The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-09-06
Engineer Dead In Flyers Cab.

The East Flying Virginia. the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroads crack
train, which leaves Jersey City over
the Pennsylvania Railroad for the
South every evening, unknown to the
passengers aboard, was in grave dan
ger last night. There was tragedy
in the cab. Since the facts have be-
come known the officers Of the rail-
road have gone over the schedules,
marveling at the narrow chance by
which disastrous wreck, with loss
of life, was averted.
The Fast Flying Nirginian pulled
out of Jersey City at 5.25 O'Clock last
evening. The train is heavy one,
made up at this time Of year usually
Of eight cars. It always attracts no.
tice dashing through the jersey towns,
from the coler of it's coaches, which
are painted canary yellow. There
was large number Of passengers
aboard last night, and the day coach
es which are at the head Of the train,
were especially we'll filled.
The trains first stop 20 at Princeton
junction. Trenton WAS reached
few minutes before7 o'clock, and Dan
iel Mahoney, the engineer, swung
down from his cab there and walked
around the locomotive to oil the ma
chinery. A heavy thunderstorm had
just spent itself, but there were piles
of black clouds in tho West, and ear
ly as it was it was dark.
Scarcely had the train passed out of
the cut through which tho railroad
runs in Trenton and across the bridge
into Morrisville, when Mahoney de-
tected the odor Of burning waste and
sang out to his fireman that they had
hot box. The fireman went and
leaned against the engineers seat.
"Do you guess she'll carry US to
West Philadelphia" he asked.
II reckon So" Mahoney replied,
and put his head through the window,
leaning for out, looking down at the
smoking journal.
His companion went back to the red
glare Of the firebox door, and after he
had. Changed it shut climbed to his
seat on the other side of the cab.
Within few minutes he saw the in
dicator in the steam gauge swinging
back rapidly. The locomotive was
rocking and shaking viciously. Glanc-
ing out Of the window he saw trees
and fences and telegraph poles flashing
by and signal lights brushing yellow
aud red scars across the landscape.
He looked at his watch and saw that
the train was on time, but realizing
that an engineer knows his business
better that the man who shovels coal,
he slid down and set about making
up the steam the locomotive had lost.
When he had moment rest he look
ed up and saw that the train was MAX
ing more than 60 miles an hour.
As he stood looking out red light
flashed by, and after a moment an
other. He glanced questioningly at
the engineer, who in the gloom of the
cab seemed to be bending over the
throttle.
''For Gods sake, check her, Dan"
he called out. "You've gone by two
red bugs
There was no answering movement
from the engineer, and when the loco
motive had dashed past sthird danger
signal the fireman, understanding,
finally, that something was wrong,
eli mbed onto the bench at Mahoney's s
side. He saw in a moment, dark as
it was, that the man was dead. His
head had been crushed and was hang
ing from the cab window.
The fireman grasped the airbrake
lever and the throttle and brought the
runaway locomotive to stop before
the network Of switches and sidetracks
this side of Phiiadelphia was reached.
The passengers knew nothing Of their
danger, and, as the fireman took the
train or into Germantown Junction,
even the conductor did not know of
the accident until the station was
reached.
Mahoney must have leaned too far
from the cab when he was watching
the hotbox, for apparently his head
had struck post, and he must have
been killed instantly.
Mahoney's wife was killed in troll
ley accident near Newark little more
than o year ago, and he was about to
bring suit against the trolley company
for damages.
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