Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-27
BRAVERY OF
RAILROAD MEN.
Often In Close Places and Frequently
Equal to Emergencies.

who had been railroading since the
good old days of wooden rails and was
the oldest locomotive fireman in the
United States.
| became quite intimate with the old
man and spent many pleasant hours IN
his company. 1t was in 1885 that MT
Stevens immigrated to this country. He
was 16 wears old, and knew a little
about machinery, so he got position
in the stationary engine house of the
Mohawk and Hudson Railroad compa-
nv. which was one of the first railroads
built in this country. In short time
he became a locomotive fireman.
The road was equipped with but four
engines-the John Bull, Brother Jona-
than, Hudson and Mohawk-whlch re-
sembled in size and somewhat in shape
the old elevated engines of New York
citv The speed of these ancient en-
gines, however, was much slower, Tor
they were compelled to crawl along
over rails of wood on which were
spiked a piece of iron three quarters OF
an inch thick by two and one-half
inches wide. Regardless of the slow
speed hundreds of persons fiocked TO
the city daily to watch in open-eyed
wonder the steam locomotives, which,
amid a shower of sparks and escaping
steam, started on what appeared then
a tremendous pace to make the run
between Albany and schenectady
There were two large hills between Al
bany and Schenectady, and to ride
over them there was used compllca-
tion of machinery which made the trip
between the two cities such novelty
Stationary engines were situated on
each of the hills, and when a passen-
ger train came along tackle was at
tached and the train was hoisted to the
brow of the hill and then liberated 10
continue its journey to the next hiil'
where the same procedure was enacted.
The railroad trains, consisting gen.
orally of three cars and accommodate
ing about twenty-seven passengers,
usually made several trips each day,
but should there be any passengers
wishing to be taken to either city be-
tween the schedule time of the trains
horses were hitched to one of the rail-
way carriages and away they would go
at full speed to the accompaniment OF
the stage horn and the rattle of the car
wheels, making practically as good
time as the steam engine, whlch
snorted. puffed and swayed from side
to side in it's endeavor to make up "eX-
press" time of that day. Such, in brief,
were the conditions of affairs when Mr.,
Stevens began his railroading career.
In relating some of his early eXpe-
riences Mr. Stevens never wearled IN
telling about the remarkable time the
John Bull made in 1887 when Presi-
dent Van Buren's and Governor Mar
cy's messages were sent over the road.
Il shall never forget that day. said the
veteran with much pride. John
Purves was at the throttle. while was
feeding the fiery monster with wood.
We made the run in 80 minutes through
a binding rainstorm, which was a rec
ord that stood for many years after.
We made such good time that we were
promised by the superintendent an
oyster supper. which, by the way, we
never got"
Stevens had worked on railroads all
over the country and he used to go to
the roundhouse in East Albany and
swap stories with the railroad boys
day after day At one of these sessions
he told the story of Joe Fernisa.
"Fernisa was a young brakeman en-
ployed on the Missouri Pacific railroad
one winter" said the veteran, as he
rubbed match over his overalls and
held the fiaring lucifer over a freshly
filled corncob. "Of all misfOrtunes
that ever befell a railroad man l know
of none more touching than that of Joe
Fernisa, who had been sent to flag the
fast mail to prevent it from crashing
into the freight which had broken
down i'm a dangerous cut near Otter
vile. a small station a few miles east
of Sedalia, Missouri.
The accident happened about
o'clock in the morning. 1t was bitter
cold night, with the thermometer II
degrees below zero Conductor Wheel
er. who was in charge of the freight.
fearing that the break down of his en-
gine might cause a wreck, ordered
Fernisa to go back the regulation dis
tance. which is about 1000 feet, and
flag the flyer which he knew was fol-
lowing the freight. The young man.
after securing the tOrpedoes from the
caboose, started off with two lanterns
i'm his handsome red, the other white.
The wind was blowing a perfect gale.
and to keep from freezing FerniSa ran
most of the way. At a distance of thir-
teen telegraph poles from his train he
carefully laid down on the rail his first
torpedo. This done, he pushed or
some distance further, where second
torpedo was placed. After disposing
of the torpedoes. all but one, he had
nothing more to do than await the
coming of the train he was there to
signal.
1T was a wild night. and as the wind
swept down the track 1t cut the poor
fellow like knife, yet he dare not de-
sert his post. Suffering greatly. he
kept running back and forth in order
to keep his blood in circulation. To
stop meant freezing to death. The
time passed slowly, but still no signal
came from his train To return; neither
did the passenger heave in sight. He
continued his weary pace until he felt
that more than half an hour had pass
ed. He wondered at the delay He
was growing weary and felt that he
could not keep up his pace much long
er His breath came quick and short
and he became exhausted. Placing
the remaining torpedo on the track he
started back toward his train. When
he rounded the curve and came in sight
of the cut where he had left the train
he was Mortified To find it gone. For
moment he was too stunned and be-
L.