Evening journal., 1907-05-29
A Locomotive
Engineers Yarn.
[O-lginall

Speaking of railroad mems over
work." said the veteran locomotive en-
gineer I'VE were a good deal more
overworked thirty years ago than you
are now. The nearest 1 ever came to
being killed was-when was a young
ster just starting IN as an engineer
from running one night into a locomo-
tive standing dead on the main track.
The engineer and fiveman of the en-.
gine we butted were SO dead tired that
they had gore 10 sleep there right
where they we're sure to obstruct tho
passage Of trains.
But l bad an experience once to
beat that" he continued after biting
or a chew. 1T was when l was run
ming the night express on the r.. d.
ard y. Usually I had all the rest /
reeded, but at the time of the accident
at Tomkinsville everything was disar-
ranged. and my sleep was cut consid-
crably short. II was two DAYS after
the accident that my old friend Bob
Williams told me he was ordered to
the otkcr cnl Of the line to take the
train that ! met in the middle of the
night. lie was TO run it regularly
] thereafter and was going down with
me- He started IN the cab with me.
but at the first stop we made In about
I an hour he said he would go back into
the baggage car, rig himsef up some
sort Of brnk and go to sleep. | told
Frank Curtis. my stoSer, that / wish
ed Bob would offer to spell me at the
throttle for awhile. as l was mighty
I sleepy. Frank said he wished some
body would spell him, for he was both
sleepy and tired.
We made midnight stop at b., and
just as we were pulling out who should
climb into the cab but Williams. With
out word he took the throttle out OF
my hand, and l understood that he
! proposed TO take my place for awhile.
The stoker was sitting on the cab seat
pulling the bel, and ordering him of,
took his place, while he went back
into the tender and threw himself ON
the coal. / kept on pulling the bell,
trying to keep awake. but it was no
use. / went to sleep, though thought
was awake, for heard the bell and
was conscious Of ringing it, suppose
l was both asleep and awake, like sol
diers are sometimes in battle when
they've been marching and fighting for
long while without rest. There must
have been some wasefulness In me or
I couldn't have kept my narrow seat,
for we were rafting along at express
speed. and the road wasn't straight el-
the-.
"How long I was in this condition I
don't know. but n big lurch woke mo
up. and there on a semaDhore ahead
was tho red Starting up. I looked
over where Williams had been. and
what do you supnose-he wasn't there.
nor any one else. The engine was tear
ing along Ike mad at its own sweet
will through stations. over crossings
and bridges. past sidetracked trains
and there was the red staring us in
the face Jumped for the throttle and
slowed down. then whistled down the
brakes, for You must know that was
before the day Of the air brake. L
glanced around for Frank and saw
him laid out on the coal heap sound
asleep. yelled at him and woke him
up
"Wcl, spcak Of n mans marrow
freezing with horror. Ny whole body
was frozen with horror. Ny teeth chat
tered, and l shivered all over. We
were approaching n, and I knew that
since l had given up my place to Bob
we had run eighteen miles. How much
Of that time we had been without an
engineer ! didn't know. but I found
out that If I haGn't been Weakened ND
by the lurch just IN time to catch sight
OF the red we would have been tel
escoped into q passenger standing on
the track ut the next station ahead
"But Bob Williams what could
have happened to him? Something. Of
coursc. or kc wouldn't have left his
post. | could think OF nothing unless
he had become unconscious. fallen 70
the fioor and rolled at lurch out OF
the cab. AS soon as got the train to
a stop ] told Frank TO so back TO find
ont II any one had seen or heard OF
him. Frank came back, with blank
astonishncnt written all over his face,
and reported that Williams was cud-
died up on pile OF trunks in the bag
gage car sound asleep
Il was Obliged to wait till signalcd
TO so on and. leaving the cab. went
back to the baggage car. Sure enough.
there was Williams sleeping as peace
fully rs a newborn babe.
The dcst iCea that came into nv
head was that | had dreamed he had
come back and spelled nc, but / knew
that II | had fallen asleep without
scUe one TO take my place / would
have done so at my post. Besides.
there was Frank lie wouldn't have
gone TO sleep and dreamed the same
dream as 1. was all balled up in a
puzzle. lost no time in waking vii
liams.
"Have you heen running my en-
giner asked.
"'Nour engine? No. How could II
Either YOU or your ghost came to
me and took the throttle out Of my
hand
HE sat up. looking at me In a sort
OF dazed condition for awhile. then
suddenly turned pale.
What's the matterT asked.
~ wonder if I've been up to my old
tricks he said. catching his breath.
"'What old trlcksy
"'Why. didn't you know l was a
sleepwalEcrT