A THRILLING ADVENTURE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 119, 10 January 1880, Page 3

A THRILLING ADVENTURE.

The particulars of a peculiarly thrilling 1 experience through which a « ido- •■ '.vd;.. i engineer and tireman of the Peimsj-i vstrii;! : Railroad passe.l on a recent night, were ' related to a representative 0/ the Tele- : graph last evening, and us the story never j before gained publicity outside of rail- j road circles, its production now is a matter of interesting news. The passengers on lioard 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 crossing the Alleghunncy Mountains recently for it was by the prompt action of the engineer, who. by the way is one of the most reiia.ble men in the employ of the company, ilia', a terrible accident was averted. And it may bo ro<narkoii in tnis connection that the oral'. of iojoiaoii-.u engineers an i firemen everywhere is generally composed of men of nerve ami self-reliance, to which , traits of character in many of the fraternity the travelling public should be grateful for the pre.sorvu'.io» of life in instances of which they did not dream. The long tunnel this side of Gaiitzen had : just been passed 01, the night in question, and the train of three baggage, three coach, .in 1 three sleeping cars was presently travelling at usual speed down and around the sloping curves on the other side of the Alleghauies. The regulation .speed, or that at which engineers are requiredt, 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 respon- , sibility they incur in going at a higher 1 rate. The engineers in consequence are . careful to keep their engines well under . control, and it is not inircquent that the ; Westing house airbrake is applied to the '. train in order that the rules ot the sche- . dule may be properly observed. The . latter plan was usually adopted by the|' engineer concerned in the present adven- 1, ture, but in this instance lie was much ; astonished when he attempted 10 restrain j the tendency of the train to rush down the steep grade to find that the brakeap- j parently rei'u-cd to perform its accustomed t duties A chilling sensation took possession of him for an instant when hi: tint her | . discovered that the speCd id' the tuiiti .' was becoming moie rapid each moment.: j Apprehending an uulorlunate break in 1 , some portion of the apparatus, he y ■: ! turned the valve conlro 1, ig 1 ■•• .:■'.•■ ■ pi.eric check \vt ; ! .. ■-.•a ■ ■■, > -o ■■ ■■■: ; was no response ; 1 he. 1 :h.:t ■. i; • ■••• iess time than i: t IKI- 1 , ie...le ti. the train had resuui i a ;e... 1, ■ : ; .;•■. ; miles an hour. Ordinary a-.:.;.- | e ti would boon a level mad, it .b.i.e n matter of the most perilous hit 10 m | tho steep slope of the Alleghauies, an ! 11 I the iiipinentuni was becoming greatei a:. . ( greater, owing to tho free condition of the ! swiftly revolving wheels, the excitement ~ produced can readily bo imagined. Comprehending full well the imminent dan- j ger of the situation, the engineer, as a ' final resort, again applied the airbrake ; giving the contrivance, which in addition j to its great power is remarkable for its ; simplicity and the almost impossibility of i getting out of order, the full benefit of its most powerful force, but thcell'ort was useless, as in no way did the train give evidence of .slacking up. Ai» engineer ot an exciliibif temp, lament at this terrible juie ture voi.lo 110 doubt have shut oil' sleani and. levels d^-hislever, hut in this instance the cool b it quick calculation of the engineer overcame that extremity which, if res Hied to, would hive inevitably produced a casualty of startling proportions, Such an effort could have been successfully accninplisLouJliad the train been going at a speed of only a few miles an hour, but ill this eiwo the cylinder heads of the engine woolJ fcnve been blown out before it had travelled ten yards, and the calnatiophe would havo thus been precipitated. While tho engineer, charged as he was with lite lives of hundreds of unsuspecting poxsengorfl, was for a moment making up his mind as to what plan he should pursue in his perilous emergency, the speed of his train was approaching a fright (til rapidity , The Horsoshoo curve was now but 11 few miles below tiie swiftly approaching train; and it required but a brief space of time for the engineer to form his resuI lutioii. and lie was quick to put it into

I effect. Tho fireman, a young man in the service, who was making his first trip on j a through train, ami who was frightened nearly out of his wits, was restored to ! his senses by an authoritative command | to n'.nn the break on tho tender, and as ' lie proceeded to work, the shrill, sharp signal for down brakes resounded o:\ the air, and then the engineer, with his baud , touching the whistle eonl, awaited an answer. Ten seconds elapsed, and there ■ was no apparent deoren.se in the speed of ! tho Hying train. Another violent pull of , the euid, and another sharp .sound rever- | united among tho hills, but it was apparently as fruitless in result as tho first. ! The conductors and crew of brakenien on board the train, who bad been on duty for a period of twelve days, and who bad '.:.'.<'. secured nature's full allowance of j sleep, were at the perilous moment taking a benefit, .'.u I it was not beforothe fourth signal was made that one of the brakemen was aroused. In the meantime the faithful engineer had become thoroughly ! frightened, for the first tiwio during tho I advent are, ami cold beads of perspiraj tion started from bis brow. The terrified j fireman, ow.ee !■■ hi: excitement, had I given lip his i-....,-'uici|] :u tho brake, and ; awaited ill- •'. ck '.hat seemed unavoidjabio !'■ ': • f tin 1:1 u-ere relieved from |!:i r i ;:■„ , ; .. | ~.. ... ,!„,!:. at tin-fourth hen; :,'..■ the brakes wi re "applied and | die rji.-ed >t ■'.- train reduced to the aejcusi.m,..>d schedule time. But very few I 01 toe passengers were awakened, and if ; so were eitiier too sleepy to can: much or j else did not dream of the terrible ordeal through wbiiih they had passed. When the train had reached Alioona an examination was instituted in order to ascertain what had led to the escape of the train. wheu ii was banal that one of the pipes connecting with the air cylinder underneath the forward baggage car had become ]ii.s:ed. and was also considerably ween, so that when the first, attempt was made U> p it on the brake it became loosed. from its position. Of course, all attempts afterwards to utilize tho ingenious invention were in vain, as the air escaped as fast as it was forced from tho engine, and the current throughout tho entire length of the train destroyed. Although the pluck j- engineer and his fireman had been implicated in some pretty wild advent.iirca In fore ibis extraordinary occurrence they feel sntinned that it was the most .severe ordeal of their railroading experiences, and the recollection of the terrible ride, will no doubt never be fully effaced from their memories.—Pits. Tel.