New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12
BY THADDEUS S. DAYTON

the mass into violent agitation Itths fails be has only
one more card to play He opens a valve and empu1s
the charge into the drowning tank Then he makes
q dash for safety.
posed 20 explosions have lived 10 tell about them cr-
ward Those who have escaped and have continued N
their hazardous employment thereafter known only
by their first names There are only few o- these.
The other survivors have sought other work where the
risk, are less Said one OF them:
You can't trust the stuff any more than you could
81 sleeping cobra. ! at work one day around the
mixing tank and things were going as usual when
suddenly noticed that the mercury in the thcrm meter
creeping up toward eighty. Quick as q i"s- saw
that something had gone wrong, and, one after mother
turned on the cold shut of the Sy1e'ln, ana .Hnel
on the air No one ever watched anything w..e an
NouSly than did that thermometer; but the mercury
kept ON climbing Then made a grab for the quick
uucnng valve So rs 20 drown the stuff One u, .. OH
Gers of the company was in the room. ! had yelled ~
him 10 run; but he stood there cool as cucumber,
saving that he didn't think there was much .Hser.
As soon as opened the valve 10 let the stuff or made
a lump through the window. There were plenty ot
emergency doors but didn't want % take I'D Extra
step. The boss went ont by door The fraction ~ !
second that saved by taking the window probably
added good many years TO my lie. "in-.t =. NC
ground and was running with all my might vine. vas
lifted of my feet and hurled al least Sd huntrc. -S
! escaped with a broken leg The boss who had run IN
the opposite direction, picked up dead There Vas
hardly a mark on him.
The explosion started in the drowning tank. Tie
stuff settled at the bottom where agitation was "pos-
sb'c What sort Of noise did il make, Like O.. roar
OF dozen ornados and a Of crashes Of ,a"n., al
combined I've lived on a farm ever since. aa. "aen
Fourth Of July comes round Jump every time ..nnon
iirccrackcr goes off, no matter how far away Z u.s.
THERE is town in Pennsylvania a ra~ .t Juno
ton and division point where great machine shops
are located that has "a large colony of locomotive en-
ginccrs who have lost their nerve. Some have seen
death in terrible accidents; others have liSc" 10 the
inner voice and have needed its warning. A.. ~ them
have driven fast trains; but they content 10
work in the shops repairing engines. in the Ncyad
OF the railroad where its giant racers are finally us
mantlcd and made ready for the Scraphcap.
one Of these men, the dean OF the lot is u .nSnccr
who was never in a wreck accident, hu- listened
in time to the whisper Of fear and stepped a, OF the
cab. safe and sound.
Years ago this engineer was climbing the mountains
with the second section of heavy paSscuggr tram
That morning when he looking over his engine De-
fore starting he told the boys in the roundh.usc OF
dream he had had the night before. Ii had made .
deep impression on his mind 1t was fantasy Of rush
ing waters kissing steam, and cries OF agony ana even
when he climbed into the cab it did not fade.
Ntcr the summit of the pass had been LEFT ochmd
and the heavy train slipping down the mountain
side, round curves and through