Semi-weekly herald., 1910-12-29

big railroads handle many trains there
In twenty-f0ur hours.
Henthorn had just whistled for Wal
senburg Junction, when out ahead on
the main line he caught sight OF the
three red lights OF freight train
bearing down upon him
On the rear end stood a man giving
him frantic signals with . red Ian
tern to back up.
He started his train back toward
Cuchara. thinking that freight train
was backing down to head In and let
him pass, but as the signals became
more rapid and the train got nearer,
he came to the conclusion that 1t was
runaway coal train.
To back his train east without a
flag was an awful risk, as No. 115
never left Cuchara without at least
two or three westbound freight fol-
lowing.
At this time the entire force Of ma
chinists on the system we're striking,
and many engines were compelled to
run without headlights.
II was trying position. 1t seemed
to be one thing or the other: to stop
and be crushed to death by the ap-
preaching train. or hurl the train with
Its hundred or more sleeping passen-
gers to certain disaster.
A cool head appeared In the person
OF Conductor George Stout. He had
taken In the situation at a glance.
Suddenly the rear end of the passenger
train was a blaze of red lights. AS
fast as one fusee burned out, another
took its place.
Their speed had to be Increased In
order to outdistance the fast-approach-
ing outlaw. and their little engine was
throwing skyrockets into the air and
streaks of fire from the slipping driv-
ers.
A train length ahead OF the oncom.
ing caboose was the best they could
do. The conductor. after getting a
rear-end decoration and flagman at
his post. came through the train and
turned out every gas Jet, but to every
questioner who asked why, jokingly
answered, "Just saving a little gas"
knowing full well what the conse.
quences would be had he showed the
least excitement.
The passengers might become panic
stricken and jump to their death In
the darkness.
Stout believed that II they beat the
runaway to Cuchara they could throw
1t into siding The possibilities were
that all the tracks were full of trains
but they had to take chance. 1t was
now simply a case Of the less killed
the better.
The flagman was to jump from the
rear ead OF the train and throw the
siding switch after his train was in
the clear.
If he fell and failed, the conductor,
stationed on the head OF the sleeper,
would make the attempt.
Fortunately the flagman made the
switch and shot the runaway down a
clear siding. 1t was caboose without
a hand brake. Conductor Mccoy OF
the freight had ridden the flying de-
mon down those steep six miles. alb.
sclutely helpless to control its speed
but able to warn the passenger train.
He is one of the heroes of which
the railroad men are justly proud.
The caboose ran through the sid
ing and stopped just in front of an
extra pulling into Cuchara. Conduc-
tor Stout had rushed to the telegraph
office and asked the operator at
Apache, the first station east, to hold
all trains west-but the extra had
got out.
No one was killed or even injured,
and thousands of dollars worth of
property was saved by a little nerve
and some good judgment on the part
of a IittIa hand NJ raiIrood man