Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-05-14

INTERCHANGEABLE had ridden down from
the head of the train to unlock the
siding switch and couple the caboose
to hurry up. lock the switch, and
get hack aboard the engine.
Cant get this DANCED key to turn
In the lock-" the brakeman shouted
presently. Locks rusty. and some
things gone bust inside"
Minutes passed. Bryce's assumed
abstraction became real. for he had
many matters TO occupy his busy
brain, and II wts impossible for him to
sit idle without adverting TO some of
them. Presently he was subconscious-
" aware that the train was moving
gently forward; almost Immediately,
It seemed to him, the long string OF
trucks had gathered their customary
speed; and then suddenly Il dawned
upon Bryce that the train had started
of without a single jerk--and that II
was gathering Roadway rapidly.
He looked ahead-and his hair grew
creepy at the roots. There was no 10
comotive attached to the traini II
was running away down a two per
cent grade. and because Of the tire.
mendous weight of the train, II was
gathering momentum at fearful rate.
The reason for the runaway dawned
on Bryce instantly. The road. being
privately owned. was, like most log.
cling roads, neglected al to roadbed
and rolling stock: also II wan under
manned, and the brakeman, who also
acted as switchman. had failed to SET
the hand-brakes on the leading truck
after the engineer had locked the air
brakes. AS result, during the Ave OF
six minutes required to spot In" the
caboose, and an extra minute or two
lost while the brakeman struggled
with the recalcitrant lock on the
switch. the air had leaked away
through the worn valves ana rubber
tubing, and the brakes had been 70
leased-so that the train. without
warning, had quietly and almost noise
lessly slid out Of the log-ianding and
started on its mad career. There was
nothing to DO now save watch the wild
runaway and pray. for Of all the mad
runaways In mad world. q loaded
logging train is by far the worst
For an instant after realizing his
predicament. Bryce Cardigan was
tempted to jump and take his chance
on few broken bones, before the
train could reach greater speed than
twenty miles an hour. His next i'm
pulse was to run forward and set the
mandrake on the leading truck, but
q glance showed him that even with
the train standing still be could not
hope to leap from truck to truck and
land on the round, freshly peeled sur
face Of the logs without slipping. for
he had no calks In his boots. And to
Slip now meant swift and horrible
death.
Then he remembered. In the wildly
rolling caboose Shirley Sumner rode
with her uncle. while less than two
miles ahead. the track swung In a
sharp curve high up along the hillside
above Mad river. Bryce knew the
leading truck would never take that
curve at high speed, even II the an.
Client rolling stock should hold togeth.
| er until the curve was reached. blu,
would shoot of at n tangent into the
canyon. carrying trucks, logs. and ca
boose with II, rolling over and over
down the hillside to the river.
1.-THE caboose must be cut out OF
this runaway" Bryce soliioQuized
"and II must be cut out in devil OF
a hurry. Here goes nothing in par
ticular. and may God be good to my
dear old man."
He jerked his axe out of the log
drove II deep into the top log TOWARD
the end, and by using the haft to clinl
to. crawled toward the rear Of the
load and looked down at the caboost
coupling. The top log was sixteen
foot butt: the two bottom logs were
eighteen-footers. With a silent prayer
of thanks to Providence. Bryce slid
down to the landing thus formed. HI
was still Ave feet above the coupling
however; but by leaning over thu
swaying. humping edge and swinging
the axe with one hand. he managed tc
cut through the rubber hose on thu
air connection.
After accomplishing this. axe II
hand. he leaped down to the narrow
ledge formed by the bumper in from
OF the caboose-drlvIng his face int
the front Of the caboose: and he onl!
grasped the steel rod leading from
the brake-chaIns to the wheel on thu
roof In time TO avoid falling hal
stunned between the front OF the ca
boose and the rest OF the loggini
truck. The caboose had once been {
box car; hence there was no railet
front platform to which Bryce Nigh
have leaped In safety. Cllnging peril
ously on the bumper. he reached will
his foot. got his toe under the leve
on the side. jerked II upward. ant
threw the pin out OF the coupling
then with his free hand he swung tn
axe and drove the great steel jaws o
the coupling apart
The caboose was cut outi But nj
ready the deadly curve was in sight
in two minutes the first truck woul
reach Il; and the caboose. though Gu