Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-08

That was the message which the
yardmaster read to us from the steps
of the station at Lattell. He was pale,
| and his hands shook as be spelled the
words out slowly.
He didn't have any need to tell MS
| the danger Nor did be call for volun-
teers. To try to get to Yardsley was
like buying through ticket for death
| and be done with it.
| We 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 I" 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 a
| griddlep'
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 bluff" some Of us
said.
Others who respected the pluck 1t
took to approach the fire thought he'd
never get through. but would waste his
steam for nothing.
"Well. Jimmy. it's going to be hot
rum" the long legged. Yankee told his
stoker as they neared the first belt Of
fire. You fill up the furnace. and I'll
slow down so you can jump. | don't
want to take another man to perdition
with me-"
"Oh. l guess TIL STOP" says Slosson,
kind of shamefaced.
|
from that moment neither questioned
the others intention of sticking to his
Job.
But Jimmy had loaded the old en-
CINE for bear all right before they
reached the fire 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 over the rough roadway.
"Were getting there. Jimmy" sings
out Lannigan at last. "Shin over into
the water tank and fling pail or so
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 over his long figure.
Suddenly the engine seemed to run
into a veritable wall Of fame. 1t ex-
tended far across the roadbed, and it
wrapped the train about in 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 parrot, and his cloth
ing was afire in dozen spots. But he
turned horrible grin upon Jimmy and
| waved his hand.
"Give us another bucketw he 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.
guess If any two men were ever
welcomed as angels straight from
heaven it was Lannigan and his stoker.
though they must have looked 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 was reversed, and
back through the awful belt of flame
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 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 were afire and the passengers
half suffocated when they arrived.
Jimmy was pretty nearly drowned in
the tank. and we picked Lannigan off
the engine Just as he caved completely.
Daddy Longlegs' was some time In
the hospital and came plaguy near los
ing his sight. and all because of that
run. But If a man was ever popular