Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-28

que 10 go out on NO. Is, which is CafOe
to leave at IL D. M
Murphy didn't like il a bit, but
swung a blum that 1t was all the same t
me. We got down to the train shed, n
lay aroun' quite space after our leavin
time, there bein a wreck somewhere al
the main line, n the station mastel
holdin us until they got way through
'As fortified blum on this supersti
ton business, I'd a made Gibraltar looh
like the plains of peace, but confess
that my hair became less FESTIVE n more
apt to assume a reclinin posture as the
hands of my watch moved steadily on
ward toward midnight n the prospects
we're good for two of our hoodoos bein'
scratched and sent back when It got to
be Saturday, the 14th.
Thirteen, the number of our train,
however, would still be doing business
at the old stand However, I'm strong
on grapplin' with IL alone n single
handed as a hoodoo.
shortly after midnight on Saturday
the 18th, we got a signal to go along, with
runnin' orders over the Bergen county,
a short cut through the meaders. the
main line still bein blocked. This short
cut 'ul make the way of the transgressor
look like an asphalted boulevard, it's so
rough m crooked Why, came over
there with dairy m egg train one night,
n when l got in the eggs were all
scrambled n the milk was churned to
butter.
After we got started ! set ~ nerve
again, n mebbee we didn't do the first
few miles of that old branch! why, we'd
a made the Twentieth Limited look like
a pushcart at parade rest.
Coin up through theswamps, 1 could
see a headlight fashin n scintillatin'
through the trees, but paid no attention
to it, thinkin' it was on the eastbound
track. Just before we got to Ten Degree
curve, | stoops over to see what was the
matter with the sand valve n when |
Strengthened up again after gittin' it adj
justed to my satisfaction, great jumpin',
bumpin' blocksI if that headlight / saw
comm through the swamp wasn't com
in straight at me on the westbound
track.
Il could see it was light engine, with |
no cars. 1t was one of em switcbin'
dinkles, n looked like a watch charm
alongside the monster was drivin'.
My first impulse was to jam on the
air n do my best to stop, but by some
very quick thinkin' / figured out that my
engine n the train behind it bein heavy
we had more show by putin on full
steam than if we'd slack up, so breathin'
a prayer for the men on the other engine,
pulled her wide open n dropped her
down in the corner. From the speed we
we're goin' saw that we'd come together
light on the point of the curve. The
light engine swingin round, we had a
rood chance of knockin her from the
rack.
Murphy was down on his knees in the
ank, prayin' for all he was worth, N
losed my eyes in reverence, bracin' my
eet n waitin' for the crash. We lurched
lroun' the curve as if we would leave the
'ails but my engine KEEP her pins.
leard a hissin' n whirrin' noise by my
'ars n muffled conclusion.
Then l opened my eyes to find us
out on the straight track
Ihead n moyin along as if nothin' had
happened. The light engine was no
where in sight The 10 was gittin in its
little knock
Murph, did you see a engine comm
toward US, them say TO Mike, thinkin
perhaps I'd been asleep.
"'Sure n did walls Murphy, IN
We'll niver git home aloive this night
We'll, we stopped n looked aroun,
assisted by the train crew We could |
find no marks of collision on my en-
CINE. The recent rains n damp weather
had left about is inches of water GOVERN
the mud bottoms, to the right of the |
track. There was a little cloud of steam
comm off this lake, but as it was always |
more or less foggy there we thought |
nothing of 1t.
THE conductor thought was givin'
him pipe dream, guess, for after few |
minutes he suggested that we move on,
seem as we were some late anyway. | |
followed his suggestion.
Before we got in with our train Sat
urday morning I'd fully resolved to quit |
the business, havin' seen so many
strange things lately. When / reached
the round house found message from
the master mechanic askin' me If I'd
seen anythin' OF switch engine 1918 along
the Bergen county that night She'd
slipped her throttle at Cheechunk round
house n the last seen of her she was
beatin' it east on the westbound track at
a 45-mile an hour clip. She hadn't been
seen east Of Ten Degree curve.
We'll, sir, had the solution n
wired 1t to EN- hotfoot. told 'em they'd
probably find her imbedded in the mud
near Ten Degree curve
'Yessir, that was her saw comm at
me round that curve. She was goin' so
fast, m bein' light, with no cars to steady
her, when she started to take the curve
she jumped the rails n buried herself
in the mud n water in the swamp, hun
bred feet to the right Of the track. They
dug her up, but never put her in commits
sion again, as she was famous for run
min away."-N. Y. Sun