The Greeley tribune., 1907-03-07

the heavy train was well in hand, ana
1t rolled down the long grade MS gent'!
as n curtain. .
Rem was none too careful for hall-
way down the hill they exploded tor-
pedoes, Through the driving storm
the tail lights of the flier were pres
emily seen. AS they pulled careiuiiS
ahead Ben made his way through tue
mud and rain to the head end and
found the passenger train stalled. just
before them was Blackwood creek
bank full. and the bridge swinging
over the swollen stream like grape
vine.
At the foot of Beverly hill there Is
siding-a long siding, once used rs
sort Of cutoff to the upper Lanes-
VILE yards. This side track parallels
the main track for half n mile, and on
this siding Ben, ms soon as he saw the
situation, drew in with his tram SO
that 1t lay beside the passenger train
and left the main line clear behind.
It then became his duty to guard the
track to the rear, where the second
section of the stock train would soon
be due.
It was pouring rain and us dark as
a pocket. He started his hind end
brakeman back on the run with red
lights and torpedoes to warn the sec
ond section well up the hill. Then
walking across from his caboose, he
got under the lee Of the hind Pull
man sleeper to watch for the expected
headlight
The storm increased in violence. 1t
was not the rain driving in torrents,
not the lightning blazing nor the deaf
ening crashes of thunder that worried
him, but the wind. 1t blew a gale. In
the glare of the lightning he could see
the oaks which crowned the bluffs
whip like willows in the storm. 1t
swept quartering down the Beverly
cut as If 1t would tear the ties from
under the steel. Suddenly he saw far
up in the black sky star blazing. 1t
was the headlight Of Second Seventy
seven.
A whistle cut the wind, then another.
1t was the signal for brakes. The sec
ond section was coming down the
steep grade He wondered how far
back his man had got with the bombs.
Even as he wondered he saw yellow
flash below the headlight. 1t was the
first torpedo. The second section was
already well down the top of the hill
Could they, hold 1t to the bottom?
Like an answer came shorter and
sharper the whistle for brakes. Ben
thought he knew who was on that en-
gine; thought he knew that whistle,
for engineers whistle as differently as
they talk He still hoped and believed
that the brakes would hold the heavy
load, but he feared
A man running up in the rain passed
him. Ben shouted and held up his Ian
tern. 1t was his brakeman.
who's pulling Second Seventy-sev-
emf" he cried.
ANDY Cameron"
"How many air cars has he got?''
"six or eight" shouted Ben. Its
the wind, Daly-tha wind Andy can
VIM; Did you aver see such a blow?"
Bven while he spoke the cry for
brakes came third time on the storm.
A frightened Pullman porter opened
the rear door of the sleeper. Five
hundred people lay in the excursion
train, unconscious Of this avalanche
rolling down upon them. :.
The conductor of the fier ran up to
Ben In panic.
Buckley, they'll telescope u.s."
"Can you pull ahead anyY'
'eThe bridge is out"
"Get out your passengers" said
Ben's brakeman.
There's no time" cried the passen-
ger conductor wildly, running of. He
| was panic stricken. The porter tried
to speak. He took hold of the brake
mans arm, but his voice died in his
throat Fear paralyzed him. Down