A Runaway Locomotive

Last Monday, at noon, the locomotive on the Sinyrna JBranoh railroad ran away and nearly killed itself. After bringing the noon train into town, and after J3ngineer McConaughy had started to dinner, the fireman, John Shorts, cut the locomotive loose from the car to shift it to he other track. He turned on steam, and as he did so the pin feil out of the throttle bar. He could . not shut her off after that, and away ehe went at break-neck speed through Commerce street to Olayton. Shorts made a perilous lefip from her as she whizzed by Union street and saved himself, though he was flopped over and orer in the dusty street wheu he struck the ground. In just about one minute from the time Shorts " pulled oiit the stopper" here the locomotive was a ruined mass at Clayton. The distance between the two pointe is one mile and a quarter. As quick as possible a telegram was sent to Olayton to "switch her off," but she beat the telegram by about two lengths, and had spread herself pretty well over the dopot ground when the dispatch reached there. She did not obey the eurve at Ckyton at all, but shot off in a straight line across the grounds. She jumped off with such f orce as to throw herself flat on her side, and in this condition she smashed into the platform along the main track, near the north end of the depot. She slid along sideways for 100 yards or more, snapping bolts and rods as if they were ropes of sand. Her wheels that were upperinost whizzed round like a top, and the raging steam hissed like mad from every aperture. Fortunately the exhaust pipe broke, or she might have burst her boiler. Tiie whole afiair was over almost as quick as a wink. - Smyrna {De.l.) Times.