The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-04-24
AvERTED A WRECK
Thrilling Railroad Experience on
Horseshoe Curve.
SAVED BY A WEIRD WARNING,


The Remarkable Signal Light That
Summariy Stopped Two Trains That
Were Pushing on 70 Certain Destruc-
ton In Head on Collision.
Once upon time if any man had
asked me if two locomotives rushing
toward one another head on and with
no human agency between could avoid
| a collision l would have replied Not
by any earthly power" Since 1 have
had my fling at railroading as Grand
| Trunk brakeman in Canada. however.
I do not feel so cocksure about impos-
sibilities. l venture to say that any
man who passed through that affair at
| Sandy curve. in western Ontario, find
| ing himself as suddenly rescued as he
was suddenly in peril, would not be
too glib in future regarding what can
and what cannot happen.
| On one section of my run lay what
was probably one of the most danger
Gus curves on any railroad route in
America outside the Rocky mountains.
They called it by many names-Sandy
curve, the Horseshoe. the Devils ell
bow and the Switchback-but of all
descriptions none fitted it so we'll as
the Horseshoe, for the track formed
exactly that shape. In order to save
| the cost Of a tunnel the construction
engineers had taken the road around
the head Of a mountainous cliff that
jutted out into the lake and then back
100 yards to the mainland. Between
the points of the curve doomed an ugly
wall of granite 300 feet in height, a
barrier absolutely impenetrable to
light and sound. The curved roadbeds
forming the two sides Of this curious
piece of pioneer construction had their
point Of contact, of course, at the toe
Of the shoe, beneath which lay the
glistening waters of the lake. The
Horseshoe curve was notorious for a
long series Of nasty accidents.
1t was the 7th Of November and mis-
erably dark and foggy. Five miles
from the curve l was passing across
an open platform between two coaches
when I heard our whistle shrieking.
In the forest Of spruces and those ugly
galleries of granite the sound echoed
and throbbed until it fell to murmur.
At that moment it seemed to me that
I caught the blare of another whistle.
trihe louder than our last echo. A
shudder ran down my spine. and /
leaned far out on the steps. but moth
ing could be seen. and the sound was
not repeated. mentioned the Incl
dent to the conductor. but he only
laughed at me- That did not make
me forget the blast had heard sitting
out of the spruce trees. and l knew in
my heart that it did not come from
our locomotive.
To keep my mind off my fears Went
forward to the baggage car and chatted
with the "newsy." Then I fell asleep
, on a bench. > IT.
Crunch, clickr' and then a final Sc
ries of crunches.
knew that meant the air brakes
and jumped on to the limit. In an in
slant was up and. grabbing my Ian
tern, tumbled through the door afte1
the news agent. The long train wa:
swinging far out on the Horseshoe
curve. The lurching and grinding O
, the brakes were like the torture of ;
| nightmare. With last painful grit
ting of the buffers the train came t.
a standstill. Passengers. conductor
and train crew we're coming forward
in great alarm. but before we coul(
reach the locomotive the enginee
doomed out of the darkness, his fac
glowing with fearful excitement
: did you see?" he cried vaguely, AM
: I never saw a railroad man more over
> come. Look yonder!'' 81.
: We all stared where he pointed. Abov
the dismal lake. about a hundred yard
from shore, there hung suspended
ball Of brilliant, snow white fire. as
+ the moon had lost her bearings an
J. had tumbled toward the earth. W
I were deathly silent at the sight. N
one volunteered an explanation.
/ Don't yon understand" yelled tn
Il engineer. Don't you people under
e stand? There is train on the oppe
Il site side Of the Horseshoe, and it wa
S coming up to meet us at twenty mile
e an hour We missed each other by a
n act Of God!'
# Then I saw what he meant. Tha
Il strange ball of light suspended on
there in the darkness was the focus {
the two headlights, and both engineer
8 had seen it in the nick Of time.
8 We stood there like statues. kno'
- / nv heart was beating like a hamme
= and my comrades were pale faced an
# open mouthed with wonder.
\. When we had in some measure r
~ covered ourselves we all marched TO
y. ward to shake hands with the fellow
=. on the other train. An inquiry? {
4 course there was. and our conduct<
,. was "fred" for disobeying instruction
y, The fact is we should never have a.
;, preached the curve until the other trai