Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-10

had learned No. IS usually took water.
Reaching the water tank and prowling
along the local train after It had pulled
up under the spout. Spike still sought In
some way to work mischief on it. His
eye rested presently on some waste pro-
truding from a journal box. Watching
his chance, he struck a match to this
and moved carelessly on.
Storm was in the engine cab. He had
received his sigma. from the conductor
and was pulling his train away from the
spout when the conductor, swinging up
on the hind end OF the caboose, caught
with his eve a color of something from
one of the wheels of a boxcar ahead
Pulling the air valve, he brought the
train to an emergency stop and with his
brakeman ran forward. Storm. looking
back for an explanation, likewise saw
the growing blaze, and getting down
joined the train crew. The flames had
begun to lick the body Of the car.
The trainmen were throwing sand on
the journal. but It was too late for tenn
porizing with eNped ents such as that.
Storm told them he would back under
the spout so they could flood the flames
and FASTENED back to his cab. AS rapidly
as possible he pushed the train up past
the water tank, where the conductor cut
off the hind end and sgnaled Storm
ahead. But a can of crude oil i'm the
burning car gave way at that moment
under the strain of the intense heat and
the fire. now well started. ignited the
car next ahead. The two were stopped
with Jolt under the tank and the brake
man and fireman. pulling the spout
down, turned on a heavy stream of
water. This unhappily served only to
spread the flames from the crude oil,
and the wind drove these toward the two
cars just ahead. which the crew were
particularly anxious to save-they were
the cars that contained the explosives.
I'VE must cut off the head end" yelled
the conductor as storm, after watching
the result, started again for the engine.
While the conductor ran forward, the
crews were chalking the wheels and
pinning down the brakes under the half
burning cars. The engineer. cut off
headed with his engine into a siding and
leaving 1t there ran back to the fire. The
burning cars were already drifting. The
brakeman and flagmsn had escaped from
the top of them by catching at the
water spout as they passed under II.
Storm, down the track, saw the situa-
ton. He realized what might happen II
the powder cars were allowed to run
away. With flying leap, he caught the
side latter of the head car and running
up, began pinning down the brakes.
The conductor yelled himself hoarse try
ing to warn him off But instead of stop
ping, Storm fought his way back through
the smoke to the second car. The train
men FASTENED into the station to the
operator and gave the alarm. The oper-
ator telephoned a message instantly to
Signal, the next station.
The agent had gone over to the camr
and 1t vas this message that caught
Helen at Signal alone in the office. She
picked up the receiver as the telephone
bell rang. listened to the excited opera
tor and wrote his hurried words down
on a pad:
Runaway powder cars on fire. Engi-
neer Storm on them. Ditcvh at first
spur"
She dropped her pencil as she fin
ished, breathless with shock. Then pull
ing her wits together she cast for help
She was quite alone. Whatever was ia
be done. she must do it and 1t must be
done in haste. Running through the
freight house she espied a coil of rope
1t suggested something-though at the
instant she could not have told what
But she caught it up on the instructive
impulse and ran out on the track. The
cars. flaming in the distance, were com.
ing down the lang grade. A telegraph
pole standing just above the station put
wild idea into her head. II she could
pass the rope above the burning car. II