Year: 1879




particulars OF peculiarly thrilling
+ experience through which wide awake


engineer and fireman OF the Pennsylvaa-


ia Railroad passed on recent night


were related to representative OF the
/ Telegraph last evening; and, as the story
never before gained publicity outside of
! railroad circles, its production now is a


matter of interesting news.


The passengers on board one of the
( night express trains between this city


and Philadelphia are probably unaware


to the present day of the imminent peril


through which they passed while cross


ing the Allegheny mountains at the time


mentioned, for it was by the prompt ac
ton of the engineer, who, by the way, is
! one of the most reliable men in the en-
| pioy of the company, that a terrible
accident was averted. Aud it may be
/ remarked in this connection that the


craft of locomotive engineers and fire.


men everywhere is generally composed
| OF men of nerve and self-reliance, to
which traits of character in many Of the
/ fraternity the travelling public should be
/ grateful for the preservation of life in


instances Of which they did not dream.
/ The long tunnel this side OF Galitzen had
/ just been passed on the night in question,
and the train of three baggage, three
; coach, and three sleeping cars was pres


eutly travelling at the usual speed down


and around the sloping curves on the
| A!leghanies. The regulation speed, or
| that at which engineers are required to


travel while going down the mountains,


is fixed by the authorities of the road at
about fifteen miles per hour, and all
| conductors are cautioned as to the re-


sponsibility they incur in going at a
| higher rate. The engineers, in conse-
| quenca, are careful to keep their engine
well under control, and it is not infre-


quent that the Westinghouse air brake is
| applied to the train III order that the
! rules Of the schedule may be properly


observed. The latter plan was usually


adopted by the engineer concerned in
| the present adventure, but. in this in
stance he was peculiarly astonishod
! when he attempted to restrain the ten.
dency of the train to rush down the
! steep grade, to find that the brake APP
parently refused to perform its accus-
/ toned duties. 4 chilling sensation took
| possession of him for an instant when he


further discovered that the speed Of the
train was becoming mora rapid each


moment. Apprehending an unfortunate
/ break in some portion of the apparatus,
he yet tUrned on the valve controlling
! the atmospheric check with greater force,
but there was no response to his efforts.
In even less time than it takes to relate
the fact the train had assumed velocity
of thirty miles an hour. Ordinary as
! this speed would be on g level road, it
| become a matter of the most perilous
interest on the steep slope of the Ale
ghanies, and as the momentum was be-
coming greater and greater, owing to
the condition of the swiftly revolving
wheels, the excitement produced can


readily be imagined. Comprehending
| full well the imminent danger of the


situation, the engineer, as last resort,
again applied the alrbrake, giving the
eontriyance, which in addition to its
great power Is remarkable for its sim


plicity and the almost impossihility Of
getting out OF order, the full benefit Of


its powerful force, but the effort was en-


tirely useless, as in no way did the


train give evidence of Stacking up.
An engineer CT an eAcitable temperament
at this terrible iuncture, would no doubt


have shut off the steam, and reversed


his lever, but in this instance the cool
but quick calculation OF the engineer


oyercame that extremity, which, if re-
sorted to, would have inevitably produc-


ed casualty of startling proportions.
Such an effort could have been success
fully accomplished had the train been
going at speed of only few miles per
hour, but in this case, the cylinder heads
| OF the engine would have been blown


out before it had travelled ten yards, and


the catastrophe would have been thus


precipitated. While the engineer, charg-
| ed as he was with the precious lives of
hundreds OF unsuspecting passengers,


was, for moment, making up his mind
as to what plan he should pursue in his
| perilous emergency, the speed of the
train was meanwhile approaching a
! frlghtful rapiJity. The Horseho8 curve


was now but a few miles below the


swiftly approaching train, and the quick


ly passing sce1efy Of the mountains,
/ which, on any other occasion would have
/ been interesting, to look upon, assumed
/ phantasmlc fern as the brilliant glare
! from the headlight revealed how swiftly
| the intervening ground was being cover


ed. 1t required bat brief space of time


for the engineer to form his resolution.


and he was quick to put it into effect.
The fireman, young man in<he service.


who was making his first trip on through
train, and who was nearly frightened out
/ of his wits, was restored to his sensas bv
an authoritative command 10 map the


brake On the tender, ana as he proceeded


to work, the shrill, sharp signal for
! ''down brakes resounded on the air and


then the engineer, with his hand touch
ing the whistle cord, awaited an answer


Zen seconds elapsed, and there was no


apparent decrease in the speed of the
flying train. Another violent pull on
+ the cord, and another sharp sound reyer-