Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-05-10


ton In a tiead-on Collision.
once upon time II any man had
asked me if two locomotives rushing
toward one another head on ana with
no human agency between could avoid
collision I would have replied, Not
by any earthly power" Since ! have
had my fling at railroading rs "A Grand
Trunk brakeman In Canada. however.
/ do not feel So cocssure about impos
sibilitics venture 10 say that amy
man who passed through that AFFAIR at
SANDY curve. in western Ontario. find
ing himself as suddenly rescued rs he
was suddenly In peril. would not he
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 1t by many names Sandy
curve. the Horseshoe. the Devils ell
bow ana the Switchback-bu of all
descriptions none fitted II So well as
the Horseshoe. for the track formed
exactly that shape. In order 10 save
the cost 81 4 tunnel the construction
engineers had taken the road around
the head Of mountainous cliff that
juttcd ont into the lake and then back
100 yards 10 the mainland. Between
the points 81 the curve doomed an ugly
wall Of granite 300 feet In height. n
barrier absolutely impenctrahle 70
light and sound The curved roadheds
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
gliSiening waters Of the lake. The
Horseshoe curve was notorious for a
long series Of nasty accidents.
II was the 18th Of November and mis-
erably dark and foggy Five miles
from the curve was passing across
an open platform between two coaches
when | heard our whistle shrieking
In the forest of spruccs and those ugly
galleries Of granite the sound echoed
and throbbed until II fell to n murmur,
At that moment II seemed To- me that
caught the blarc Of another whistle,
a trine louder than our last echo. \
shuddcr ran down my spine. and !
leaned far ont on the steps. hut moth
ing ctlld he seen. aud the sound was
not repeated. mentioned the incl
dent 10 the conductor but he only
laughed nj me- That did not make
me forget the blast | had heard sitting
my heart that II dill not come from
our locomotive.
To keep my MIND OF NY fears went
forward Ia the haa Z, ear ana chaitcd
with the "ncwsy" Then fell asleep
on bench.
Crunch. click" and then n final Sc
rieS Of crunchcs
knew that meant the air brakes
and jumped on 10 the limit. In an in
stant | was up and. grabbing my Ian.
tern. tumblcd through the door after
the news agent The long train was
swinging far out on the Horseshoe
curve The lurchlng and grinding 81
the brakes were like the torture nf u
nightmare With last painful grit
ting OF the buffers the train came &c
standStill. Passengers. conductor
and train crew were coming forward
in great alarm. hut before we could
reach the locomotive the engineer
doomed ont Of the darkness. his facs
glowing with fearful excitement
Ibid Won seet' he cried vaguely. and
| never saw n RAILROAD man more over
come. Look yonder,'
Veal stared where he pointed. Above
the dismal lake. about Il hundred yards
from shore. there hung suspended
hall Of brilliant. snow white fire MS II
the moon had lost her bearings anc
had tnmbcd toward the earth. We
were deathly silent nj the sight NJ
one volunteered an explanation.
Don't yon understands" yelled tho
engineer Don't you people under
stand: There is train on the oppo
site side of the Horseshoe. and II wa,
coming mp to meet us nj twenty miles
an hour We missed each other by M
act of God"
Then saw what he meant. Tina
strange bali Of light suspended on
there in The darkness WIS The focus o
the two headlights. and both engineers
had seen IL in the nick Of time
We stood there Hike statues know
my heart was beaiing like hammer
and my comrades were pale fnced ant
open mouthed with wonder
When we had in some measure re
covered ourselves we all marched for
ward To shake hands with the fellow
on the other train. An inquiry; o.
course there was. and our conductor
was fired" for dlsobeying instructions
The fact is we should never have ap
preached the curve until the other traii
had passed us on switch severa
miles this side Of it-Wlde World Mag
nzine.
A Hint Taken.
f.'rh.sa nrpr.t ,slaespS Wprp .sivan n