The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-10-15
clerk on the Washington, Oroville
and Snokana Railway

train ran into burning bridge near
Dart Siding, Wash.
Most Of the train was burned, but
McCrostey saved some of the mail.
Following is the story Of his ex-
perience:
Il had no warning until the en-
gineer applied the emergency brakes
just before the engine plunged
through the burning bridge. The
mail car followed the engine, striking
On and sliding up over the tank,
crushing the cab and stopping on top
of its back.
"The jar threw me over the paper
rack, wrenehing my back. soon re-
gained my feet and went. to the door,
to find that the mail car was forty
feet above the creek and on fire.
Just then some part of the en-
gine exploded, blowing fire, gas and
steam in every direction, and making
escape for me impossible at that time.
Il returned to the letter case and
gathered up what letters and regis
ters / could find, placed the letters
in pouch and threw them out of the
car. The registers and dater, pad
and type put in my handbag and
threw into the creek.
II saw it was up to me to make my
escape as best / could without aid,
for the car was mass of flames, and
the heat was so intense no one could
get near enough to be of any assist
ance to me.
II tried to climb out on the left
side of the car, but the flames drove
me back into the car.
81 then went to the door on the
right side ~of the car, and on looking
down, when 1 could see through the
smoke, flames and steam, could make
out nothing but wreckage and mass
of flames on the rbcks forty feet be-
low, into which Il at last took.
chance for my life and jumped.
."I tried to leap clear of the wreck,
but that was impossible, and I alight-
ed among the burHing timbers of the
bridge that had been knocked down
at the engine crashed through.
81 was rescued from further dan
ger by a special agent of the Great
Northern.
ART OF CATCHING ALLIGATORS.
A most exciting and often danger
Gus sport practiced in Florida is that
Of hooking alligators and capturing
them alive. Compared with this, the
customary method of hunting alli-
gators at night by the glare of
bulls-eye lantern and armed with
heavily loaded shotgun is exceedingly
tame.
The requisites for alligator catch
ing are long pole with heavy
metal hook on the end and plentiful
supply of strong rope. Thus equipped,
the hunters search for a gator hole
whose owner is at home. These are
located either in dense mass of
grass and vegetation, where the
mouth is worn smooth by the passage
of the beast in his daily trips out and
in, or have been dug in the side of
a river bank. Often the holes are
fifteen or twenty feet in depth and it
is then a difficult task for any but an
expert to bring the animals into the
open.
When suitable hole is found that
gives promise of being inhabited the
spiked end of the pole is jabbed into
it to probe for the beast. If the alli-
gator is at home ne is poked repeat
edly until becoming thoroughly en-
ragged, he grabs the pole. The hook
catches in his jaw, and, in spite of all
resistance, the animal is dragged
forth. A moose has previously been
spread before the opening of the den.
and when the animal finds himself
confronted by his tormentors he turns
and twists about, completely en-
tangling himself in the ropes. His
legs and jaws are then securely tied
and the prisoner is ready to be re-
moved.-Harper' Weekly.