Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12
DROPPING THEIR GOATS
BY THADDEUS S. DAYTON

the into violent agitation If this fails he has only
one more card to play: He opens valve and emptes
the charge into the drowning tank. Then he makes
dash for safety.
Only few who have ever been Immediately cx-
posed explosions have lived to tell about them after
ward. Those who have escaped and have continued in
their hazardous employment thereafter known only
by their first naineS. There only few of these.
The other survivors have sought other work where the
risks are less. Said one of them:
you cant trust the stuff any than you could
a sleeping cobra. | was at work one day around the
mixing tank and things going usual when l
suddenly noticed that the mercury the thermometer
creeping up toward eighty Quick flash saw
that something had gone wrong and after another
turned the cold shut off the -yce-in and turned
on the air No one ever watched anything more an
xiousy than did that thermometer; but the mercury
kept climbing. Then ] made grab for the quick
opening valve as to drown the stuff. One of the Off
of the company was in the room. had yelled at
him to run; but he stood there cool cucumber,
saying that he didn't think there much danger.
As opened the valve to let the stuff off made
jump through the window There were plenty of
emergency doors; but didn't want to take extra
step. The boss went out by door. The fraction of
second that saved by taking the window probably
added a good many years to my life. landed on the
ground and was running with all my might when was
lifted off my feet and hurled at least hundred yards
| escaped with broken leg. The boss, who had in
the opposite direction, picked up dead. There
hardly mark on him.
"The explosion started in the drowning tank The
stuff settled at the bottom where agitation impos-
sble What sort of noise did it make? Like the roar
Il
combined I've lived farm since, and when
Fourth of July comes round jump every time
firecracker goes off, matter how far away it is
THERE is a town in Pennsylvania "a railroad juno
ton and division point where great machine shops
are located) that has large colony of locomotive
gineers who have lost their nerve Some have "seen
death in terrible accidents Others have listened to the
inner voice and have needed its warning. All of them
have driven fast trains but they content to
work in the shops repairing engines in the graveyard
OF the railroad where its giant finally dis
mantled and made ready for the scrapheap.
One of these men, the dean of the lot, is engineer
who in a wreck accident but listened
in time to the whisper of fear and stepped of the
cab, safe and sound.
Years ago this engineer climbing the mountains
with the second section of heavy passenger train
That morning when he was looking his engine be-
fore starting he told the boys in the roundhouse of
dream he had had the night before. 1t had made
deep impression his mind. 1t fantasy of rush
ing waters kissing steam and cries of agony and
when he climbed into the cab it did not fade.
After the summit of the pass had been left behind
and the heavy train slipping down the mountain
side, round curves and through
tunnels, the engineer proceeded
cautiously that he steadily