The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-01-04
m THE TUNNEL.
BY ALBERT w. TOLMAN.

more into the dazzling sunlight.
Engineer and fireman cleared their
oppressed lungs. In his relief Hark-
ness forgot to be unpleasant
I'm glad that's over" exclaimed
he, drawing a long breath.
Hodgkins was pale and nauseated
by the smoke and heat, but still
courageous He opened the hampers,
and began to stagger back and forth
again with his shovel; for the fire
was low, and ahead lay heavy
grade
Hardness was looking back for the
red Signal-f1ags on the caboose. Sud-
denly he drew in his head with an
EXPLANATIONS:
We've broken in two!" Only
about ten cars. third of the train,
remained with the engine. The other
twenty were either within or beyond
the tunnel
The engineer at once brought his
section to a stop. Had there been
side-track near, he would have
shunted his ten cars upon it. and
then gone back for the others with
hts. engine. But no track was near,
and there was an express not far be-
hind. He must lose no time.
The head brakeman jumped from
the way car" where he had been
sorting freight for the next station.
After talking with Hardness he ran
back over the top of the train to the
last car 1t was in the days Of
hand-breaking. They had already
run far enough ahead to avert a COL
lision and give the rear brakeman a
chance to stop his. SECTION.
Hardness threw his lever over and
opened the throttle.
Nov, my lad, we'll see what
you're made off," thought he.
Puff! Puff! Back they rolled at
six-mile rate. heavy black smoke
coils pouring off the green coal. Car
after car disappeared down the throat
of the tunnel. Hodgkins was hoping
every second for the brakeman's
shout, announcing that he had sight
ed the rear section. But the train
rolled steadily into the darkness,
and presently the engine itself was
swallowed up.
Farther in, and still farther, the
thick smoke making midnight
round them. It had been bad enough
before, but this was ten times worse.
Suddenly, as the locomotive neared
- vv,hn
deepest, mufiled yell burst from the
brakeman. He had spied the other
section close behind Hardness shut
his throttle just as the cars crashed
together.
The engine stopped. Through the
open hampers and up into the nre
swashed the water with t. amendous
kissing!
Whoosh. Out burst flaming
cloud of gas and steam. Hodgkins.
STOPPING forward with heaped shov-
ell. had his face blown full OF Gin
ders. Scalded and almost blinded.
he STAGGERED back Then he seized
the chain and swung the door shut;
for with the gas pouring on the
cracking Goals it was impossible to
live in the cab.
Hardness pulled the throttle wide
open. This was no place for human
beings ,4ependent on oxygen. But
,he big drivers spun helplessly in the
water without catching the slippery
rails. His fingers instinctively found
the sand lever Then he drew his
hand back. OF what use was sano
with three feet of tide on the track
They must have hotter fire, even
though it meant more smoke ano
gas.
Put on your blower." gasped
Hardness.
The fireman paved for the blower
valve. found the little wheel. ano
spun it round. A rushing in the hre'
box responded.
Hot and murky and dense. the
black smoke. belching up continual!
against the low roof. rolled down or
each side of the cab in choking
clouds. 1t could not have been worse
inside a chimney. Both men were
coughing violently
Finding it impossible to back the
train Hardness attempted to e
ahead. But still the wheels whrlee
idly.
Suffocation threatened the men il
the cab. In desperation the engineer
reversed again This time the drivers
caught slightly on the friction
rouehened rails For moment tn
heavy train hesitated: then it begal