Evening journal., 1910-06-23

When one morning Just before sun
rise we swept down on Turnerville.
taking the place by surprise, we found
three locomotives and twenty freight
cars standing In the railroad yard.
A train was made up. loaded With
troops, and I, having been a locomotive
engineer, was put IN the cab. Before
starting the general said to me:
Sergeant. the success Of this expe-
dition depends upon you. Colonel Par
ker is in command, but has nothing TO
do with running the train. That's in
your hands. AS soon as the Confed-
erateA know we're here they'n send a
force to cut US of. But they'll need
the bridge at b.. and l want you to
/ get these men there before daylight in
the morningto burn it. But you must
keep sharp lookout for snags. The
citizens on the line you will pass over
are all hostile, and they'll strain every
nerve to wreck your train. Remem-
/ Der, not only the lives Of the men in
these cars, but the safety Of the whole
command depends upon you"
The first ten miles we did by day
light. Then It grow dark, aud I had
nothing TO see by but the lantern
which lit the track dimly. My head
was thrust far out the cab window
and my hand was on the throttle
Twice l stopped her within a few feet
of a tie wedged in between a rail and
the ties, and once l bumped a tree
that had been felled across the track
having not quite stopped before reach
ing IT, on an elevation ! struck a
/ junction and lot of people standing
about staring at us as we passed.
didn't like their looks. But the tele
graph wires had been cut. and didn't
see how they could send word ahead
There were half dozen freight cars
on a sidetrack. but no locomotive.
Soon after leaving the junction shu
of steam and let her roll down th'
long declivity. | was nearly at thu
foot on short upward grade when
had break-the engine was only q
for a junk hesp-and spent half al
hour at a standstill while patched Il
AS remounted the cab Corporal Bol
Jenkins, who was acting as tiremah
pointed up the hill with look of hoT
! ror. ] saw a bright light. aud a mo
ment later a short string OF freigh
cars shot from out cut knew a
= once what 1t meant. The citizens a
the junction had started the cars / hal
seen on the sidetrack. first having sc
-. them afre, with the hope that the
. would smash us on catching us an
IL there was anything left of our trai
}, burn It. jumped into the cab an
!, pulled the throttle.
s The grade behind us wasn't less tina
80 degrees, and the fire train was con
!. ing like lightning. / had a few trai
4 lengths to go on nearly a level, the
q straightaway track on a slight d.
. cline. This fire train was coming at
= rate Of mile in forty-ave, seconds. an
= the best my old wheezer could do wa
a mile in two minutes. If / couldn
haul away far enough before the cal
behind reached a place wiere the
would lose momentum they would rul
us.
e Then began the race of my life.
o could have stopped, let the men out {
u the cars and permitted the smashu
but the bridge wouldn't be burned an
! our force at Turnerville would be CT
= of. 1 remembered the pressure Of Il
i hand the general had given me, and
IS tightly grasped the throttle, resolve
to get away from those FIRE cars
:. get wrecked.
ss held my eyes front, while Bob Je
W kins kept me posted on the fire car
p 'rhey're gaining on US mighty fast
"Only a mile awayr They'll cat'
ie MS surev They're coming like
" streak of lightningg' These were &
4, = unassurlng words Bob gave me viii
!. my locomotive puffed and sputter
and dragged along at what seemed
,e us a snail's pace.
a. Then suddenly turning a curve
at saw a light ahead. Great HEAVIER
MS Were we to have fire both in fro
he and behind us? Running on a straig
in track. / saw men kindling a sm
sh bridge. They had got the fire W
1g going, but didn't believe they h
or burned the stringers sufficiently to
u us down. At any rate, determin
10 risk 1t. Leaving on full speed
couldn't put on any more-I dash
into the flames. My locomotive GRO
nd ed safely, and I was congratulate
nd myself that the train was all oV
bv when felt a shock. We went a shl
Is, distance and stopped.
rs, The bridge had gone down under
I'd. last two cars. Several men were b
er.