Charlevoix county herald., 1907-01-05
when NO. 270
RAN AWAY

1.-THE 270 was sure the village cutup
of those class B engines" said the 1aI
engineer "That was back in the days
of the Jimmy coal cars n handDrakes-
81 was runnin' extra at the tlme'
not havin' been assigned to regular
engine yet. Hen Morris, an easy go
in fellow, was $ds regular man on
the 270, n l always contended tnar
he was too easy with her. Engines
are just like bosses, you've got to let
'em know who's master.
"One night Hen Morris was taken
sick n l was called to take his run
out. n we were hardly started
through the freight yards before she
started up her tactics with me. just
talked to her like Dutch uncle.
"'Now, look here, you old scaiiy-
wag, l says, you're dealin' with no
spring chicken this trip. You just get
down to business or I'll pound the lie
out Of you
AN, suitin' the action to the WORD,
l dropped her down in the corner n
put it to her for all l was worth.
However, she didn't do any extra
work n Jagged n hung back all the
way.
"'Well,' I says to myself, when we
get goin' down Pine Hill I'll just keep
the throttle open awhile n make her
go. The weight of this train behind
us will make her perk up bit.
Accordingly, when we went over
the pitch at the top of Pine Hill just
left her wide open n KEEP the steam
on full head till we were flynn down
by Copper's Crossin'. Then l thought
I'd better shut off, as the 27O would
get pretty lively clip down the hill
now n l had no hanI5rin' for goln
down the bank OWN To exceedin' the
speed limit on the grade.
$50 l showed the throttle in to shut
off %he steam. Imagine how l felt
wksa the 270 KEEP right on exhaustin
just as If the speed was all to her
likin'.
"Somethin' had gone wrong in her
steampipe somewhere inside n the
valve didn't shut her off. So, the 27C
had taken the bit in her teeth n was
goin' to see how I liked ridin' fast.
Here was a pretty predicament,
My engine goin' down Pine Hill under
a full head of steam with heavy
freight train behind her. 1t wouldnt
have been so bad If had not known
that Ras Cole was only about five,
minutes ahead of me with train OF
coal jimmies.
II attempted to put the reversea
lever in the back motion, but thel
steam was on such full head that Il
couldn't bulge the thing. Then | gave
the high sign on my whistle severaF
times to let Ras Cole know L was
comm down the hill out Of control N
it would be wise for him to shake q
leg or he'd get spiflicated.
'In an almost incredible time we
swung around by the Gate station n
what / saw ahead made me wilt like
fat mans collar on hoe day. MOI
more than a quarter of mile aheao1
of us was Ras Coles train. Maybe
that little caboose of his didn't lookI
as big as a summer boardin' house.
"Ras had heard my warnin' whistle
n was dom his best. He was gain
in Roadway, but he wasn't in oul
class. I could figure out that we wouh2
just about meet up with his caboossv
around the ten degree curve below the
Gate.
"Ras' train was now goin' at teri
rife speed, too, n it was a question:
whether either train would keep the
rails goin' 'roun' the sharp curve.
| Il he fnfI oh re- NV
that caboose ahead. In second
thought we would be into them n
would be rollin' down the embank
ment amidst the wreckage Of twisted
iron, coal n miscellaneous freight.
"Then came an awful crash n
| thought I could feel my engine goin
down the bank But my engine KEEP
goin' n / could tell by the lurchin
| that she was takin' the curve all RICH
n true.
81 opened my eyes. The red light
of the caboose had disappeared. II
the ravine below me l could hear
crashin', rollin' sound n see darl
shapes tumblin' down.
81 realized what had happened. Tho
excessive speed at which the trail
ahead had taken the curve caused TIL
last Is or 20 coal jimmies to jum1
the track clean, tal1in' the caboosa
with them, just like a string of boyaa
playin' snap and whip. Thus when W
Strengthened out on the curve Rasl
train, by losin' those 10 cars, had lief
that much space between me n death
"The train ahead was movin' a n
equal speed with me now n woul
probably keep the 10 cars distance bcl
tween us. Under her full head q
steam my engine was leapin' 4
boundin' over the rails, n when shs
settled back from an extra severe joH]
she stopped exhaustin'.
| MThn terrific lar had shaken th