The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-03-24

End OF Struggle Between Hot-Tem-
persd irishmen Comes with De-
structlon ef TWO Of Com
panys Freight Cars.

A select few Of the citizens that
happened al the time to Be lounging
or engaged in business about the de-
pot In Wreston. in the middle Of the
afternoon were treated to the unusual
spectacle OF two enraged locomotive
engineers fgting each other with their
respective engines.
Freight trains Nos. 2S and IL we're
at the depot at the same time. and
both out on sidings to permit the af-
ternoon train, No. 5, going south, to
pass.
Engineer Dempsey of No. 2s, with
his big engine. SsS, and Engineer Cul-
hane Of No. IL, with his big engine.
lll2, happened in the course Of their
switching, to be on the sidetrack far
thest west at the same time, Dempsey
with one box car and one fiat car be-
hind him, and Culhane with three coal
cars.
The first outsiders knew of the diff
Guilty was when they heard Dempsey
shout to Culhane, Get OF that track,
you Irishman! What are you doing
there?"
"Irishman yourself" culhane imme-
diately yelled back in reply.
get your old kettle out Of the way
or I'll smash it for you"
Smash nothin',1 Dempsey shouted,
and in moment more both engines
we're started slowly forward and be-
gan to approach each other the en-
gineers leaning out Of the windows
and yelling defiance at each other,
while the firemen, evidently knowing
something of the tempers of their
respective superiors. jumped to the
ground and ran to one side
Almost Immediately afterward the
huge machines came together with
crash that could be heard a quarter
o. mile away, but without injury to
either and no sooner had they touched
noses than both engineers turned on
full steam, and began a pushing
match extraordinary The gigantic
drive wheels Of both engines slipped
on the track and few around at a fur
ious rate, while the black smoke and
the steam from the exhaust rolled up
like clouds.
AT first there was no motion either
way, but soon Culhane's No. 112 be-
gan to give way, and, fighting every
inch, was slowly, but surely, driven
back down the sidetrack and across
the switch, and there Dempsey left
her and started up the sidetrack again.
The moment he started away Cul-
hane shut off the steam, and jumping
to the ground, uncoupled the cars,
and mounting the engine again, threw
the lever forward and dashed reck-
lessly up the sidetrack toward the
other engine. Dempsey had aot been
watching him, but some OF Che by
ISLANDERS had, and shouted ia Demp-
seys to look out Dempsey took one
glance at the approaching engine, and
then put on all steam and sent 898 up
the sidetrack with all speed.
Culhane pursued him, and in a
short time the pace became terrific,
and pursuer and pursued vanished in
a great cloud Of dust out into the level
prairie line in the direction Of Merce.
dale With Dempsey only short
distance ahead they went past the ele-
vator at Croton, two miles up the
track at a speed which the men there
said must have exceeded a hundred
hiles an hour. but just beyond that
point, on sharp curve. both Of Demp-
sey's cars left the track and tumbled
down steep bank, without however,
causing the engine to leave the rails,
and this occurrence seemed to bring
Culhane to his senses, for he shut off
steam and then reversed the engine
and went back to Wreston, followed
at a respectable distance by S9S.
The two ditched cars were com
plete wrecks, but the company will
retain both men in their service,
changing Culhane, however, to local
run away out on the western division.
They don't care to have any more
trials Of either strength or speed for
the entertainment OF favored specta-
tors.-Wreston letter, in Baltimore
Sun.