Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-08-15
ENGINEER DEAD IN CAB.

The "Fast FLYING Nlrglnian, ol the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which
leaves Jersey City over the Pennsylvania
Railroad for the south every evening,
was. unknown to the passengers aboard,
in grave danger Sunday night. There
was tragedy in the cab. Since the
facts have become known the officers OF
the railroad have gone over the schedules,
marveling at the narrow chance by
which a disastrous wreck, with loss OF
life, was ayerted
The Fast Flying Virginian pulled out
of jersey City at 5:25 o'clock Sunday
evening. The train is heavy one,
made up at this time of year usually OF
eight ears. 1t always attracts notice
dashing through Jersey towns, from the
color OF ls coaches, which are painted a
canary yellow. There was large num-
Der of passengers aboard Sunday night,
and The day coaches, which are at the
head of the train, were especially well
filled.
The trains first stop is at Princeton
Junction Trenton was reached few
minutes before Z o'clock, and Daniel
Mahoney, the engineer, swung down
from the cab there and walked around
the locomotive to oil the machinery A
heavy thunderstorm had just spent itself,
but others were piling black clouds in
the west, and, early as it was, it was
dark.
Scarcely had the train passed out OF
the cut through which the railroad runs
in Trenton and across the bridge into
Morrisvile, when Mahoney detected the
odor of burning waste and sang out to his
firemeu that they had hot box. The
iremen went aud leaned against the en-
gineer's seat.
"Do you guess she'll carry us to West
Philadelphia" he asked.
'I reckon so" Mahoney replied, and
put his head through the window, lean
ing far out looking down at the smoking
journal.
His companion went back to the red
glare of the irebox door, and after he
had changed it shut climbed TO his seat
on the other side of the cab. Within a
few minutes he saw the indicator in the
steanrgauge swinging back rapidly. The
locomotive was rocking aud shaking Vi
ciously. Glancing out Ct the window he
saw trees and fences and telegraph poles
flashing by and signsl lights brushing
yellow and red scars across the the land
scape. He looked at his watch aud saw
the train was on time, but, realizing
that an engineer knows his business bet
ter than the man who shovels coal, Ee
slid down and set about making up the
steam the locomotive had lost. When
he had moments rest he looked up and
saw that the train was making more than
60 miles an hour.
AS he stood looking out red light
flashed by, and after moment another.
He glanced questioningly at the engi-
neer, who in the gloom of the cab seem
ed to be bending over the throttle.
"For Gods sake, check her, Dan -
he called cut. "You've gone by two
red bugs"
There was no answering movement
from the engineer, and when the loco
motive had dashed past third danger
signal. the fireman, understanding,
finally, that something was wrong,
climbed onto the bench at Maboney''
side. He saw in moment, dark as Il
was. that the man was dead. His heat
: had been crushed and was hanging from
the cab window.
The fireman grasped the airbrake leyel
and the throttle and brought the run
away locomotive to stop before the net
work of switches and sldetracks outside
of Philadelphia was reached. The pas
sengers knew nothing Of their danger
and, as the fremen took the train OF
into Germantown junction, even the con
ductor did not know of the accident untl
the station was reached
Mahoney must have leaned too ia
from the cab wien he was watching thu
hoibox, for apparently his head struck
post. and he must have been killed in
stantly.