The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-02
His Goodness, Promptitude and Courage Averted a
 Terrible Disaster When Giant Locks on Roller Lift Bridge Failed to Work O'Brien's Alertness Pre-
 vented Catastrophe With the Speed of a Deer He Ran Over the Tracks of the Viaduct and Sue ceeded in Tagging the
 Express Just in the
 Nick of Time
Cheered by the Passengers
 as Their Deliverer, the Modest Chap Hurried Off to Avoid Demonstration Directors of New Haven Road to be Formally Ap-
 prised of O'Brien's Action

That the heart of hero may often beat under the blue shirt of the hum b1est workman was never better ex- emplitied than by the gallant deed per- formed yesterday morning by Michael O'Brien. 1ampman in the employ of the N. Y., N. H. & H R. R.
 O'Brien by his bravery and presence of mind not only saved hundreds of lives but he undoubtedly prevented what would have been one of the worst railroad accidents this state has ever known. C%Brien. is employed on that section of the tracks which include the huge roller lift draw over the Pequon- mock river.
 His headquarters are in a signal tower near Noble avenue and part of his duties is to signal the operator on the bridge when the danger signals are set so that the draw may be opened. To prevent the draw being opened be- fore the danger signals are set, locks have been placed on the eastern end of the draw. These locks are operated by levers which can only be worked from the signal tower where O'Brien is employed.
 Evidently these locks are not prac- tical for according to railroad employees Louis Backus, operator on the bridge yesterday raised the draw to allow tug to pass through before the locks had been withdrawn or before any danger signal had been seen to warn coming trains. The Boston Express due in Bridgeport at 10 a. m. was whizzing down the tracks and the operatives wanted to send it over the bridge before the draw was opened. Consequently they set no signals nor did they signal Backus Or withdrawn the locks on the draw. The latter evil dently thinking everything was all right set in motion the machisery which operates the big mass of steel. The locks on the eastern end held for a moment while the big engines strain ed with the burden, then they gave way with a crash and up went the bridge. Evidently Backus did not un- derstand for according to the state naent of the railroad men he raised the bridge and then closed it again after the tug had passed through.
 It was right at this juncture that O'Brien's chance came and the quick ness and coo1ness with which he acted prdves that he is of the stuff of which real heroes are made.
 From his position near the bridge he happened to glance up when to his horror he saw the draw was swinging high in the air. In a second he flew to set the signal blocks against the on coming train only to discover that he was too late and that the huge To- COInOLlN0 carrying dllCI IL d IOIS lTdlIl of passenger cars was rushing down toward the open draw at lightning speed There was only one chance of stopiphg the train and O'Brien took that chance quickly snatching up the red flag, the danger signal which every trackman carries, he ran as he never-SaA before to the bend in the rSaiiG Fe for several hundred yards
 ger could command a straight
 ~ tracks: There he stationed hImSa1f h,d .EsnCinper Riley Phi11inS leaning from the cab of the locomotive as he rounded the curve into this straight run of track caught sight of O'Brien's slender figure standing close to the rails and frantically waving his red flag The old engineers heart al most stopped beating. Years of ser vice in a dangerous calling had taught him to think and act quickly however. and in an instant he realized what the waving figure meant.
 Down came the air brakes, hugging so tight that fire flew from the big driving wheels like sparks from gigan- tic pin wheels. The locomotive shriek- ed and groAned like a living thing and behind the heavy passenger cars as they budlxled and rocked in the grip of the air brakes sent back a moaning chorus. The grip of the brakes frightened, the flying train lost its momentum and the speed of the train sIackened until the locomotive just slid along the tracks and finally came to full, stop within six feet of the open bridge. Backus in his sta l tion, operating the machinery of the draw was apparently unconscious of what was taking place above and as the train stopped the bridge was slow ly moving into place.
 The huge structure was still within six feet of being in it's place when the train stopped. Had it continued it would have crashed into the draw and terrible accident would have result ed. :. Passengers and crew climbed from the train and looked for the cause of the sudden stop. It was only the locomotive crew and the first few down from the who saw the slowly closing g Ind who rsa1inou1 what a cl0ee v n11