The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-15
Under the
q rai n
Story Of q Thrilling Ride
on the Brake Rods
of an Express.
Hotv a Railroad Foreman
Journeyed From London to
Cronfbon1 at Seventy
Miles an Hour.

| 1t was a thrilling and unique expert
| ence which befell John Exc. a foreman
| on the Great Northern railway Cling
ing to an iron rod he travelled under
meath the Manchester express from
London to Granthnm. distance Of
| over no miles. ut Il speed Of nearly
seventy miles an hour. Mr.. Exc Is the
foreman at Kings Cross station, Lon
don, and it Is his duty to inspect the
brakes attached to oil the trains Here |
is the story In Mr.. Eke's own words:
The Manchester express. due to leave
Kings Cross ut . r. H.. was standing |
by its accustomed platform waiting for
the signal to start My last observa
ton as to the brakes being right Is
generally made by walking along the
train on the side away from the plat
form, and OH the afternoon In question
was doing this part Of my duty as
usual. "
While walking along heard the
slight Kissing which betokens Il small
leakage IN the vacuum brake. and got
down under the carriage to put 1t right.
certainly made a mistake In not call
Ing out to the guard or driver that !
was going to do this While ut work
l became conscious of little jerk and
Of the train moving forward slightly.
OF this. however, | hardly took notice.
nor did 1t alarm me, and went on
with my work. going forward for a
step or two with the moving carriage.
Then It dawncd on me that the train
was really going faster. was In
qunndary, ! could not get out at the
sides nor could lie down and let the
, train pass over me. for owing to the
construction OF that particular car
rage 1t would not have passed along
without serious injury to me.
My resolution was quickly made. 1t
came to me like lightning fash. My
only hope OF safety consisted IN lying
nat on the brake itself So passed
my log across q transverse rod under
the carriage and plnGcd myself length
vice as far as ! could stretch on the
brake. AS lay there ! could feel the
train gathering speed. md then almost
Tor the first time there burst upon mo
| Win WI INV UOTEOI INV lIeuuAu W STukNs
Tho express WAS fairly on on its long
Journey, lO5 miles without stopping,
two hours run. In some places going
more than seventy miles an hour.
When Welwyn tunnel. twenty-five
miles from London. was reached my
whole body was numb. shut my eyes
as often and as much MS could. for
the terrible speed made the ground. so
close to my face, seem to be flying
away from beneath me SO fast that !
got dizzy. was also nearly blinded by
dust. Ny face began to be cut with the
small stones and grit that We're dash
J ing past me with the forge Of big hail
stones in severe storm, and the roar
of the train deafeped mo and pumbed
my senses.
should probably have had to give
up the struggle for life owing to the
awful cramp in my limbs had 1t not
been for lucky chance.
was beginning to feel more COM
Portable In my strange position-at any
rate. more secure-from having lasted
out SO far. But would my grasp bold
good or would my muscles presently
refuse to do my bidding and send me
hurtling down among these flying
. wheels pounding along at fearful
> speed? That would assuredly happen
unless I coulG obtain a little respite
from the strain. SO with some risk
aad With much nervousness as to the
! result I lot 60 With one hand to rest it
/. and chung only by the other. When
| 10 NIro
:. a heaven sent help. After that rested
my hands alternately as we hew along.
5 Before we got to Peterborough the
speed almost attained its maximum,
T being c,ose upon seventy miles an
a hour. knew that we should slow
down a good deal In order to go
i through the station, and yelled out
: my hardest as we did SO in the hope
that somebody either near the perma-
nent way or on the platform would
q hear me and effect my rescue. BY this
!, time my face was bleeding freely from
o the stone cuts, for the flying pebbles
. cut IKE whiplash. and l can hardly
. imagine what l must have looked like
9 caked with dirt and dust.
we went fhrO0gn the station, ana my
d heart sank within me, for no one heard
Il nv cries. In spite Of this dishearten-
Ing fact I remembered that we had
gone seyepty-seyen miles, more than
n two-thirds OF the Journey. and pre-
y pared for last great fight for MY life.
d After succeeding so far it would be
. terrible to succumb now, thought
I did not underrate the task before
= me- knew my strength was failing.
n I knew my limbs might refuse to hold
n on any longer from sheer exhaustion,
i however clear my mind might be and
however determined was not to give
: III. knew that the speed between
b Peterborough and Grantham, especial
IN az we reared the latter, would eY-