Year: 1868

We learn from an engineer Of the Hudson
River Railroad, the particulars of one Of the
most exciting scenes that ever occurred on
the line Of that road. On Saturday last the
locomotive Arctic was standing on the track
at Poughkeepsie, awaiting tho arrival Of the
9;45, A. NJ. train from this city, which it was
to conduct to New York. The fireman Of
the engine was a recent. employee Of the road !;
aud jumping of the locomotive repaired to
a neighboring saloon, where he became not
drunk. but utterly wild and ungoveruabe.
with liquor. The time for the arrival Of the
traiu was fast approaching, aud the engineer
becoming alarmed at the absence OF the fire.
man, got of the engine to look for hun.
During his absence the fireman returned,
and, Influenced by the devil, mounted the
engine, and with one desperate clutch opened
the throttle which was to set the ponderous
machinery in motion. Away the Arctic sped
with the speed Of the whirlwind. For few
minutes all was CONSERVATION and excitement
among the lookers-on. In a moment the
engiue with its maniac driver was out of
sight, bounding along over the track at
rate utterly fearful to contemplate, and sug>
gesting most terrible disaster to such uulucky
trains as might be preceding it on the track.
What to do-how to stop the mad career OF
the engine-were the questions which pre-,
sented themselves for solution to the minds
Of the railroad officials at POughkeepSie
There was but one recourse, and that to
telegraph to the station master at New Ham.
burg to throw open the switch at that point
aud run the flying locomotive of the track.
But before the agent at that place could ex
ecute the order the Arctic came tearing along
at its greatest speed, passed the station in
safety, and was flying on its course like
demon OF destruction. Orders we're sent
ahead for ths track to be torn up, as it was
determined, if possible no one should be
harmed by the freaks of the mad man but
himself, neither his life nor the value of the
engine being considered of the least account
when the lives of so many others were de-
pending on the result. Fortunately the en-
CINE was stopped by causes within itself,
rather than by any ofsthe measures suggested
for its overthrow and destruction. The en~
giDeer ut Poughkeepsie, when he left the
engine to look after his absent fireman, had
both pumps at work filling the boiler with
water. The fireman either did not know how
to shut off the flow of cold water or had over.
looked in his frenzy and excitement the fact
shat the pumps we're at work, aud neglected
to shut them of, and after running about
dozen miles. the pressure of water upon the
boiler was so great as to cause an overflow,
the fires went down, steam was exhausted,
and the engine stopped from the want OF the
necessary driving power. The fireman then
took the cushions from the engineers seat,
laid them down in the gutter alongside the
track, and cody deposited himself upon them
for a comfortable snooze, uumindful of the
terrible excitement aud appreheusious Of dis
aster he had caused along the line of the
road The engine was subsequently brought
back to Puughkeepsie, none the worse for its
mad journey, and the faithless fireman was
discharged from the employ Of the company.
Troy Times.