The evening world., 1905-12-12
FACED DEATH IN
SCALD|NC STEAM
TO SAVE TRAIN
Engineer Terribly Injured,
Thought Only of
Passengers.
RESCUERS ARE SCALDED
Gas Generated in Furnace ClinkerS
and Burst When Poker
Freed It.
RESCUERS ARE SCALDED

The splendid courage e, Engineer
Waiter Richardson of the Erie Railroad
train which left Monttllir at 9c5 o'clo x
this morning, after the explosion Of a
steam pipe had hurlol him md his nre-
inan from the cab back into the tender
Is all that saved the train from being
wrecked while going at the rate Of
forty miles IN hour
Richardson half d'Zed, rlur ged into
the escaping steam, and although his
hands and face were tarboiled. man
eyed 10 nut on the mir brakes and bring
the train TO a stop There were l?j
passengers. most of them business men,
on the train 0t the time.
The acSdent happened about two
miles outside OF Jersey City. The train
was coming along Mt full speed when
there was a terrible explosion. The
steam pipe between the boiler ard
throttle valve had burst and the force
Of the explosion threw Richardson and
his fireman back onto the co.l heap
In the tender.
Landed on His Head.
The fireman landed on his head and
was so badly Jared he couldn't collect
his thoughts for some time. Richani-
son also struck on his head and was
dazed, but the thought uppermnst In
his mind was that the train was going
forty miles an hour, that there we're
four cars full OF passengers behind him
and that there was TO one at the
throttle.
Richardson pulled himself together
and managed TO get to his feet. Ahead
OF him In the cab were great cloud, OF
steam coming from the break in the
pipe.
short distance away was the long
Erie tunnel, and what the signals ahead
said he had no way Of telling That
the train must he brought to stop he
fully realized, and without hesitation
he plunged into the steam and reached
around for the air brak, lever. He
could see nothing, and his suffering
was awful, but Ne knew about where
the valve was and ne finally reached II.
lie gave 1t a yank and then staggered
out OF the cab.
As the train slowed up he and his
fireman, fearing another exclusion.
jumped to TIE ground and a few SEE
ends later the train came to stop
Engineer Badly sealded.
The conductor, trainmen and n sen.
gers piled out TO see what was tho
matter. They saw great clouds OF
steam coming from the engine, and
the engineer, supported by the fireman.
trying to stand on his feet.
AS soon as they learned what was the
matter, a call was sent to Jersey Cl,v
for help and a car OF mechanics was
sent out TO tix up the engine. Mean
while a train from Newark came up he
hind and the engine switched went 10
the head of the Mlntclair train. pulled
the broken down engine away and then
Backed the Moltclar train up against
the Newark train, making one train q,
the two In this way, with compara.
lively little delay the stalled train was
got safely to Jersey City
Engineer Richardson was sent to ,
hospital, His face and hands are In
horrible onlitlon, md It is feared ha
inhaled some OF the steam
There Is little doubt there would have
been wreck had Richardson failed
20 plunge into the scaldng steam and
turn on the air brake and the chances
ore that a clll.slon would have occurred
IN the tunnel