The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-06-14


The announcement that the railroad
which owns the famous Horseshoe
curve, five miles west of Altoona. Pa.
Is about 10 tunnel under the mountain
there and abandon the old line over it.
will be received with pleasure by many
railroad men, especially by the brake
men who, in winter and summer, in
ran, SHOW, sleet and sunshine, have
had to ride on the roofs of freight cars,
braking heavy trains down this ire
mendous grade. The curve lies down
a mountainside, into and out of an i'm
mense "coye" in the mountains, with
deep chasm yawning at the brink OF
the outer Of four tracks. Coal, coke
and iron from the Pittsburg district
go east that way, and often come down
the curve at terrific speed. The brake
men run along the tops of the swaying
cars with stout sticks. which they twist
In the brake wheels for additional lev
erage- The bulk OF the traffic is with
In the State, SO that the air-brake Law
does not greatly affect it.
In snowy weather the dangers for the
brakeman are increased many fold. and
give rise to many thrilling escapades-
and some failures to escape. A Chicago
party travelling east on the limited
train were helpless witnesses to what
fortunately was merely thrilling. The
limited was speeding eastward on the
second track from the edge Of the
chasm. The day was snowy and windy.
and the platform Of the observation car
at the end of the train was full of
heavy snow. Nevertheless, the prospect
Of the ride down the Horseshoe tempt.
ed the party outside, where they stood
sheltered by the projecting wall of the
car.
Almost at the summit they overlook
a freight train on the outer tract,
which shut Off their view. The freight
was soon running as fast as the ex-
press. The tops OF the cars were COW
cred with snow. and the train was
swaylng frightfully, so that It seemed
every moment as II it must leave the
track.
Along the top Of that swaying train
came a brakeman running. stick In
hand. to set the brakes. How he kept
bis footing a moment was a mystery
to them as they watched him in expec-
tation Of seeing him dashed to death !:
yet for a time by wonderful skill he
ran along each car, jumped from one
to the other. and kept to the running
board. But at last he slipped, missed
his footing, threw up his hands, and
shot suddenly, horribly. feet first, to-
ward the chasm on the other side.
The men on the passenger train were
sick at heart. but they could do moth
Ing They thought the man was gone.
Then suddenly they saw his stick wav-
Ing in the air over the roof of the car |;
and one, climbing to the rail. discoy
cred that in falling he had caught the
rtlnning-board with one hand. ard was
hanging over the cEasm thus supported.
1t did not seem possible for a man
so to hang for more than a moment.
Far less did it look as If he could pos
sibly climb back. Yet while they
watched absolutely powerless to aid
him, the hand which held the stick
waved uncertainty in the air for a
minute longer. then turned until the
stick caught under the running-boarJ
The brakeman pulled himself with that
leverage until he could catch that
hand, too, on the board, and soon ND
he scrambled to the roof, his face
scratched, his cap gone, but the whole
man there.
He gave single white-faced glance
down into the chasm he had ESCAPED.
shook himself, felt of his arms, STOPPED
down and picked up his stick, and then
with a glance along the roof. sped to
the next car, and began again the task
of setting brakes, for which there was
evidently the most urgent need.
When the foot of the curve was