The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-09-10
The tanning of Red Butte Western


What did you DOR
"Oh. as long as he had done it.
| had him call up the Angels dis
patcher to find out where we were
at. We're on 204's time, you
know-ousht to have met her
here"
why didn't WEI" asked the
superintendent.
"She was late out of Red
Butte; broke something and had
to stop and tie it up; lost a half
hour maxim her getaway"
Then we reach Little Butte
before 204 gets there's that
it,"
That's about the way the night
dispatcher has IL cfphered out.
We'll, tell your engineer to
watch for 204's headlight, and II
he sees il. to take the siding at
Silver Switch, the old Wire
Silver spur.
Bradford nodded, and went
forward to share Williams watch
in the cab of 266.
Twenty minutes farther on, the
train slowed again, made a mo-
mentary stop. and began 20
sereech and grind heavily around
a sharp curve. -
"Where are we now?" asked
Miss Brewster.
AT Silver Switch" replied
Lidgerwood; and when a bobbing
lantern came nearer he called to
the bearer of it: What is 1t,
Bradford"
THE passenger, I reckon" was
the answer. Williams thought
he saw IL as we came around
Point-o'-Rocks, and he was afraid
the dispatcher had got balled up
some and let 'em get past Little
Butte without a meet-order."
For a moment the group on the
rallied platform was silent. and in
the little interval a low, hum
ming sound made itself felt rather
than heard.
"Your engineer was right" re-
Joined the superintendent sharp
ly. She's eomingl" And even
as he spoke, the white glare of an
electric headlight burst into full
view on the shelflike cutting
along the northern face of the
great hill, pricking out the small
est details of the waiting special,
the closed switch, and the gleam-
ing lines of the rails.
With this powerful spotlight to
project its cone of dazzling bril-
lance upon the scene. the watch
ers on the rallied platform of the
SUPPLEMENTARY service-car saw
every detail in the swift outwork-
ing of the tragic spectacle for
which the hill-facing curve was
the Suggesting.
When the oncoming passenger
train was within three or four
hundred yards of the spur track
switch and racing toward IL at
full speed, there came a short,
sharp whistle-seream, a crash Is
of the ripping asunder of the
mechanical soul and body, and
q wrecked train lay tilted at an
angle of forty-five degrees
against the bank of the hillside
cutting.
1t was a moment for action
rather than for words. and when
he cleared the platform handrafl
and dropped, running. Lidger-
wood was only the fraction of q
second ahead of Van Lew ana
Jefferis. With Bradford swinging
his lantern for Williams and his
fireman to come on, the four men
were at the wreck before the
cries of fright and agony had bro
ken out upon the awful stiffness
following the crash.
The baggage-car, riding high
upon the crushed tender. was
body-whole, but the smoker. day
coach and sleeper we're all more
or less shattered, with the smok-
ine-car already beginning to
blaze from the broken lamps.
Lidgerwood's genius fer swift and
effective organization came out
strong under the hammer-blow of
the occasion.
stay here with Bradford and
Jefferis. and get that engineer
outf" he called to Van Lew.
Then. with arms outspread. he
charged down upon the trains
company, escaping as It could
through the broken windows OF
the cars. This way, every man
of youi" he yelled, his shout
dominating the elamor Of cries.
crashing glass. and kissing steam.
The fires what we've got to
fight Line up down to the river,
and pass water IN anythfng you
can get hold of Here. Qroners
to the train conductor, who wss
picking himself up cut of the
ditch into which the shock haa
thrown hfm-s.send somebody IL