The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-05-03

cry letter. this came from Ogalalla,
"Heavy gust caught twelve coal cars
on side track: sent them out on main
lire off down the grade"
They were already past Jackson,
eight miles away. headed east AMI run
ming down hill. Callahan's eyes turned
like hares to the train sheet. Fifty
nine, going west, was due that minute
to leave Calendar. From Calendar to
Griffin is a twenty miles run. There
Is station between, but in those days
no night operator. The runaway coal
train was then less than thirty miles
west of Griffin, coming down forty
mile grade like cannon ball. If SO
could be stopped at Calendar, she
could be laid by in five minutes out Of
the way of the certain destruction
ahead of her on the main line. Gala
han seized the key and began calling
"Cn." He pounded until the call burn
ed into his fingers. 1t was an age be-
fore Calendar answered. Then Gala
hans order fed:
"Hold SO. Answer quick"
And CallenGar answered.: "Fifty-nine
just pulling out of upper yard. Too
late to stop her. What's the matter?"
Callahan struck the table with his
clinched fist, looked wildly about him,
then sprang from the chair, ran to the
window and threw up the sash. The
moon shone bit through the storm of
sand but there was not soul in sight.
There were lights in the roundhOuse
hundred yards across the track. Ie
pulled revolver-every railroad man
out there carried one those days-and.
covering one Of the roundhouse win
dows, began firing. It was risk.
There was one chance, maybe, to a
thousand of his killing a night man.
But there were a thousand chances to
one that whole train load Of men and
women would be killed inside Of thirty
minutes if he couldn't get help, He
chose a window in the machinists' sec
ton, where he knew no one usually
went at night. He poured bullets into
the unlucky easement as fast as pow
der could carry them. Reloading rap
idly, he watched the roundhouse door,
and, sure enough. almost at once, it
was cautiously opened. Then he fired
into the air-one, two, three, four, five
sfX-and he saw a man start for the
station on the dead run. He knew, too,
by the tremendous sweep Of his legs
that it was Ole Anderson, the night
foreman, the man Of all others he
wanted
"Ole,'' cried the dispatcher, waving
his arms frantically as the giant Swede
~
from the platform below, ''go get
Bucks. I've got runaway train 60
ing against SO. For your life, Ole,
runv'
The big fellow was into the wind
with the word. Bucks boarded four
blocks away. Callahan, slamming
down the window, took the key and
began calling Rowe. Rowe is the first
station east of Jackson. It was now
the first point at which the runaway
coal train could be headed.
GRO, R-o,' he ratified. The operator
must have been sitting on the wire,
for he answered at once. AS fast as
Callahan's fingers could talk he told
Rowe the story and gave him orders to
get the night agent, who, he knew,
must be down to sell tickets for SO,
and pile all the ties they could gather
across the track to derail the runaway
train. Then he began humping for
Kolar, the next station east of Rowe
and the second ahead Of the runaways.
He pounded and he pounded, and when
the man at Kolar answered Callahan
could have sworn he had been asleep
Just from the way he talked. Does it
seem strange? There are many strange
things about a dispatcher's senses
"Send your night man to west switcE
house track and open for runaway
train. Set brakes hard on your empties
on siding to spill runaways if possible
Do anything and everything to keeI
them from getting by you. Worl
quick"
Behind Kolar's 0. X. came frantic
call from Rowe. "Runaways passed
here like a streak. Knocked the tie:
into toothpicks. Couldn't head them.
Callahan didn't wait to hear an!
more. He only wiped the sweat from
his face. 1t seemed forever befor
Kolar spoke again. Then it was onl.
to say, "RunaWays went by here be
fore night L could get to switch ant
open it,
Would Bucks =. >ver come? And
he did come, what earth could sto
the runaway train \. W? They wer
heading into the worse grad On tn
West End. 1t averages l p cen
from Kolar to Griffin, and there &c
down off the Cheyenne hills with a On
reverse curve and drop into the canyo
Of the Blackwood with 3 per Ger
grade. Callahan, almost beside hin
self, threw open a north window I
look for Bucks. Two men were flyin
down Main street toward the station
I He knew them; it was Ole and Bucks
But Bucks! Never before or sine
.. was seen on a street Of McCloud sue