgotten for
all at once came the long call to the
southwark of the station signal for
ha nd
mist a light flared out like a rifle shot
and No. 4 dripping like a worn out
race horse, foam covered but victory
crowned. clanked sombrely in and with
a hiss and a roar stopped short under
tho cold clasp of the automatic brakes.
The inspector banged at the wheels
with large hammer hunting for de-
fects. there was a sound of hurry
ing to and fro for Montgomery's capt.
tai was gathered there, the beauty and
the chivalry' as well as some that did
not belong to that class. Trucks
were scurrying about. The big sawed
off switch engine snatched the cars
like a bad boy stealing apples and ran
out into the darkness only to return
quickly upon another track to place the
Atlanta cars. No. lit out for the
north. 1t snapped around the sharp
curve like a knife shuts and was gone
night like retreating dragon of myth
illogical days.
On the Western train busy men were
packing journals. getting orders, load
ing baggage, adjusting brakes. po-
liceman fon the street now grown ST.
lent crept closely to the walls to shun
the cold rain drops. Engine az black
as night with no sign of color was
standing like a great rolling mill on
wheels. slick, prim and massive. IT
looked as large as a Pullman car or
like whale back in a dry dock. Now
and then the air pump gave a throb
like a beat of a great heart Al
times handful of white steam would
sneak out of the gauge or whistle and
sing its way to freedom. Nothing else
on the great bulk of iron and steeI
betokened life. Engineer Hicks was
an old man on the Western Railway
when he was boy. He knew the
crookf, turns, trestles and bridges.
He knew the cuts and fills, the dips
and rises and the long straights AS
a fireman on work and freight trains
he had learned by feeling" where the
trains would roll faster than steam
would push them and where every