THE RAILROAD WRECK
The boys grabbed up their hats, raced down the steps, and along the
street in the direction of the railroad. While they are on their way,
the reader may care to ascertain a little more about the three chums,
and something of their doings, which have been set forth in previous
volumes of this series.
Jerry Hopkins was the son of a well-to-do widow, Bob Baker the
offspring of a rich banker, while Ned Slade’s father owned a large
department store.
The first volume of the series, entitled “The Motor Boys,” told how
the lads took part in bicycle races, and how one of them won a fine
motor cycle. They incurred the enmity of Noddy Nixon, a town bully,
and his crony, Bill Berry. The chums had many experiences on their
motor cycles, and in a race they won a fine touring automobile.
Their adventures, and exciting ones they were, which followed the
acquisition of the car, were told of in the second volume, “The Motor
Boys Overland.” They went west to search for an old mine, of which a
prospector they had befriended had told them. They found the claim,
with the aid of Jim Nestor, though they had a close race with Noddy
Nixon and Bill Berry to get formal possession.
On their western trip the boys had become acquainted with an old man,
Professor Uriah Snodgrass, a naturalist, and he told them of an ancient
buried city in Old Mexico. The boys resolved to search for it, and
how they succeeded was set forth in the third volume, “The Motor Boys
in Mexico.” They had several fights with the Mexicans and Bob was
kidnapped, but escaped. The ancient city was found, very unexpectedly,
as the auto sunk down through a concealed road and coursed along an
underground passage. There many strange things occurred, including the
discovery of the disappearing reservoir, and a valuable box of jewels.
The boys decided to visit their mine, on their way back to the United
States, and it was a good thing they did, as it had fallen into the
possession of the plotters, as related in “The Motor Boys Across the
Plains.” An old hermit, who lived near a lake, proved to be the father
of a boy the three chums rescued from a desperate gang and, later, the
hermit was of much assistance in retaining possession of the mine for
the motor boys, since he was one of the original prospectors.
The boys returned home after that. They had saved quite a sum of money
from their share of the mine profits, and invested it in a fine motor
boat, the _Dartaway_. As set forth in the fifth volume of the series,
entitled “The Motor Boys Afloat,” the three chums transferred their
energies to river and lake, and took part in races, foiled the plot
Noddy Nixon laid, and solved the mystery of a strange schooner and the
robbery of Mr. Slade’s store. They had an exciting chase after the
thieves, rendering the police much assistance.
All their adventures took place during their school vacations. Now
another one was at hand, and, naturally enough, the boys wanted to have
as much fun as had fallen to their lot in the past. But, while they
were racing to the railroad wreck, their minds were more on that than
on what the summer might hold for them.
“I wonder if many are killed?” Bob said.
“Looks as though some were, as there goes the morgue wagon. There must
be a number injured, too,” Jerry replied. “There go Dr. Bounce, Dr.
Jones and Dr. Hardy,” and he pointed to the carriages of the three
physicians. The medical men were urging their horses to a gallop.
Following the crowd the boys soon found themselves near the railroad,
which swept up to Cresville in a long curve, after passing through a
deep cut. It was in this cut where the wreck had occurred. The boys
could see, from the top of a little hill, a great crowd gathered about
the entrance to the gorge.
“Come on!” cried Ned. “Maybe we can help!”
It was a terrible sight that met the boys’ eyes as they entered the
narrow cut. As they learned later a defective rail had caused the
smash-up. The engine had jumped the track, and crashed into the rocky
sides of the defile. The cars had piled on top of the locomotive, and
there was a mass of wreckage.
Wheels and trucks were scattered about. The top of one car had been
sliced off, and was resting on the coach in front of it. Another car
was almost inside of another, and the smoker had mounted the engine
tender, the wheels being buried in the coal and water tank.
Fortunately it was summer, and there was no fire in the cars, so the
wreckage did not ignite. The coals from the engine boiler had started
a small blaze, but this had been put out.
The train was a through one, not scheduled to stop at Cresville, and
there had been comparatively few passengers aboard.
The rescuers were already at work. Several bodies had been carried
from the wreck, and placed on beds made from the car seats. One or two
silent forms, under shawls and blankets, told, better than words, that
death had come swiftly to the unfortunates.
There were several badly injured, and it was to them that the
physicians gave prompt attention. The majority of the hurt were women
and children, though there were some men. Only the fact that travel was
light, just preceding the annual vacation rush, prevented a terrible
loss of life.
At first the boys did not know what to do to assist, though they felt
they should help, as far as possible. They stood in the front of the
crowd, which the railroad men were endeavoring to keep back, and looked
on, their hearts palpitating with the terrible sights they witnessed.
As they stood there Dr. Bounce, who had just finished bandaging up a
man’s leg, came past. He knew the three boys, and, as he saw them, he
called:
“Here, Jerry, you and your friends come in here and help me, will you?
I’ve got my hands full. One of you carry my medicine case, and the
others rummage around and get all the cloth you can for bandages. Tear
up the sheets in the sleeper. That is the last car and didn’t smash up
as badly as the others.”
Anxious to take part in the work, and glad to be called on by Dr.
Bounce, the boys slipped through the cordon of railroad men, who, at a
nod from the physician, let them pass, and followed the doctor.
Jerry took the medical man’s valise, containing its grim instruments
and also the healing remedies, and the merciful chloroform to relieve
pain. Ned and Bob found their way to the wrecked sleeper. No one was in
it, and they got an axe and broke open some of the berths, which were
jammed shut. They took out pillows, sheets and blankets, which willing
hands soon distributed among the wounded.
The two boys tore the sheets into long strips that Dr. Bounce and the
other physicians used to bind up the cuts and bruises of the wounded.
As fast as the passengers were taken from the wreck they were put on
improvised stretchers and carried out of the dark and gloomy gorge to
the level land beyond, where the doctors could work over them.
Jerry was kept busy attending on Dr. Bounce, handing him this
instrument or that, and pouring out the medicines under the physician’s
directions.
The scene was one of confusion and terror. Cries and groans of the
wounded mingled with the weeping of those who had lost loved ones in
the crash. Then came the noise of axes, hammers and saws on wood, the
implements being used to free some imprisoned victims, held down by
heavy timbers.
It seemed that all were now rescued who could escape by their own
efforts or be carried out by the workers. There only remained the
possible dead under the wreck and those who might be held fast in it.
The boys had a brief respite from their strenuous labors. They were
standing together, hardly able to realize what they had seen and taken
part in.
Suddenly a small boy rushed up to where the chums were standing. He
seemed greatly excited.
“Come here, quick!” he called.
“What is it, Andy Rush?” asked Bob.
“Man--pinned under a big beam--groaning awful--makes me have the
shivers--I tried to get him--couldn’t--head hurt I guess--come
on--help me--we’ll save his life,” and finishing his usual disjointed
and rapid-fire remarks Andy hurried off, followed by the three chums on
the run.
He led them to the rear end of a telescoped car. There, pinned under
a pile of seats, was a gray haired man, his white locks stained with
blood. He was groaning feebly.
With a quick eye Jerry saw one particular plank that was holding the
others like a wedge. He caught up a hammer and, with a few heavy blows,
knocked the splintered timber out of place. Then he and the other boys
were able to lift the man out. As they carried him to where the other
wounded were lying on improvised cots, the wounded passenger murmured:
“Jess!--Jess!--Where are you? Jess! Jess!”