In the table of performances made at the Pittsburgh Interscholastic
A.A., published in HARPER'S ROUND TABLE No. 869, Bell, S.S.A., is
credited with winning the half-mile run. This is an error; that event
was taken by Atkinson of Park Institute. Atkinson was the only man
entered from his school, and certainly ought to get the credit due him
for his win.
"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL,
$1.25.
THE GRADUATE.
A BOY'S BRAVE ACT.
In one of the largest cities of the United States there is a trolley-car
line that crosses the tracks of a steam railroad. The usual rail gates
guard the crossing when trains are passing, but accidents have happened
there in spite of such precautions. Not long ago what would have been a
fearful catastrophe was narrowly averted by the presence of mind of a
little newsboy who sold papers at the station near the crossing. A
witness of the scene related the story to me. As in all cases of such
nature the facts are suppressed by the railroad companies, and it is
hard to obtain even the meagre details.
It was early in the morning, and a car with about twenty passengers on
board rolled up to the crossing, and proceeded to pass over the tracks
slowly, as they invariably do. The conducting-pole that extends from the
roof of the car to the charged wire overhead slipped from the wire when
the car was immediately over the tracks, causing it to come to a stop.
The conductor, who has charge of the rope that moves the pole, and hangs
down back of the car, vainly pulled it, trying to make the pole connect
with the wire. But the rope had caught in the roof of the car and jammed
itself in such a way that he was unable to see the cause of the trouble.
The passengers were growing nervous, and when the alarm-bell at the
crossing began ringing, announcing the approach of a train, they made a
wild stampede for the doors. They all tried to get out at once, but only
jammed themselves into a worse predicament.
A short distance down the track, and coming around the curve at full
speed, was a fast express, and it seemed but a question of a few moments
when the crash would come, and instantaneous death follow. The conductor
stuck bravely to his post, and the motorman, pale but firm, stood with
his hand on the key waiting for the electric current to start the car.
When the express was but a few yards distant, and amid the wild hoarse
screams of the frantic, struggling passengers, the car gave a sudden
bound forward over the crossing, and cleared the train by a foot or so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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