The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-03
HERO SAVED A FAST TRAIN
How an Engineer Braved Death to
Stop a Flying Express.
Terribly ScaIded by Steam, He
CrawIed to the Express Car to
Put on the Brakes.


that kind Of a watch that an engiueman
can back with his reputation-is on its
way TO the hospital at Boone. Iowa,
where Lew ShuH, engineer of the
Northwestern fast mail train lies suf-
fering from severe injuries The finest
dinner that the finest caterer in the West
can produce is being prepared for one
OF the bravest men who ever threw open
an engine throttle when the doctors sag
ne is able TO enjoy it.
At the dinner high officials Of the
Northwestern viii tel Lew Shull that
not every man would have saved that
fast mail under the conditions which he
saved it on the night Of January 5.
No 10 Is the Northwestern's fast mail
train east-bound, and when man climbs
into the engine seat he knows that he
has no time TO hesitate If ne is going 20
maintain his reputation and keep the
fastest run on the line.
On the night In question Shull had met
with some bad luck and ne was few
minutes off his schedule. He knew, how
ever. where he could make it up. and
when be hit the straight stretch OF track
leading into Belle Plains he pulled he-
open another notch and No. 54 went
sliding down the slight grade at an
eighty-miie clip.
The monster had scarcely swung into
her gait, however, when there was the
sound Of an explosion and Shuu found
himself on the cab h0or with his fireman
lying beside him. The hack stud bolts
on tile boiler head had blown out. and
two big streams OF binding. scalding
steam were pouring into the cab, making
it an inferno In which no man could re-
main long and live.
The force Of the explosion had blown
both the engineer and the fireman from
their seats, and had left them terribly
scalded and bruised on the cab floor Al
though scarcely able 20 see or stand.
Shul made a desperate effort TO reach
the throttle. The scaIding steam drove
him back with added injury. 4 second
attempt TO reach the air brakes made him
realize that If he was 20 save the fast
mail II must be done IN SOME other way.
Shull wondered In q vague way how
long he and his fireman had been lying
on the floor. and whether No. 10 had yet
flown past a danger signal He knew
that not far ahead of him were two in
terl0cking plants. and no man could tell
now the signals would be set on either.
In his reckoning. II he had not been I'M
conscious. the first one must be danger
Ousiy near.
In the meantime, the fireman, George
McVey, had climbed out on the engine
steps and was hanging on for his life,
out of reach of the binding steam, but
in bitter wind, which cut his burns like
a keen knife blade
ShuTl basiratp1 only a rp7nu7art and
thea climbed painfully up the huge coal
pile in the tender and on over to the
blind end which happened to be an
express car. Almost too weak 20 ac-
complish the task. he made his way down
the rear of the tank and pounded upon
the door Of the express car
He knew that the messenger would be
very likely TO take him for a r0bber and
shoot him, but ne persisted. while the
engine careened down the grade like a
mad thing bereft Of all control.
At last-it seemed an age 10 Shull-
the messenger threw open the door and
ShuT found himself looking into the bar
rels of two revolvers. The messenger
quickly recognized the engineer and low
cred his weapons as Shull staggered past
him and on into the center of the car
where he reached the handle and pulled
the emergency air.
The engine, with its long line of sway
ing mail and express cars. had flown into
| Belle Piaine and swept past the depot m
a rate of fully ninety miles an hour. The
tower man caught n flash of the empty
| cab and of a wild figure ciiDgng to the
steps of the engine He hastily wired
/ Boone that No 10 was running wild
/ with an empty cab
| About that time. however, Lew Shul
was staggering ina at the messenger
/ door and a half-mile east Of town No. Il
came 10 a sudden stop and her engineer
| lay unconscious upon the floor OF the ex
| press car.