The Washington herald., 1909-01-24

began creep frost Of terror and panic
That peril train lost to control frequent
and most feared Of all disasters in mountain rarOadlng
upon them Like the waters Of the cahons and i'm
PEELED by the same omnipotent law the train rush
ing toward lower ground. wildly flying n search OF
natural equilibrium and normal rest
Wreathed n thunder. they crashed through the
cuts engines beloved like excited hounds. and the
mountain walls reverberated with 5ammering echoes
The likelihood of the train leaving the track and
spIntering in runOus confusion was constant and.
should It remain on rails strike Ball Bridge
while going such lawless speed what would hap
pen? It should pass Ball Bridge safely. then. ten
miles below the whole fabric would certainly plunge
into the river The operator at Horselip had told the
men Of the washOut bafed HOxie and his engines.
Then, too what If Ball Bridge already had fallen!
Each engine and every IN the runaway tram
seemed in transport Of angry fear; 20 plunge into
the Big Bear Paw with these wheeled monsters was
appalling prospect Three miles below Tunnel
Fourteen Engineer Sunday and Samuels' fireman quit
the train. Samuels stuck the throttle until within
mile Of the Ball Bridge tank when he too, Jumped
There were numerous lame and injured men along
the line y the specials historic flight, one had
found death AS for Bah Bridge and the trsin-well.
there Dippy Hamilton and his crazy eontrvance
down at the tank, alert, but seemingly things OF
succOr, insignificant
Dippy had been up ali night: several times. with
lantern in hand he had down 70 the bridge and,
standing IN the stormy darkness had listened 10 the
batterins and rasping and spashing that about
the structure The mountain region was wild and
lonely the spirit Of the night inexpress5ly dauntins
With the coming Of day he the river swollen 70
height and the probability augmented almost 20
certainty Of the bridge giving way before the In
creasing food Wet 10 the skin. ne had gone 20 and
fro during the day, agitsted his mind wheeling from
vain project another crying within himself
for help little after o'clock he into the small
house where he and slept ard stood listening TO
the telegraph instrument Some the wire was
calling him. he answered. and the operator at Tunnel
Fourteen said:
Big special with two engines going down 10 get
Ball Bridge, is running away; went by here Ike
u; look out for yoursel-, -, Il section
any else wording track. get tsem Of the
way"
Dppy's nerves suddenly ughtened Ike taut harp
strings. his face became white. and his brown eyes
widened and were touched with glistening red. He
leaped out the and into the pumphouse set the
engine going connected the dynamo and threw the cur
rent into the track magnate, that oldest one yet Of
all his fool dreams"
Hardly was the apparatus charged before the
supreme moment was upon him For a little space
the forerunning herald Of the trains approach was
the noise Of far falling cataract and then -har
was thunder in the valley OF the Big Bear Paw DipDv
sprzng out OF the door OF the purohouse and ra so
SOo Ieet eastward along the track He drew back d
little from the rails and waited half crouching his
fingers working, and his eyes Ike those OF an excited
cat As things gone mad, the linked monsters came
down from the mountains. ride-IeSs yet Fastening
wildly under the invisible lash OF gravitation For
nearly mile before the water tank was reached the
track along the river but slightly down grade that
was factor working toward salvation; YET the train
came onward swiftly, black headed. brown bodied
reptile OF Titanic girth, swaying wrnklng all its
hUrrying sections
DiDDy suddenly felt the sultten air crushing him
back and the solid earth QuakinE then the first
engine struck the magnitzed rails There was ham
eTing crash Of all The drawheads the engine drivers
cutcHed the e1eTgzed steel and Dippy looked 70 see
the rails up. buckle into the air and him
self crushed under the hurting mass; but the weight
OF the engines held the track to its bed the front
engine received pull downward and practically back
ward that amounted 10 tons Of resistance then Il
passed beyond the sphere OF magic and the second
engine was crossing the cutehing mystery. At that
Dppy. white and burning in every f5e ieaped a. the
iron ladder OF Of the cars and grasping IL
scTampled TO the top Thrilling with vivid realization
OF the import OF the he began swiftly setting
the hand brakes twisting yhem up until the gritty
brake shoes tore wreaths Of fire from the wheels
Leapng from to he felt them rock and culver
as the hurting power Of the whole fabric was taken
IN leash Beneath him there Kissing and rasping
and the clang OF drawheads trains 500 wheels
were in rapid gTDped and released bv the
invisible clutch OF the energzed rails and then the
train beyond the great magnate and approaching
the bridge.
Eight fat cars loaded with stons we're near the
center OF the train Here obstruction OF the air had
hand brakes he progressed Dppy reached the front
loaded box and filed sense of wild power
twisted the brakes up until the reeIed Slowly
the train slackened and then suddenly the fire boxes
The engines wreathed in plowed slowly through
dangling line Of broken stuff the trembling bridge
felt nearly 100000 pounds suddenly crush Il soidly
upon the piers and the mad waters OF the Big Bear
Paw gurgled heplessly around the wheels
Looking uD from his straining twist OF the last
brake, Dppy the food about him The nose Of the
front engine within a the western shore
and the bulk Of the train sQuaTely bridge
He put a hand TO his throat and for moment stood
gasping. then his mouth opened with yell the til
u1nphant shout Of one who puts rebeIIious
elements under his feet and holds them.
Twenty minutes Dippy licked a laconic mes
sage % the dispatcher at Manzano. It simply said
" Train bridge; viii stick"
The dispatcher relayed the message 20 Burke AZ
Broad Bend. Burke read the wire and puckering his
lips in his bead. whisted astonishulent At g
o'clock that night he entered the puuphouse az the
Ball Bridge tank having made part the Journey on
foot and part in hand car He grasped Dippys hand
and held it. and the looked into each Others eyes
How did you do it. boy? How in heavens name
did you do it,? demanded the superintendent.
smile crept around Dippy-s mouth By muscle
and magic, about half and half I guess he said
quietly.
Burke glanced around the place at the engine and
little DYNAMO and the wires leading toward the track
They energize-in fact. make a nagnet-of two
Of the rails" said Dippy.
Burke gazed at the youth hxedIy a long time HIS
keen eyes seemed to ask hundred questions
Yes" said Dippy.
See here. you come over 70 Paley Fork as soon
as things are Strengthened out; I want you" said
Burke decisvely.
I'd rather go down to sIanzano. for the present: