Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-07-01

Then suddenly one Sunday morning
a food Of fire swooped down the noun
tain side and crossed the tracks some
miles south of Yardsley.
The Limited came through somewh
scorched, and the next day trafe -@s
the road between Lattell and f e on
ton was cut off altogether. ~Ne,Julc-
This shut off several .s.,
wen as Yardsley, exc ept Sy ta'els n as
operators stuck TO tbr.fr nosts anu ANU o.ls
brave fellows they vera S''S* i'Ae LEE
,, ie.ey a neaa 'ery living soul in a
nuhoreu sqw- re miles of 3srritorv lit
u. iol So DANCE. Gus ground. But
1ardsSey was eau chit nannino and it's
peopie were practically hemmed in
Wy me hercest forest fire the state had
ever e1per1e' A,eA.
enti' q system Of the NJ. and S. P.
vs. ~ - well tied up. We had pull
go sAt as near the fire line as we
20 4. and the sidetracks were about
4 OF waiting cars.
The fire was still burning fercely be-
side the roadbed in more than one
place, and we weren't asked to try to
pull train through to the junction.
Naturally there were plenty Of loco
motives and plenty Of drivers at Lat
tell that day when the news came from
the Yardsley operator. 1t was his last
dispatch, for he had remained until it
was too late to escape by any track
through the forest. and there wasn't
even a handcar left at the station.
wind changed Fire will reach US
10 one hour. Three hundred people In
danger. Can you reach us|'
That was the message which the
yardmaster read to US from the steps
Of the station at Lattell. He was pale.
words out slowly.
He didn't have any need to tell us
the danger. Nor did he call for volun-
teers. To try to get to Yardsley was
like buying a through ticket for death
and be done with it.
We stood around and discussed the
terrible news and did norhing-except
Lan1tigan.
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 see If 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, he rushed to the
) door and yelled after him:
Hey, you. Grandfather Longlegs
You'll be fried like a pancake on q
, griddlew
But Lannigan only grinned and leap
b ed aboard the old engine. We didn't
e know what he was up to until he'C
e coupled on the three empty box car:
and ratified away over the switche:
? and out of the yard.
3 He's making bluff" some of u!
e said
d Others who respected the pluck i
n took to approach the fire thought he't
never get through. but would waste hi:
s steam for nothing.
e "Well. Jimmy, it's going to be ho
/ rum" the long legged Yankee told hi:
a stoker as they neared the first belt O.
y fire. You fill up the furnace, and IL
slow down so you can jump. | dom
e want to take another man to perditio1
:, with me-
! "Oh, guess I'll STOP says Slosson
d kind of shamefaced.
t Then they shook hands on it, an(
e from that moment neither questioned
s the others intention Of sticking to hi:
job.
d But Jimmy had loaded the old en-
L CINE for bear all right before they
e reached the fire line. She was whirl
ing miles under her drivers at rat
Z to beat even our one fast train, ant
Il the empty boxes behind were dancin.
like mad over the rough roadway.
"We're getting there. Jimmy" sing
out Lannigan at last. ''Shin over int
the water tank and fling a pail or s.
over me when you get chance"
He stood out on the running boart
L with hand on the lever. his cap viso
Is shielding his eyes from the smoke ant
&c flying sparks, peering ahead as best b.
o. could at the rails Jimmy. up to hi
:. neck in the tank. flung pail after Pal
- of water over his long figure.
- Suddenly the engine seemed to rul
- into veritable wall Of fame. 1t ez