The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-03-03
The HEROES OF THE RAIL
To do Their Duty is the First Thought
Cfthe men at the Throttle.

the group of six who were telling
OF their experiences, Il have
known several exhibitions of nerve
shat have a right to be classed
among the heroic. One occurred
about 10 years ago, on the Penn
sylvania lines west of Pittsburg.
Sam Galloway was one of the best
engineers that ever drove an en-
CINE over any road. He not only
knew all about an engine, and how
to handle it, but he was perfectly
cool aud collect under any circum-
stances.
He was hauling a fast train,
and had left Pittsburg more than
an hour late, with orders to make
it up. 1t was in the spring of the
year, just as the ground began to
thaw. He was going at 5o,mlle
gait rounding the base of hill
on one side was the hill aud the
other a creek, some 40 feet below
when he saw a great rock, which
would weigh more than a ton, sud
denly fall on the track a short dis
lance ahead ofhim. His first I'M
pulse was to apply the brakes, but
there would not be time to stop,
and to hit the rock seemed certain
TO topple the engine and train into
the creek.
Instead of reversing he pulled
her open another notcn or two, the
train fairly jumping forward as it
felt the increase of power. He
struck the rock under full head
way, drove it from the track, roll
ing it down the side into the creek,
while the engine and train fairly
leaped over the broken rails. The
blow was terrific and jolted the
passengers from their berths in the
sleeping cars, but they were saved
by the quickness of Sam and his
nerve"
Another hero in oVerallS recall
ed an incident of nerve. 1T was
on what is now known as the
Monon route he said. 1T was
in the early days of railroading
out there when the engine of one
of the trains was derailed turning
over on its side. The engineer
foot caught between the tender and
the engine footboard. The scald-
ing steam and water were slowly
roasting him to death while the
trainmen were endeavoriug to re-
lease him. The only way was to
cut off his foot at the instep, and
the only tools were a cold.chisel
and a hammer He insisted that
it should be done, and while the
conductor was using these rude
ools the brave engineer encouraged
him. Strange to say, he recover
ed and lived many years afterward,
still running his engine. "
"Well, boys, said an engineer
who had been running on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad for
50 years, Il have, perhaps, been
fortunate, and never had what YOU
would call any peculiar expert
ences. l never touch a drop of
liquor under any circumstances
yet l feel sure that if my train
should meet with bad accident
and number of lives were lost
some newspaper reporter, and
probably the general public, would
try to lay the blame on me, and
say that was intoxicated. This
is one of the things with which
railroad men have to contend. The
public has the idea that we are
set of rough, hardened men. who
care little for life But engineer
kpows that his life is in danger,
and if he did not think anything
Of the passengers, he is not going
TO take any risk that he can avoid.
If an accident does happen mis-
Irst thought is to protect his train,
if there is likelihood of another
train coming in either direction.
It IS not so much thought of him
self or the lives of his passengers
as it IS of his duty"
., II l z.-a-:..- ~ -.