The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-01-27
THE HILL RUN TURNS HAIR GRAY
Weil-knOwn Faces Seen No More on the
Cascade Division of The Great
Northern Road

Where are the grizzled veterans who
used to grasp the throttle on the Great
Northern passenger and freight locomo-
tives over the Cascade division? asks
a Wenatchee paper, and then proceeds
to answer as follows:
As well ask where are the SHOWS of
last winter, for the gray-haired engine
drivers have disappeared as completely
as though they, too, had melted away
with the snow that, under pressure of
radiant spring, forsakes its mountain
fastness to merge with the tide water
sixty-three miles to the westward.
The Cascade division will probably
never again witness gray heads peering
from cab windows, for the engineer en-
ployed on the hill road today to scale
the summit with his 250-ton locomotive
the mighty 1900 class-is young
man, sometimes very young man,
whose hair shows no tinge of white,
whose face is boyish in its absence Of
wrinkles; yet the hoar frost will speedily
touch his hair, the lines Of care must
soon alter his facial appearance, if he
makes good and continues in the Great
Northern service, for mountain grades
and their constantly attending dangers
mean severe mental strain and physical
exertion and act as fastener of age.
Guiding a train load of human lives
or valuable freight to the summit OF the
precipitous mountain range is distinctly
an assignment for an alert and vigorous
man. The descent is an even greater
mental strain, specially now the SHOWS
of winter are covering everything with
their whiteness and concealing danger
marks. Chiefly because of this, the
older locomotive drivers were succumb-
ing to years of nerve-racking mountain
service, the Great Northern has entrust-
ed the throttle almost entirely to a
younger generation Of courageous, skill
full men, marking the arrival of new
era in Western railroading.
The younger generation is composed
of tried and true men, whose mental
and physical faculties are at the zenith
of perfection, to protect the lives OF a
travelling public and the valuable prop
erty of the employing company.
Climbing into the Index region,
where snow is now encountered, the
observation car tourist lays aside his
magazine or newspaper to view mag
nifcent scenic panorama, gradually un-
folding in wilder grandeur as the grade
increases the engines labored exhaust.
In the engine cab, on either side, sit
two begrimed young men-the engl-
neer. master of the situation, and his
assistant, the fireman, who appears as
though he has barely reached his ma
iority. The only scenery noticed by
them is the roadbed stretching away
from the on-rushing pilot. These two
have full charge of the vast bulk OF In
tricate, quivering steel beneath them,
of the human lives in the comfortable
coaches behind.
Though young, no boyish conversa-
ton passes between them. The driver S
gaze is directed steadfastly ahead, for
mountains are beginning to be encount-
cred. and a rock slide may have pre-
ciDitated itself upon the rails since the
track-walker last passed the spot. His
ear is as alert as his eye, for the mood
of the metal is heard, not seen. AT
intervals the boyish- looking fireman
throws wide the cavernous mouth, scat
tiers a light covering of fine coal inside
adding another coating of ebony as he
wines the sweat from his face with his
sooty hand.
Between Index and Scenic the run
proves merely warming-up process tor
engine and crew. Arriving at the hot
springs, the locomotive is taken to a
water tank and an amazing number OF
Gallons is consumed by the painting
beast. The automatic device in the
tender runs forward at the touch OF a
lever. pushing coal closer to the fire
box.
This stop allows the boiler to make
M the needed steam for climbing the
mountain, as Scenic marks the western
starting point for the most serious and
irving work on the Cascade division