Bailey, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
Bailey
Valparaiso Messenger, February 4.
We have often read of daring and heroic deeds by railroad engineers, but we remember none exhibiting more nerve or pluck than our friend Thomas Stokes, engineer of the Valparaiso work train on the Fort Wayne road showed Saturday morning. Mace Long, the conductor, had received orders to go to South Chicago. When the train, consisting of the locomotive and two cars, had proceeded a few miles west of Hobart Engineer Stokes discovered a freight train, with a "double-header," coming toward him. The morning was somewhat foggy and when the engineers first saw one another they were about one-half mile apart. Engineer Stokes reversed his engine and applied the air-brakes, but having been manning at a high speed, and the rails being slippery, the trains went thundering along toward each other. But Engineer Stokes stuck to his post, and by the free application of sand succeeded in stopping and running back in time to avert a collision, which at the time seemed inevitable, for the freight train was a heavy one and couldn't possibly be stopped in so short a time or space. When Engineer Stokes pulled the throttle for the escaping run he turned his back to the threatening iron monsters that were coming at the rate of twenty miles an hour, and did not look back until informed by his fireman, Frank Cowdrey, that they were safe. Had the work train been made up of its usual number of cars a serious wreck could not have been prevented, and as it was the locomotives were within four or five feet of each other. Notwithstanding Engineer Stokes' successful efforts in the interception of a collision, yet it resulted in the death of Engineer Bailey, who was driving the second engine of the freight train. Upon seeing the work train the engineer of the leading locomotive of the double-header, reversed his engine. This, together with the dangerous outlook before him, caused the fireman to jump from the cab. Engineer Bailey, seeing the fireman of the engine before him jump, and being unable to see the track ahead, also jumped from his iron steed, his head striking the broken stone at the side of the road bed, inflicting wounds which terminated in his death on Monday evning at his home in Fort Wayne. The fireman was slightly bruised in the face.
Newspaper: Porter County Vidette
Date of Publication: February 12, 1885
Volume Number: 29
Issue Number: 7
Page: 1
Column(s): 6
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
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Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook