Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1893 — ON A WILD CAR. [ARTICLE]

ON A WILD CAR.

Terrible Experience of Two Men on a Runaway Car. The country between Olean, X. Y., and Bradlord, Pa., is very mountainous, and but for the oil productions of that region would have perhaps remained in its primitive state for years to come. The discovery of petroleum in McKean Co., Pa., and Cattaraugus Co., X. Y., necessitated some mode of conveying machinery, lumber, etc., into the mountains. Au old saying that “necessity is the mother of invention,” here came into play as the mother of two. First came what was called the “peg-leg” railroad, which was constructed on [>osts, between Bradford and Red Rock, a distance of six or seven miles. It was virtually a railroad with but a single rail. After a few years it was condemned, owing to the number of accidents that occurred. Then the “narrow gauge” road was conceived, and used to good advantage between Bradford and Olean, some twenty miles. It was apparently as dangerous as the “peg-leg,” being but a three-foot gauge. However, it proved otherwise aud was termed a success. ft hud shaky trestles for bridges, mud for ballast, and with no fences along the entire route; besides having the stee|>est grades and sharpest curves known to railroad men. With all that it served the purpose and paid the promoters a handsome dividend.

The first town west of Olean is “Four Mile”—it is four miles, air line, and seven by rail, from Olean. Between these points the road winds around the mouutaiu sides, through miniature valleys and over chasms, regardless of distance, as long as deep cuts are avoided, j The ascent is something like one hundred and thirty-five feet to the mile. Now I come to the starting point. * # f: rfr “Xo, I don’t mind telling you how I injured my arm,” said Conductor Murphy, as he sat iu my office one winter’s evening waiting for orders. “We had a car of rails for Four Mile and was going to throw it in on a spur switch there. When I was within a few feet of the switch, I motioned the brakeman to cut her off; after which I attempted to throw the switch. It would not budge. The rails had expanded from the heat of the sun and were fastened together. The brakeman took iu the situation at a glance, and set the brake, but the chain kept, slipping off the stem. I ran to give him what assistance I could, aud when opposite me I climbed up to give him a hand. At the first twist of our united efforts, the chain snapped and the brake was rendered useless. The speed of the heavily loaded car increased in velocity. We could have easily jumped off and let her go, but there was the engine already coming after us to couple on again. The engineer had seen and realized our predicament, “At first she gained rapidly upon us, but presently we saw that the car was keeping away, although but fifteen or twenty feet separated. Then for the first time we realized how fust we were going. I cried to the engineer to give her more steam. He stood there bolt upright, looking over our heads down the track, while the cab swayed like a ship in a storm. Again I fairly yelled,‘For God’s sake, give her more steam, wemre going away from you.’ Then Jardwin leaned out of the cab window and shook his head, saying, ‘Boys, you’ll have to jump iu the swamp; it is your only chance. She has on a full head of steam now.’ Sayiug which he shut off the steam and put on the brake. We were out of sight in less time than it takes to tell it. llow the telegraph poles flew by! The rush of wind nearly swept us from the ear. The dust from the rails was picked up and whirled in our eyes. Would the car ride it out at such speed? Would we be able to jump into the swamp? These and many other thoughts rushed through our ininds with the rapidity of lightning. We were crouched nt the very edge of the car ready for the spring, when, just before reaching the swamp, the car, from sheer momentum, left the rails in rounding a curve, aud went bottom up in the swamp. I remember flying through space, ; and then all was a blank. “When I regained consciousness, the boys told me they had to take a rail off my arm to get me out of the water. “Tim Bailey, poor fellow, fared even worse. He was injured internally, and lived but a few days.”—[W. A. F., iu Callicoou (N. Y.) Echo.