La Junta tribune., 1907-10-19
n the yAs1 took fire and threw . yel
how glare on the CHASTITY scene.

saw mea get up and fall again to
| their knees. | was shivering and wet
with sweat The stairway was crush
ed Into kindllng wood climbed out
q back window. down on the roof OF
the freight platform and SO to the
ground. There was running to and
fro. useless and aimless; men were be-
side themselves. They plunged through
wheat up 10 their knees ut every step.
All at once, above the frantic kissing
OF the buried skyscraper and the wild
calling OF the car thinks. heard the
stentorian tones OF Neighbor. mounted
on twisted truck. organizing the men
| at hand into wrecking gang. Soon
people began running up the yard to
where the skyscraper lay. like another
Samson. PROSTATE in the midst Of the
destruction II had wrought. Foremost
among the excited men. covered with
dirt and blood. staggered Dad Hamil.
ton
where's McNeal:" cried Neighbor.
Hamilton pointed to the wreck.
"Why didn't he jump" yelled Neigh
bor
Hamilton pointed at the twisted sig
nal tower: the red right still burned In
II.
You changed the signals ON him."
he cried savagely. What does II
mean? We had right against every
thing. What does 1t mcan:" he raved.
in frenzy
Ncighbor answered him never
word: he only put his hand on Dads
shoulder.
.Find him first! Find him. he re-
peated. with strain In his voice I
never heard till then. and the two
giants hurried away together. When
I reached the skyscrapcr. buried in the
thick Of the smash. roaring like n vol
cano. the pair were already Into the
jam like brace OF fcrrets, hunting
for the engine crews. 1t seemed an
hour. though II was much less. before
they found any one: then they brought
out 5Js fireman. NeighbOr found him.
But his back was broken. Back again
they wormcd through twisted trucks.
under splintercd beams-In and around
and overlooked with heat. blinded
by steam. shouting as they CROPPED.
listening for word or cry or gasp.
Soon we heard Dads voice In n DIFF
ferent cry. one that meant everything.
and the wreckers. turning like beavers
through dozen blind trails. gathered
NIL close to the big 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. but
he warned them back. Who but II
man baked twenty years in an engine
cab cOuld stand the steam that poured
on him where he lay:
Ncigllbor, Just outside. flashing n
light, heard the labored strain of his
breathing saw him getting half up.
bend to the bar. and saw the iron give
| like lead In his hands rs he pried
nightly. -
NeIghbor heard and told me long aft
erward how the old man flung the bar
away with an imprecation and cried
for one to help him, for minute
meant life now. The boy lying pinned
under the shattered cab was roasting
In Jet Of live steam. The master me-
chanlc crept In.
BY signs Dad told him what to do
and then. getting on his knees, crawl
ed straight into the dash Of the white
| jet-crawied Into 1t and got the cab
on his shoulders.
Crouching an instant. the giant mus
clcs OF bis back set In Il tremendous
| effort. The wreckage snapped and
groaned. the knotted legs slowly and
| - lot, ,,II,, akr t<vl,t NatN To- 4
passing instant rose In the air. and In
that instant Neighbor dragged George
McNeal from out the wise OF death and
passed him. like a pinch bar. to the
men waiting next behind. Then Neigh
bor pulled Dad back, blind now and
senselcss. When they got the old fire.
man out he made pitiful struggle to
pull himself together. He tried to
stand up, but the sweat broke over
him, and he sank In n heap at Neigh
bor's feet
That was the saving Of George Nc
Neal. and out there they still tell you
about that lift of Dad Hamilton's.
We put him on the cot at the hos
pital next to his engineer George,
dreadfully bruised and scaided, came
on fast In spite of his hurts. but the
doctor said Dad had wrenched n ten
don In TINT frightful effort, and he lay
there n very sick and very old man
long after the young engineer was up
and around telling Of his experience.
"When we cleared the chutes ] saw
white signals. thought" he said to me
at Dads bedside. II knew we had the
right Of way over everything. 1t was
hustle anyway on that schedule. MFR.
Reed. you know that-an awful hustle
with our load. I never choked her a
notch to run the yards. Didn't mean
to do 1t with the Junction grade to
climb Just ahead OF u.s. But I looked