Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-03-29

Such hrtey as the West End nova,
saw till that night: such a firing as ths
old engine never felt IN her chokins
hues Till That night: such n firing ms
/ Dad Sinclair. king OF all West and
East End hremen. lifted his hat to
that was Burns firing that night ON
Soda Water Sal the NIGHT she chased
the Acton runlways down the line "a
! save EeOrsie Sinclair aud No
IL was frlghtful pace-how fright,
fui no one ever knew; neither old man
/ Sinclair nor Dick Burns ever cared.
Only. the crew or freight. side track.
ed for the approaching fiier. saw an
engine flying light; knew the hunter
ana the quarry. for they had seen the
runaways shoot by-saw then. n min.
/ ute after. star aud streak and n
trail OF rotten smoke fiy down the
: wind, and she had come and passed
/ aud gone
IL was Just east OF that siding. so
Burns and Sinclair always maintain
ed, but Ii measured 10000 feet east
that they caught them.
A shout from Dad brought the drip-
ping fireman up standing. and. looking
ahead. he saw In the blaze OF their
/ own headlight the string OF coalers
standing still ahead OF them-so II
seemed TO him-their own speed was
so great ana the runaways were al
most equaling Il. They were making
| forty miles an hour when they dashed
/ past the paralyzed freight crew.
without waiting for orders-what or
ders did such a man need ?-wIthout n
word Burns crawled out OF his window
with PIN and ran forward on the
footboard. clinglng the best he could as
the engine dipped and lurched. climbed
down on the cowcatcher and lifted tho
! pilot bar TO couple Ii was crazy
thing 10 attempt. lie was much like
Her TO get under tho pilot than To sue
coed, yot he tried u.
Then IL was that the fine hand OF
Dad Sinclair came into play. To tenn
per the speed enough. ana Just enough
! To push her nose Just enough and far
enough FOR Burns 10 make the draw
bar OF the runaway that was the
nicely OF the big scanned hands ON tho
throttle ANA on tho mir, the very magic
or touch which on IA slender bar OF
steel could push hundred tons OF fly
ing metal up and hold It steady In
play or six inches on the teeth OF the
gale that tore down behind him.
Again and again Burns tried TO
couple and failed. Sinclair. strnluIng
anxiously ahead. caught sight OF the
headlight Of Ma, | rounding O'Fallon's
bluffs.
lie cried 10 Burns. and. incredible
though 1t seems, the fireman heard.
Above all the Internal din. the tearing
OF the nanges and the roaring Of the
wind Burns heard the cry. IL nerved
him TO II supreme effort lie slipped the
eye once more into the draw and man
nged TO drop his pin. Up went his
J hand I'm signal.
Choking the steam. Sinclair threw
the brake shoes flaming against the
/ big drivers. The sand poured on the
rails. and with Burns up on the coalors
setting brakes the three great run
aways were brought TO with jerk
that would have astounded the most
reckless scapegraces In the world.
While the plucky fireman crept along
the top OF The freight cars TO keep
from being blown bodily through the
air. Sinclair. with every resource that
brain aud nerve and power could ex-
ert was struggling TO overcome the
terrible Roadway OF pursuer and pur-
sued. driving now frightfully into the
beaming head OF No. /.
With the Johnson bar over and the
drivers dancing gallop backward;
with the sand striking fire and the rails
burning under IL; with the old sky
scraper shlvcring again In terrific
struggle and Burns twisting the heads
off the brake rods; with every trick OF
| old Smclair's cunning and his boy du-
plcating every one OF them in the
cab or No. 18TH they came together.
! IL was too fearful momentum to
overcome. when minutes mean miles
and tons are rcckoned 10y thousands.
They came together. but instead OF
an appalling wreck destruction and
denth il was only bump. No. had
the speed wheh taey met. and II was
n car OF coal Dumped II bit sudden and
a nose oa Georgie's engine like IL full
backs after Il center rush. The pilot
doubled b.cs into the ponies. and the
headlight was secured with nut. pea
and slack. but the stuck was hardly
| bruised.
The minute they struck Georgia Sin
clair making fast and leapinR from
his cab. ran forward In the dark. pant
Ing with rage ald excitement Burns.
torch In hand. was himself just jump
Ing down 10 get forward. His face
wore It's usual grin. even when Geor-
! gle assaulted him with u torrent or
abuse.
what do you mean, you red headed
| lubbcrI' l.r shouted. with much the
lungs OF las father. whit are you
doing switching coal here on the main
! lineT'
In fact. GcJr2ie called the astonlshed
fireman cye.ythiaG be coald think OF
until his father. who waa laundering
forward Oh is side Of the engine. hear
Ing the vice. turned nnd ran around
behind the tender to take n hand him