The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-24

the heavy train was well in hand, and /
1t rolled down the long grade as gently /
as curtain.
Ben was none too careful, for half
way down the hill they exploded tor |
pedoes. Through the driving storm I
the tail lights of the fier were pres /
entity seen. AS they pulled carefully I
ahead Ben made his way through the
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 a grape
vine.
At the foot of Beverly hill there is a
siding-a long siding. once used as
sort Of cutoff TO the upper Zanes.
Vile yards. This side track parallels
the main track for half a mile. and on
this siding Ben, as soon as he saw the
situation, drew In with his train so
that it lay beside the passenger train
and left the main line clear behind.
1t then became his duty to guard the
track to the rear, where the second
be due.
1t was pouring rain and as 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
Il 70 4,,f, fN--
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 it would tear the ties from
under the steel Suddenly he saw far
UP in the black sky a 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
steep grade He wondered how far
back his man had got with the bombs.
Even as he wondered he saw a yellow
fash below the headlight 1t was the
first torpedo. The second section was
already we'll down the top of the hill.
| Could they hold 1t to the bottom?
Like an answer came shorter and
IrJ, hI~nt
| thought he knew who was on that en-
! CINE; thought he knew that whistle,
for engineers whistle as differently as
they talk He still hoped and believed
knowing who was on the engine
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-
en?' he cried.
"Andy Cameron"
"How many air cars has he got?''
ask or eight" shouted Ben. "It's
the wind, Daly-the wind. Andy car
hold her II anybody can. But the
wind; did you ever see such blown"
Even while he spoke the cry fol
brakes came a 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 dier ran up K
Ben in panic.
Buckley, they'll telescope u.s."
"Can You pull ahead anyT
'"The bridge is out"
"Get out your passengers" saiC
Ben's brakeman
There's no time" cried the passen
ger conductor wildly, running off. H
was panic stricken. The porter trieC
to speak. He took hold of the brake
mans arm, but his voice died in hi
throat Fear paralyzed him. Dow