The Greeley tribune., 1907-03-28


saw men get up and Fan nn,,
with s,,s | was shwerlng and wet
"a l., LAT The stairway was crush.
eo mo kindiing wood. I climbed "9 nn,
- Window, down on the roof NJ
w ,'eSnt platform and so to the
o"A' There was Il running tn and
ny useless and almless; men were he,
81. ".ha,, ,"s"s'IvrS. They plunged through
W. up 10 their knees at every step
o"re above the frantic kissing
"urIcR skyscrapcr and the wild
chilli OF the ear links, | heard the
slen'o''ah tones Of Ncighbor, mounted
on !. twisted truck, organizing the mon
~ n"'", mo wrecklng gang. Soon
Peop'e began running up the yard to
" mne'' tue SkFscraper lay. like another
s"Aso" prostrate in the midst of the
aestrucuoh II had wrought. Foremost
annoi's me excited men, covered with
ulrt ana blood, staggered Dad Hamil.
ton.
Where's McNeal?" cried Neighbor
n'ilton pointed to the wreck.
" ny didn't he jump" yelled Neigh.
Dor.
hahl'Iton pointed at the twisted sig.
nal tower; the red right still burned In
II.
You changed the signals on him."
he cried say0gely. what does it
mean: W" had right against every.
thing. What does it mean?" he raved
In frenzy.
Neighbor answered him never n
word; he only put his hand on Dads
shouldrr
"F1nI him first. Find him. he re-
peated with a strain In his voice 1
never hclrl till then. and the two
giants hurried away together. When
l reachnl the slIyscraper, buried In the
thick OF the smash. roaring like a vol
cano. Do" pair We're already into the
jam Hkr brace of ferrets, hunting
for the engine crews. 1t seemed an
hour. though It was much less, before
they foum' any one; then they brought
out 55s fireman. Neighbor found him.
But his back was broken. Back again
they wor1ci through twisted trucks.
under srlinlrred beams-in and around
and overlooked with heat, blinded
by steam shouting as they groped,
listening for word or cry or gasp.
Soon We heard Dads voice ina diff.
ferent cry. one that meant everything
and the wreckers, turning like beavers
through dozen blind trails, gathered
all close to the hig fireman. He was
under great piece of the cab where
none could follow, and he was crying
for bar They passed him bar
other men careless of life and limb
tried to crawl under and in to him. bu
he warned them back. Who but ,
man Baked twenty years in an engine
cab coull stand the steam that poured
ON him where he lay?
Ncighbor Just outside, flashing
light, heard the labored strain of hi
breathiug. saw him getting half VI
bend to the bar. and saw the iron Civ
like lead IN his hands as he prize
nightly.
Neighbor heard and told me long af
erward. how the old man flung the ba
away Eth an imprecation and erie
| for soSostg- help him, for n ininu
meant life now The boy lying pinne
under the shattered cab was roastin
in Il ictof live steam. The master m'
chanlc crept In.
BY signs Dad told him what to d
and lien, getting on his knees, craw
ed strtight into the dash of the whit
crawled into it and got the ca
on hi, shoulders.
Crouching an instant, the giant mus
clcs of his back set in tremendou
effort The wreckage snapped an
groaued, the knotted legs slowly an
painfully Strengthened, the cab for
passing instant rose in the air, and /
that Instant Neighbor dragged Georgi
McNcal from out the wise Of death an
passed him. like pinch bar, to tn
men waiting next behind. Then Neigf
Dor pulled Dad back, blind now an
senscless. When they got the old fire
man out he made pitiful struggle t
pull himself together. He tried t
stand up, but the sweat broke owe
him. and he sank in heap at Neigh
bor's feet.
That was the saving Of George Nc
Neal and out there they still tell yo'
about that lift Of Dad Hamilton's.
We put him on the cot at the hos
pta next to his engineer. George
drcadfully bruised and scalded, cam'
on fast in spite of his hurts. but th'
doctor said Dad had wrenched ten
don in that frightful effort, and he LAY
there a very sick and very old maj
long after the young engineer was W
and round telling of his experience
"yhen we cleared the chutes l sa"
wi signals, thought" he said to me
at Dads bedside. II knew we had the
right Of way over everything. 1t was
n hustle anyway on that schedule. MIR
Reed, YOU know that-an awful hustle
Will our load. I never choked her n
notch to run the yards. Didn't mean
TO do it with the Junction grade to
OF 81, 80 Inf