The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-10
RIDING BEHIND
SPEED MANIAC
Some Miraculous Escapes of
Engineers
TELL OF CLOSE CALLS
One Mans Experience Riding the Rods
Behind Barney OIdfield on
Southern Limited-Cured
of Stealing Rides
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
We'll, boys said the old engineer as
he sauntered into the roundhouse, have
you heard the news? There's just been
wreck at Taylor's Junction; passenger
ran into freight; six people hurt; Jim
Benson killed" Poor old Jim," echoed
the crowd. Nearly all the men on the
road knew Jim Benson. He was speed
nend and could never run an engine fast
enough.
Speaking of speed fiends, said little
bald-headed engineer, II shall never Tor
get Barney Oldfeld. I was once riding
the rods on seven-car train on Inc
Southern Pacific She was mail traln'
and gee, how Barney slammed her over
that roadbed 1t was hot summer nlsh.
but the speed was great that was
chilled to the bone, and was Just saying
to myself that when the engine stopped
at a water tank I'd get off and walk, II II
was 1000 miles to the next station Wnen
something happened. There was a roar
ing crash and just hung onto the roos.
TT was lucky that did, for the trucks
went smack under the worst part OF the
wreck, but the body of the car sailed
safely to the top of the pile, taking the
rods with it, and when everything was
quiet, l was sitting on top of the car
which Law bottom side upwards-but aside
from two pretty we'll stretched arms due
to the yanking got in hanging on, l was
safe and sound as bell.
~. - NV deStina tiOn in the Pull
man. because the company had an idea
that l was passenger. But that learned
me a lesson, and 1 made up my mind
after that to either pay my fare When
travelling or stay at home
1T frequently happens, SAID announcer
engineer that man does not realize
that he is hurt until some time afterward
BY mistake of orders I was once
thrown into a collision head on with an
other train. 1t was bad smash-up.
was caught under my engine, but was re-
leased, and when l got up walked sew
eral Yards to the side of the road. l dio
not take another step for more than four
months. OF course L knew while l was
pinned beneath the engine that must
be hurt but the instinct, as soon as
was released. was to walk away, and this
did subconsciously At another time
was in an accident, which did not detain
us very long, and l took the train on to
the end of my run without feeilng any
hurt. When | got off at the end of the run
some one asked me what was the matter
pointing to the blood on my cheek then
found out that all my lower front teeth
had been knocked out"
II remember once" sal danother engi-
neer. when | was on the Louisville and
Nashville railroad noticed bareheaded
man in overalls covered with coal dust
and blood sitting beside his engine with
tears running down his face. recog-
nized him as the engineer who had peeh
hauled out a few minutes before from the
wreck. Upon examination 1t was found
that besides being cut and bruised very
badly, one of his arms was broken But
when we found him he was crying be-
cause he could not find his new cap,
which was lost in the wreck, and begged
the wreckmaster to help him hunt for 1t.
.Down in Panama" said the little man,
81 was working with an Irish engineer
nv the name of Flanagan, who had
Niger fireman named Brown
"Me and Flanagan and Brown had
train on Gold Hill, which is right steep
hill. and we had one of those dinky
French engines and French cars, no re-
verse lever, no air, and nothing to stop
a loaded train but the dinky hand wheel
on each car Flanagan used to turn
loaded train loose on the down grade
and go rocking along that bumpy track
with a 70-foot embankment below Brown
stocking like the devil and me standing
on the rear car as she lolloped around on
the wheels
"Elannagan was good man to obey
signals but the trouble was that he never
cot them right II 1 signaled go ahead
he would usually go back and II I'd signal
go hack he'd usually go ahead. got into
the habit of giving him the signals back
wards and we did fine
"Rut one day when he had about twice
the usual load on the cars l slgnaled 10
go ahead-full specific him. thinking OIL
course that he'd back UP slow, like ne
usually did. But the crazy Irishman got
the signals right, and away he went down
that rough track toward the bottom.
"I Jumped when I saw him throw the
throttle open The switchman down at
the bottom of the hill saw the train COM
ing and ran for the switch meant for such
emergencies but saw that 1t wasn't any
use. and | closed my eyes. Then l heara
Flanagan yell, Light! you black son OF
q gun. light! and opened my eyes just
in time to see Brown jump and roll over
about 20 times through the mud and
gravel of the embankment. He stopped
nnally, and after sitting up and feeling
himself he got up and began to curse
GOOD and hard. He wasn't hurt, but he
busted his dollar watch
byzantine the train was still going
down the track, but she didn't reach the
switch. She hit little curve and sailed
over the embankment. and piled up into
a mass of wreckage. I missed Flanagan
and I went down to the wreck to haul
ont his mangled body. I didn't find 1t,
mt while I was looking Flanagan
touched me on the shoulder and asked
me for ehaw Of tobacker. Said he'd
lost his plug in the wreck.
"strange how things happen" he con-
tinued there are some engineers that
never get in wreck, but I've been In the
cab for eight years. and I've ebeen in 25
WRECKS Never got hurt much but once,
when they had the coffin all ready for
me. Nothing serious at that only three
ribs broken, one of my legs mashed. eye
almost knocked out and a few bumps
about the head"
fnr