Year: 1879

From the New York Times.


By locomotive explosion on West
en railroad few years ago, the engineer,
John Dawson, was killed. Dawson was
one the oldest engineers in the country,
and was for several years on the Buffalo,
Cory and Pittsburgh railroad, where he
had one of the most terrible experiences
that has ever been recorded in the history
of railroadlng. His death recalls that
night Of peril to every one in this part of
the state, although it has never ceased to
be related in minutest detail at all gath
erings of railroad men where the dangers
of the foot board have been the topic.


From Mayville Summit to BroctOn
Junction the Lake Shore road the dis.
tance is ten miles. The grade for that
distance is nearly eighty feet to the mile
The Cory road extends into the Pennsyl-
vania oil regions, and ten years ago car.
ried large quantities of petroleum. On
the night of Aug. II, 1869, Davison'S en-.
gine was at the Summit with the train OF
one box car, six loaded oil cars, and
two passenger cars. The box car was
next to the locomotive, and the passenger
cars were in the rear of the train. The
engineer had started the train, and it had
attained a good headway, when he discov-
cred flames issuing from one Of the oil
cars. He whistled down brakes, and the
coaches were cut loose from the oil cars
which were quickly uncoupled from the
box car. The engineer then pulled on
10 thn hill 10 frnt pttt pf tbn Nnnab n
the burning cars, in order to save the To-
comotive and the other car, in which were
two valuable trotting horses and their
keepers on their way to Cleveland. He
supposed the brakemen would put the
brakes on the oil cars, but in the excitement
this was not done, and they followed the To-
comotive, gaining headway every moment
Before the engineer had taken in the
situation, the oil cars, every one OF them
now ablaze, came dashing upon him
around curve. They crashed into the
box car, knocking in one end of it, but,
singularly enough; neither that nor any
Of the moving cars were thrown from the
track by the collision. The engineer and


fireman could have escaped all danger by
abandoning the locomotive, but, as Davi-
son said when asked afterward why he
did not pursue that course, they had $20,-
900 worth of the Company's property in
their charge, and they were determined
to save it if possible. According to the
engineers story Of the incident he saw
that there was to be race for life be-
tween him, with his engine, and the fam
ing cars, under no control. He said that
when the oil cars struck the one in which
the horses were the poor animals actually
screamed with fright. The heat was un-
bearable. Dawson pulled the throttle
valve wide open, and he declared that
they flew down the eighty.foot grade so
fast that the engine could not pump. The
keepers in the car next the oil car climb
ed up to the opening in the end of the car
and with faces pale as death, begged the
engineer to give her more steam" They
could see the blazing oil ears through
the broken end of their car, and it seemed
to them that they gained at every turn of
| the wheels. The engineer said that when
he struck the sharp curves at the lightn-
ing speed at which he was going he ex-
pected that his engine would leave the
track and be hurled down the mountain
side. The night was very dark. The en-
ginc thundered along faster than any en-
gine ever ran in this country before or
since, through woods and deep rock cuts,
and on the edge of high precipices.


The horses were stamping and neighing
with terror in the box-car, and only few
feet in the rear was the flying mass of
fame rushing down the mountain like a
tremendous meteor. The blaze from the
thousands of gallons of burning oil was
more than sixty feet in height, and light
ed up the woods and rocks AMI crooked
roads for miles. The whole heaYens were
illuminated, and from Brocton the sight
of the great conHagration, apparently fly
ing through the air, now hidden for sec
ond bv cut or piece OF wood, and then
leaping out again and up toward the sky
like huge fountain of fire, is described
as having been awful in its grandeur.
The idea of Engineer Dawson was to
call for the opening of the switch for him
at Brocton Junction, so that he could run
on to the Lake Shore track, where the
grade was ascending, and where he could
soon get out of the way Of the burning
cars through their having lost the prOpell-
ing power VI lllt ucCllHt vi tuC Duluullt
grade. 1t happened, however, that the
Cincinnati express on the Lake Shore
road would be due at the junction when
Davidson's engine reached there. To add
to the terror ofthe situation, west bound
, Lake Shore freight train was at that mo-
ment running to pass the junction before
the arrival OF the express. There was
only one thing to do, and that was to
| whistle for the switch, and take the
chances Of the freight getting out of the
way, and the express being tagged or
late. The engineer knew that he must
have been seen from Brocton Junction, BY
the light of the burning oil, in his life or
death race down the mountain, and the
railroad men there understood the peril
of the situation, and would be prompt to
act. He whisted for open switch. He
and his fireman then bade each other
goodbye and awaited the result.


The freight train gained the siding out
of their way. The switch was opened,
and they tore on up the Lake Shore track,
past the depot and through the village, and


were soon out Of the way of the burning cars


The latter gradually came to stop. The


engine and box-car were stopped within Q
hundred yards of the Lake Shore express


which was both late and signaled. Wher
Dawson and his fireman found they were


out of danger they tainted on their en-


gine. The horses in the box car were


ruined, and their keepers were taken from
the car unconscious The oil tanks burn


ed for three hours after they were stopped


The most fortunate circumstance of tht


whole affair was the uncoupling Of thu


passenger cars from the oil cars at the


Summit. They were filled with passen


gers, and if they had remained with the


burning tanks would have been wrapped
| in flames in very short time, and there


would have been no escape for the pas


sengers from most horrible fate. 1t was
lust o'clock when Division pulled out


from Mayville Summit. When he was


taken from his engine, 16 miles from the


starting point it was not yet twelve min


utes past the hour.


James Keenan,, Davison's fireman, was


killed about three years ago.. He was on


his engine, when he saw child playing
on the track some distance ahead. He
ran out to the pilot, and, reaching over,
caught the child and tossed it to one side
of the track. He lost his balance, howev'
er, and fell in front of the locomotive, an6


was crushedt death.


-


| Apples for Horses.


From the Dirago Rural.


One of our citizens, who usually keeps