The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-05-27
BREAKMERSHEARTS
OLD ENGINEER TELLS or TRAe.
EDiEs or THE Rail.
Fatal Accidents Bound to Leave Their
Impress - Case Of Unfortunate
Man Who Ran Down His
Own Son.

There are lots Of tragedies Of the
rail that the public never hears about
said the old engineer, and it's gem
orally the careful engineer who has
tie hardest luck. Charlie Borland,
who used to run a local to Montclair
on the Lackawanna, once ran down
an old gentleman who stepped right in
front Of his engine, and it broke
Charlie up so that he visited the mans
family every once in awhile to tell
them of his grief. He brooded over
the matter constantly, and what did
he get for being tSader-hearted Two
months later his engine blew up at
Glen Ridge, killing Charlie and his
fireman.
Then there's the case Of George
Van Arsdale, who has been running
fast trains on the Pennsylvania for
40 years. A more careful man never
put his hand on lever, but he got
HIS. in spite of his extreme careful
ness. It was only few months ago
that his engine bunked into the rear
end Of stalled train, killing dozen
or so. That was a tragedy of which
the public got all the details. But
how about Georges own tragedy?
Don't you suppose that accident Just
about broke his heart? George hasn't
been the same man since, and he
never will be. An engineer who has
been In an accident is never the same
after it. and the engineer who runs
over person, especially child, Is
haunted for the rest of his life.
Il know an engineer of drill en-
gine in the yard-we'll call him Jack
-who gave up a good run because he
was haunted-actually believed he
saw a ghost at certain place-ano
maybe he did Some Yeas ago was
firing for Jack One day we were
running along all nice and smooth
when suddenly there was a slight Jar
that told US we had hit something.
At the same time there was faint
noise. like suppressed scream, and
we stopped the train. We went back
with our lanterns and found beside
the track the mangled body of boy.
His face was unrecognizable. He was
still alive, so we put him on the train
to be taken to the next station for
medical treatment. When Jack got
home next morning he found his wife
almost crazy. Their boy had disap-
peared. and It turned out the boy
Jack had hit was his own son. Well
the boy died, and Jack laid off for
two weeks to get over the shock. But
do you suppose man with a heart in
his breast can ever forget that he
killed his own son?
"0n his first trip out after his little
tragedy Jack slowed up when he
reached the spot where he had
struck his boy, and suddenly sent the
train ahead at speed that frightened
me.
Ny God! Did you see it?' gaspet
Jack, as the train sped along.
i hadn't seen anything, and said
so; but he declared he had seen the
ghost Of his boy standing near the
track swinging his hands about, as i
he wanted to attract attention. Mex
night when we passed the spot he saw
the ghost again. Jack explained thC
situation to the boss and asked for {
drill engine, and he got 1t. Blu
there's less money in It for him.
THE public hasn't much sympath.
fer US engineers, but every railroad ac
cident furnishes us with our own lit
tie tragedies that make many Of III
old, gray-haired men before ou
time"