Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-27
RIDES A RUNAWAY Engine
Thrilling Experience OF Crew ON
Mountain Grade with Broken
DRIVING Rod.

DEANhhk ANoNa
with one OF its Immense driving rods
broken off close 70 the wheel so that it
flew about like a great flan In the grasp Of
a monster flashing itself TO greater speed.
a locomotive tore down the steep declivity
Of Pickerel mountain. near Somerville.
n. j.. Saturday at sixty miles an hour.
with the driver sitting astride the hot
boiler like jockey and the fireman crouch
ing in the cab in momentary fear u being
cut in half by the whirllng lash OF steel.
That neither man was killed Is consid-
cred marvellous by the hundreds OF persons
along the ten miles of track over which
the great locomotive sped. like a horse
which has thrown its rider and rlshes on
until wearted by its pace.
With every revolution Of the broken rod
there was crash and the flying Of smaller
steel parts and woodwork within the cab
in which the fireman lay PROSTATE and
when the locomotive drew up OF its own
accord at the end of the run to level rails
one side OF it had been sheared off as IL
with some immense blade.
Apart from a severe scorching, the driver
Joseph Lutz OF Easton. Pa. was uninjured
by his thrilling ride, and the fireman suf-
fered only minor bruises from the flying
debris.
express on the Central railroad OF New
Jersey and had just begun the descent OF
Pickerel mountain when Lutz heard some
thing snap. and a moment later saw the
immense rod of steel flashing the air. After
1t had gone on perhaps a hundred yards
the broken end hit the ground beside the
rail and a mass OF earth and stone ballast
was hurled against the window Of the cab,
! the glass raining in on Luts and his COM
| panion.
Meanwhile they had reached a sleeper
| grade and were approaching sharp turn
in the track. and Lutz decided on a des-
| perate means Of stopping the steel machine.
The spinning rod had smashed the cab and
| disarranged the controlling mechanism so
that to stop the train by the ordinary
/ means were impossible. The throttle arm
had been bent so il could not be moved.
! Going to the opposite side Of the loco
motive, Lutz climbed through the little
window and out on the back of his run
away in an effort to reach some OF the
controlling apparatus from the outside. He
| sat astride the scorehing boiler until it
was no longer beArable, and as he felt
| himself sliding involuntarily TO the unin-
| tured side of his charge, he grasped the
bell rope and rang 1t wildly, for he had re
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must sound a warning for several grade
( crossings soon 10 be reached. His hold
on the rope also saved him from falling.
/ The sharp curve was reached in another
| moment and the heavy train took the turn
| at its terrific speed with swish like the
crack of a whip and continued its head
/ long flight In the meantime the spinninl
rod had done all the damage possible e
the cab, and the fireman made his way OF
| hands and knees to the tender, where he
was safe from further bombardment.
| At last Lutz was able TO reach vita
spot in the locomotive. from which he coulC
open one Of the principal steam valves
and the white vspor rushed from the BIZ
machine with a roar that was heard
mile away But still the locomotive wa
going down the steep grade, and ever
when robbed Of its power, its speed scarcel!
slackened perceptibly until long stretcl
of level track was covered. Then II drew
up slowly, with convulsive movements, as
It were a horse chatting under curb bit
A few seconds more and 1t stood painting
, about three miles from the foot OF tn
mountain.
No one aboard the train was aware o
what had happened until word was sen
to High Bridge for another locomotive 4
take the train to its destination.-Nev
York Herald.