The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-23
THE EVENING STOR Y
Express No. IS.
lBy Otto Edward.)

| Besides the engine, the train CONSIST
ed of thirteen cars; two express cars
| ten coaches and a parlor car. rms iat-
ter car, which I boarded, was the last
in the train, and l was its thirteenth
passenger. 1 am by no means super
| stitious. but 1 must admit 1 thought OF
thirteen" as an. .unlucky number sew
eral times after had noticed these
peculiar coincidents.
A friend of mine, Egerton Shields,
| an American, had compartment ana
invited me to share this with him and
| his two beautiful daughters.
In the compartment ahead was
Spanish family, young woman with
three handsome boys. Among the otn-
er passengers noticed an elderly gem
| tleman with gray whiskers, who walk
| ed up and down the car corridor,
chewing a cigar, and priest, who was
! busy reading his prayerbook. 1 saw
in the paper the next day that ne was
Able Lahirrigoyen, and was on ms
way to Paris in response to summons
from the archbishop.
Egerton Shields, who had made mil
lions in copper in the United states,
was now a prominent resident OF
Biarritz, where I had met him a few
years before.
In spite of the great difference in
age. I was not little in love with Bet
sy, the oldest Miss Shields. and only
the thought of her wealth had kept
me from proposing.
pleasant manner when my attention
was attracted to the elderly gentle
man, who was now. talking to the
priest just outside the door of our
compartment. AS he was evidently
very much excited and repeatedly
pointing at something outside the car,
went outside to see what was the
matter, followed by Mr.. Shields.
AS we looked through the window,
the American exclaimed: But what
ic the TnaffAr9 The SIN cannot DOSS1O-
ly set as early as this"
A red glow as from a beautiful sun
set illumined the whole western hori-
zon.
TT is a forest fire." the elderly gen
tleman explained. cit is directly in
our path and you will see one of the
most imposing spectacles in your Ire
when our train dashes through 1t at
top speed The passengers looked at
one another uneaSily.
The conductor came through the
train and ordered all windows closed
The old gentleman told me he had
passed through seven fires like this I'M
harmed, and that there would be posi-
lively no danger.
In a few minutes we were in the
midst of the flames, and the Spanish
lady gave a cry of terror as the tongues
of fire seemed to lick against the win
dows The three little boys began to
cry and disappeared under the seat.
Beautiful, beautiful indeed" re-
marked Egerton Shields in his most
phlegmatic voice while handing me his
cigar case.
Through the dense masses of smoke
we could plainly see gigantic pines
blazing like immense torches belching
sparks and smoke. The ground be-
tween the trees looked like a carpet of
fire.
Mr.. Shields, who was very much. in
terested, stood with his chrononeter
in his hand. a 4
1--WE are running about 100 kilomet-i
ers an hour. The area af1re is about
four kilometers wide, SO it will. take
about 14O seconds to get through"
The only sound now heard was his
voice as he counted off the seconds.
lone hundred and twenty-one hum
dred and thirty"
We were now near the edge of this
inferno. The heat in the car was stiff
ling-we could not possibly stand it
for many minutes longer. I felt how
the heat burned my skin and my eyes.
The priest was praying as. I will swear,
he never prayed before.
Zone hundred and forty
Shields calculation proved wonder
fully correct. A cry of joy came from
the old gentleman told us that we were
once more in the fresh air.
1 tore open a window and put out |
my head. but what there saw nearly |
made me insane with fear. The whole
forepart of the train was 'afire, and we
were speeding along faster than ever. |
What was happening on the engine
Why did we not slow down? Why did |
not the conductor set the emergency |
brakes?
From the passengers locked up in |
the first cars came heart-rending cries. |
All of us in the parlor car by this time |
realized our desperate position. The |
Spanish lady was unconscious, the |
priest was tearing his hair in despair,
and the old gentleman looked through |
the window with set teeth, pale but
calm.
If nothing happened to save US it
looked as if we were doomed to the
most terrible of all deaths-being
roasted in the burning car.
1t was impossible to communicate
with the engineer or fireman. who
were probably already dead or at least
overcome by the heat.
Several passengers jumped from the
coaches, only to be crushed by the fall.
A station! 1t is Morcen, where We
ton master and dispatcher on the plat
form wringing their hands in despair
as we shoot by-twenty minutes ahead
Of our schedule.
Betsy" and she throws herself in my
arms. She knows she is doomed, but
she shows no outward sign of fear.
Shields is absolutely calm. He is
examining the time table and making
his calculations as if he were sitting at
mis- office desk.
eve must necessarily run into train
No. As, which we were supposed to
pass at Lamothe. Draw your feet up
Under you on the seat. The crash will
come in minute"
And it did. I suddenly felt a terri {
Die jar, a noise if the world was {
coming to an end. I thought every
bone in my body was broken-and lost
When 1 came to again / was in a
barn, resting comfortably on a bed of
straw MY head and hands were
wrapped in bandages. All around !
we're wounded people, crying and
moaning.
Eeerfon Shields carving his left