The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-02-07


west of Griffin, coming down a forty
mile grade like Il cannon ball III 30
could be stopped Mt Calendar, she
could be laid by in five minutes out OF
the way OF the certain destruction
ahead OF her on the main line. Gala
han seized the key and began calling
"Cn." He pounded until the call burn
ed into his fingers. 1t was an age be-
fore Calendar answered. Then Gala
hans order fed:
Hold 50. Answer quick"
And Calendar answered: "Fifty-nine
just pulling out OF upper yard. Too
late to stop her. What's the matterY
Callahan struck the table with his
clinched fist, looked wildly about him,
then sprang from the chair, ran to the
window and threw up the sash. The
moon shone bit through the storm of
sand. but there was not soul In sight.
There We're lights in the roundhouse a
hundred yards across the track. He
| pulled revolver every railroad man
| out there carried one those days-and
! covering one OF the roundhouse win
! ows, began firing. 1t was a risk.
| There was one chance, maybe, to a
thousand OF his killing a night man.
But there We're thousand chances to
one that a whole train load of men and
women would he killed inside of thirty
| minutes if he couldn't get help. He
chose window in the machinists' sec
ton, where he knew no one usually
went nj night. He poured bullets into
! the unucky easement as fast as pow
der could carry them. Reloading rap
| idly, he watched the roundhouse door,
| and, sure enough almost at once. it
was cautiously opened. Then lie fired
into the air one. two, three. four. five,
siX-and he saw man start for the
station on the dead run. He knew, too,
ny the tremendous sweep OF his legs
that it was Ole Anderson, the night
foreman, the man of all others he
wanted.
"Ole," cried the dispatcher, waving
his arms frantically as the giant Swede
leaped across the track and looked up
from the platform below, "go get
Bucks. I've got a runaway train 60
ing against 30. For your life, Ole,
rum"
The big fellow was into the wind
with the word. Bucks boarded four
blocks away Callahan, slamming
down the window, took the key and
began calling Rowe. Rowe is the first
station east Of Jackson. 1t was now
the first point at which the runaway
coal train could bs headed
'R-o. R-o." he ratified. The operator
must have been sitting on the wire,
for he answered at once. As fast as
Callahan's fingers could talk he told
Rowe the story and gave him orders to
get the night agent, who, he knew,
must he down TO sell tickets for 80,
and pile all the ties they could gather
across the track TO derail the runaway
train. Then lie began humping for
Kolar, the next station east OF Rowe
and the second ahead OF the runaways.
He pounded and he pounded. and when
the man at Kolar answered Callahan
could have sworn lie had been asleep
just from the way he talked. Does 1t
seem strange? There are many strange
things about dspatcher's senses.
'
house track and open for runaway
train, Set brakes hard on your emptes
on siding TO spill runaways II possible
DO anything and everything to keep
them from getting by you, Work
quick"
Behind Kolar's q. X, came n frantic
call from Rowe. "Runaways passed
here like streak. Knocked the ties
into toothpicks. Couldn't head them"
Callahan didn't wait to hear any
more. He only wiped the sweat from
his face. 1t seemed forever before
Kolar spoke again. Then 1t was only
to say, "Runaways went by here be-
fore night man could get to switch and
open IT,"
Would Bucks never come? And if
he did come, what on earth could stop
the runaway train now? They were
beading into the worst grade on the
West End. 1t averages l per cent
from Kolar 10 Griffin, and there we get
down off the Cheyenne hills with long
reverse curve and drop into the canyon
nf the RlackwOQd with u 3 per cent
grade Callahan, almost beside him
self threw open north window TO
look for Bucks. Two men were flying
down Main street toward the station.
lie knew them II was Ole and Bucks.
But Bucks. Never before or since
was seen on street OF MCCloud such |
n figure az Bucks. In his trousers and |
slippers, with his nightshlrt free as he |
sailed down the wind In another In |
stant he was bounding up the stairs.
What have you dOneY he painted. |
throwing himself into the chair. Cal
lahan told him. Bucks held his head
In his hands while the hoy talked. He
turned TO The sheet-asked quick for 80. |
Shes out Of Calendar | tried
hard TO stop her. didn't lose "A sec
ond; she was gone"
Barely an instant Bucks studied the
sheet. Routed out OF sound sleep
after an eight hour trick and on sIch
a night by such a message. the mar
vel was he could think at ALL much
less set "A trap which should save
30. In twenty minutes from the time
Bucks took the key the two trains
would be together. Could he save the
Callahan didn't believe 1t.
A sharp, quick call brought Grimm,
We had one Of the brightest lads ON
the whole division Mt Grimm. Gala
han, listening. heard Grlfiin answer
Bucks ratified question How the
heart hangs on the faint, uncertain
tick of sopnder when human liyes
hang ON II!