The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-20
Our Daily $bcrt Story

dow anu saw a IainI I.ne vI snlvAs approacning. betwsen nim and Lns sAnoAe Was tue pIiusS across IlAe he- laawAety creeA, wnAcii narAsu Lue Illu- a4e ol Cue Iine UT sinsie lracAass.
 As tue snluKe ciouu urew3 nearer. ne thousnt' ne descried tue souti,ns ol
 Oid DA.A 3" enkine.
 "Codl up there, and be quick about it!' hs shouted to nIs IiIeniAn.
 AS the cval piied into .ns flrebox the engine, wiLn d mlkhLy bound, iurcneu fvrwaro. A ciouu or bAacnsr smuke than ever rolled from Ine smokestack; the paunalng increased,
 sS nao never gon1 sv AAst before Sne Was lIaAlns straight tor the sval and hopkIns ileanL that sne should win.
 Alien had been ntently watching tns Wsavering Ilne oL Irdck as hau Hop Alias fas Could see sAe Diaek sii,.'A- veicn ouS ln great ciouds. lac Knew 1vpknns mad LAe start on h.m.
 aIIen s engine was uuI4L low to the grounu. IL Was made for heavy nauI- lhg. put Allen Anew that tnLs puiLlns power could De turned Inlof ofspeeo wneo necessary. ss'h M& &s "BIil threw the throttle. wide open and called for coal.
 Botn engines were rushing at each other as fast as steAm could turn tnelr drivers, and in the cab ot each was d determined, headstrong man. Neither cared what the consequences of Lhelr wild race might be. To reach the bridge was their only object The fireman on "93' saw oanger and attempted to argue with Hopkins This was impossible. the pounding Of 1 the engine drowned his voice. and Hopkins was not man to be turned from his purpose anyhow. His reason was lost in the mad de- sire to reach the bridge. Every nerve and fiber was strained in the contest. Mere speed was what he wanted, not arguments.
 The distance between the two en- zines grew less and ess. Allen was in the lead. They were but few hundred yards apart Hopkins slowed down little. Allen did likewise, and | the two engines grated over the bridge ties at the same time. The fireman sprang forward and Rrasped the brakes. All four men were working to stop the engines. A disastrous crash seemed inevitable. Allen re- versed and so did Hopkins The wheels were crunchinE and grinding Sand was running a, stream from the sand boxes. and the wheels whirred backward as the two engines met with crash. The men braced themselves and the concussion was not sufficient to injury them. The engines began tn back up and presently stopped. Both were somewhat disabled, but neither had left the track. The smokestack on "9s" was knocked away and the step on the front of the switch engine was torn of1.
 Slowly the two engineers moved their engines toward the middle of the bridge once more. Allen climbed down from hls seat and so did Hopkins Both were deter mined that they would not back three miles to a switch to let the other pass. Both waited. Allen looked at his watch.
 In half an hour the Pacifc express would be through! Something had to be done.
 Hopkins realized what was passing through Aliens mind. and he stepped forward.
 After a short consultation the two men. ordered their firemen from the cabs and each resumed his seat alone
 Slowly they backed apart. The dis tance between four telegraph poles from each side of the bridge separa. ted them and they stopped.
 Allen blew his whistle Hopkins an. swered. With a wild weird screech
 
 With a bound "es" shot toward the switch engine.
 With a roar and a hiss the switch engine dashed at "s9."
 On and on they rushed. Faster and faster the drivers flew. Inch bv inch the distance was lessened between them.
 With a shrielx,a roar and A crash they came together. Tn the cab win dow of each was a white, determined face of man. Both kept their nIaces noted are alike of interest to the steam l clinginR to the throttle and awaiting the awful fate that stared them in the I face.
 The two seething monsters roared plunged and hissed and ground upon the rails. Standing almost urrIo6t with their drivers flying helplessTv. the two engines paused for 9 vooroart as h to strike each other. Then thov Tell. The bridge had broken ana into the creek thev tumhled tanrIeJ mass of shapeIess iron The rteam burst ont in great clouds The hot ~oais poured from the five boxes. The tenders wavAred a norren1 the, over- esIl after the wreckaRe into the hiss inc water below.
 When the wind waited away the clouds of smoke stesvn ana dust thA-a lav the great iron ~'ants I'LA the IT, tans.t who in battle bod slain each other and fallen together in their Jeath grip.