The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26

we worked on our time card, Neigh
Dor, in the dispatcher's Office across
the hall, figured out that the wheat
train would enrich the company just
eleven thousand dollars, tolls and
premium. If it doesn't break in two
on the Beverly HILL" growled Neigh
Dor, with a qualm.
On the dispatcher's sheet, which is
a sort of a panorama, 1 watched the
big train whirl past station after sta
ton, drawing steadily nearer 10 US,
and doing it, the marvel, on full pas
senger time. 1t was a great feat, and
George. McNeal, whose nerve and
brain were guiding the tremendous
load. was breaking records with every
milestone.
They were due in Harvard at
o'clock. The first 4, our flyer, pulled in
and out on time, meeting 55, the west
bound overland freight. at the second
station east of Harvard-Redbud.
Neighbor and 1 sat with the dis
patchers, up in their office smoking.
The wheat train was now due from the
west. and, looking at my watch, 1
stepped to the western window. Almost
Immediately I heard the long peculiarly
Ting for the upper yard.
She's coming" 1 exclaimed
The boys crowded to the window, but
Neighbor happened to glance TO the
east.
What's that coming in from the
junction. Bailey?" he exclaimed, turn
ing to the local dispatcher. We looked
and saw a headlight in the east.
That's S."
Where do they meet?"
"Fifty-five takes the long siding in
from the junction" = which was two
miles east and she ought TO be on
it right now added the dispatcher.
anxiously looking over the master
mechanics shoulder.
Neighbor jumped as if a bullet had
struck him. She'll never take a siding
tonight. She's coming down the main
track. What's her orders?" he demand
ed. furiously.
Meeting orders for first at Redbud,
second here. IS at Glencoe. Great
Jupiter," cried the dispatcher. and his
face went sick and scared, they've
forgotten second 4.
They'll think of her a long time
dead" roared the master mechanic.
savagely, jumping to the west window.
Throw your red lights. There's the
skyscraper now,"
Her head shot that instant around
the coal chutes. less than mile away,
and 55 going dead against her. 1 stood
like one palsied, my eyes glued on the
burning eye of the big engine. AS she
whipped past a street arc light 1
caught a glimpse of George McNeaFs
head out of the cab window. He al
ways rode bareheaded if the night was
warmg and knew it was he; but sud
denly, like a fash. his head went in.
I knew why as well as if my eyes were
his eyes and my thoughts his thoughts.
He had seen red signals where he had
every right TO look for white.
But red signals now-to stop her-to
pull ner fat on her launches like a
bronco? Shake a weather flag at a
cyclonei
l saw the fire stream from her driv-
ers; 1 knew they were churning in the
sand; knew he had twenty air cars
behind him sliding. What of it?
Two thousand tons were sweeping
forward like an avalanche. What did
brains or pluck count for now with
right into the teeth of it.
1 don't know how the vtner men felt.
AS for me, my breath choked in my
throat, my knees shook and deadly
nausea seized me. Unable to avert the
horrible blunder, 1 saw It's hideous re-
suits.
Darkness hid the worst of the sight;
it was the sound that appalled,. Chill
dren asleep in sod shanties miles from
where the two engines reared in awful
shock. jumped in their cribs at that
crash 55s little engine barely checked
the skyscraper. She split it like a
banana. She bucked like a frantic
horse and leaped fearfully ahead. There
was binding explosion, a sudden
awful burst of steam; the windows
crashed about our ears, and We were
dashed TO the wall and floor like lead
pencils. A baggage truck, whipped up
from the platform below, came through
the heavy sash and down on the dis
patcher's table like a brickbat, and as
we scrambled to our feet a shower of
wheat suffocated US. The floor heaved;
freight cars slid into the depot like bat
tering-rams. In the height of the con-
fusion an oil tank in the yard took fire
and threw yellow glare on the ghast-
ly scene.
I saw men get up and fall again to
their knees; 1 was shivering and wet
with sweat. The stairway was crushed
into kindling wood. 1 climbed out a
back window, down on the roof Of the
freight platform and so TO the ground.
There was a running to and fro, use
less and aimless. Men were beside
themselves. They plunged through
wheat UP TO their knees at every step.
All at once, above the frantic kissing
of the buried Skyscraper and the wild
calling Of the car thinks, l heard the
stentorian tones Of Neighbor, mounted
on a twisted truck, organizing the men
az hand into wrecking gang. Soon
people began running up the yard to
where the skyscraper lay, like another
Samson, PROSTATE in the midst OF the
destruction it had wrought. Foremost
among the excited men, covered with
dirt and blood, staggered Dad Hamil-
ton.
Where's McNeal?" cried Neighbor.
Hamilton pointed to the wreck.
why didn't he jump?" yelled Neigh
Dor.
Hamilton pointed at the twisted sig
nal tower. The red light still burned
in. il.
You changed the signals on himl'