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Show A Brave Engineer. When an incident occurs that appeal to the heroic element in nan it oajrit to be passed around so that it will tarill fm many breasts the brave respond chord that cannot bo touched too often for tb good of human nature. Therefore we write here again the story below.' John Burns was tie name of an engineer en-gineer on the Michigan Southern road. His name, John Burns, is the, same as that of another brave man, the workman work-man labor leader John Burns, of London. Lon-don. Engineer John Burns waa in charge of Engine No. 34, weighia ninety nine-ty tons and drawing seven paaeene coaches and a baggage car. The train was No. 5 limited. No. 6 was late and was trying to make up lost time by running run-ning at the rate of fifty miles an hour down grade. Near Irving station there had been a ghastly wreck of a cattle train, lulling some of the poir brutes, tearing the horns off otlu rs. crashing several of the cars into splint prs. Two of the cars were thrown across the track of the Lake Shore limited, No. 5. They lay there just as the train came thundering un, fifty miles an hour. John Burns saw tie situation in a lightning glance just before the train touched the wreck. Two courses were open. He could stop the train and jnmp off just before she crashed into the cattle cars and save his own Ufa. But the train could not possibly be stopped in time to save a terrible wreck of the paBeuger coaches. No. 5 was toe frightfully near the cattle cars for that Undoubtedly there would be a terrific collision, and many lives would be lost; but John Burns would save his own life. The other course was to release all steam and let it drive tho ninety ton engine clean throtgk the wreck. The powerful engine en-gine could probably clear the obstruction obstruc-tion at a bound, and bring the passenger coaches through with nothing worse than a terrible shaking up and some bruises. Cut where then would be John Burns? Frobably scalded to death or dashed to pieces by the collision. It did not take a thousandth part as long for John Burne to think this thought as it has taken fr us to write it. But he did not think twice. He weighed the lives of all those passengers against hia own in one thrilling moment, and tben 6utted thirty-four with all her thundering thunder-ing force square into the cattle cars npon the track. Thirty-four cut the cars in two like r knife, and carried the train through wiih her. Aa 6he did eo John Burns suddenly reversed the motion and stopped the train. Meantime, in the car behind the engine, en-gine, was a baggage man full of that fine quality old fashioned ppople call "gumption," He saw the situation at a glance and ran into the cars in the rear, shouting to the passengers to rnaBto- the "S'Stef side, UjQ one opposite vo tie wreck. . He was ablo to go through two coaches before the crash came. The sides of those two cars next to the Wreck were torn out, but the passengers were saved, every one, though some of thetn were considerably injured. " Through the cuol heroism of an engineer and the presence of mind of a baggage man not a life was lost. . .. The engue and baggage car were smashed. Change to say, however, John Burns himself was v.ot killed, though one arm was scalded, and he was cut and bruised. Courage and presence of ' mind seem to carry with them their ewn mysterious protection. Soh a story somehow makes our common com-mon life look mean and shabby. |