The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-10
IN n hour. Three hundred people -

IN one hour. Three hundred people =
danger. Can you reach us?'
That was the message which tho
yardtnaster read to US from the stepee
Of the station at Lattell. He wal pa0.
and his hands shook a. be spelled the
words out slowly. ..s.@
he didn't have any need to tell ~
the danger. Nor did he call for volnn-
teers. To try to get to Yardsley VA
like buying a through ticket for deatn
and be done with 1t.
W. stood around and discussed the
terrible news and did nothing except
Lannigan.
He appeared at Pug Donaldson's
window and. leaning his arms on the
sill. looked In with the same humorous
twist to his lean features.
Them three boxes there empty?" he
asked, jerking his head backward to-
ward the sidetrack.
Donaldson nodded.
I'm going to hitch my engine on to
'em. Jimmy and nell e II we can
git down there and beat that barbecue.
Gimme a clear SWITCH"
The roundhouse foreman only stared;
but. after Lannigan had disappeared
from the window. be rushed to the
door and yelled after him:
"Hey. you. Grandfather Longlegs!
You'll be fried like a pancake on a
griddle"
But Lannigan only grinned and leap
ed aboard the old engine. We didn't
know what he was up to until he'd
coupled on the three empty box cars
and ratified away over the switches
and out Of the yard.
Hes making a hluff." some Of u
said.
Others who respected the pluck It
took to approach the ire thought he'd
never get through. but would waste bis
steam for nothing.
"Well. Jimmy. It's going to be a hot
rum" the long legged Yankee told his
stoker as they neared the arst belt Of
fire. you oil up the furnace. and I'll
slow down SO You can jump. I don't
want to take another mar to perdition
with me-"
"Oh. l guess I'll STOP" says Slosson.
kind of shamefaced.
Then they shook hands on 1t. and
from that moment neither questioned
the others intention Of sticking to bis
job.
But Jimmy had loaded the old en-
CINE for bear all right before they
reached the flre line. She was whirl-
ing miles under her drivers at a rate
to beat even our one fast train. and
the empty boxes behind were dancing
like mad owe the rough roadway.
"We're getting there, jimmy! sings
out Lannigan at last. "Shin I'VE into
the water tank and ding a pail or 80
over me when you get a chance"
He stood out on the running board
with a hand on the lever. his cap visor
shielding his eyes from the smoke and
flying sparks. peering ahead as best he
could at the rails. Jimmy, up to his
neck In the tank. flung pail after pail
of water ver his long figure.
Suddenly the engine seemed to run
into a veritable wall of fame. 1t ex-
tended far across the roadbed. and 1t
wrapped the train about in a living.
seething mantle as she rushed on.
1t seemed as though no man could
go through that sea Of fire alive, but
when the old engine staggered out Of
the fire belt Lannigan still stood up.
right at the lever.
His sparse mustache. his eyebrows,
his shock Of sandy hair were gone. He
was as bald as a parrot. and his cloth
ing was a1re in a dozen spots. But be
turned a horrible grin upon Jimmy and
waved his hand.
"Give "a another bucket" be croak-
ed. And the stoker climbed out Of the
tank. more dead than alive himself.
and put out the burning garments.
Then they reached Yardsley.
l guess II any two men were ever
welcomed as angels straight from
heaven 1t was Lannigan and bis stoker.
though they must have looked a deal
more like devils from the pit.
Two hundred and ninety people, who
had given up their last hope Of con
tinued existence. piled into those three
box cars like cattle. The doors were
closed. and then It was up to Lannigan
and Jimmy to run them back to Lat
tell.
The old engine wal reversed. and
back through the awful belt of fame
and smoke she went with the three
boxes.
Lannigan certainly showed that day
what he could do when he had the
right Of way.
Scorched almost to q cinder one in
slant and saturated the next. Lannigan
stood at his post and brought the res
cue train through to Lattell. The box
cars. we're a6re and the passengers
half %sufocated when they arrived.
Jimmy was pretty nearly drowned in
the tank. and we picked Lannigan OF
the engine just as he caved completely.
Daddy L0nglegs" vas some time in
the hospital and anne plaguy near los