Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-10-20
From the New York Courier and Enquirer.
Railroad Sketches.

Beyond the river
From the New York Courier and Enquirer
Railroad Sketches.
There were in conveyance across the Erie Rail-
road some valuable horses. They formed part of the
burthen of long and pondrous cattle train, which
was bearing to market-to that extraordinary city
market which never seems to be so full 10 be
cheap-a drove of which, before the railroad era,
would have, with slow delays, been driven on foot
over the long and weary ways, pasturing for the
night wherever chance shelter might be available,
and subjected 10 all the losses and casualties of la
borous travel. They were now in comfortable cars,
resting while they ourneyed wondering if that
emotion is known beyond the circle of man. that they
were the passive instead of the active, in transporta-
ton. Not having clear perception of the future.
the brief and conclusive catamties of the abbattors
were hid from them.
1t was night OF intense cold, and however luxu-
rlous 10 cattle, whose experience Of floor and roof
limited to the attendants, the crevlces and openings
OF the cars let in entirely of the wild norhwes-
ter than was agreeable. The owner of the horses in
the car near the tender had apartment rather
better guarded and he understood the ways of his
animals, he not in the same fear which others
less experienced would have of being with them
Nor is il without real danger to ride in with
horse. The sudden start may break the halters, and
in the fright sene of plunging and trampling takes
place, in the midst of which the presence OF man
might, for his sake, be we'll spared. He who
rides with his horse in the car must have courage
and energy, that he shall not be appalled, false
alarm, and if he is in danger he mount and keep
his perilous position unharmed
The train was approaching the long seven miles
down grade which ust before entering Depos-
lite from the Westward Al the last station the Su.
perntendent had deemed il best to have two very
heavily burthened affixed the of the train
they greatly augmented the load, and the Engineer
demurred, but the discipline good, and the order
was obeyed. Ii gave the engine enough to do on the
level grade, and all it wanted on an ascent. What
precisely it to do when the heavy grade was to
run down, was not quite clear. The Engineer had
nerve, however. and while he doubted the safety he
did not falter. The coupled the slight blow was
given to the starting bur- and the train was off The
engine gave forth It's exhaust the word is quantity
phrased of eng ines that know exhaustion, with a
vigorous whistle, and the level the wheels be-
gan to roll sharp and hard in the bitter frost.
The train was due at Deposte at such tme and
as would cause it to meet another, which by that
time was to be on the switch, awaiting the passage
OF the western cattle train. In a few minutes my in
forman found that the down grade had been reached
He had with him several of his friends who were in
the business, and who had left their uncomfor-
table cars for his pleasanter The tremendous
pressure of the load soon bore upon the engine
The stout cattle, the heavy and weighty cars, and
the great additional burthen which had been added
al the last station, crowded on the machine, from
which the engineer soon realizing the condition of
his train, had withdrawn the seam so that it moved
by its own momentus alone.
Another and more appalling truth manifest
ted ITSELF that with the increase OF cars additional
brakemen had not been sent, and that the brake
force was becoming powerless. POweress! it soon
became velvet touch, rather than grasp on the
wheels. The ice on the rail rendered even the force
that WAS applied uteess, and each instant increas-
ing, that train first rolled, then tore along; my in
formant says he knew of no gradation of speed.-
From the moment that the down grade reached,
it seemed to him and his companions, shut up as
khokc
strength would at the first terror arouse to destruc
tion-to him that sensation if the train fell
Ii had that peculiar motion, not continuous regu-
lar, in the rapid roll of the wheels, but if all
else but the train away and it going at
the speed of huge mass falling, and the acclivy of
descent increasing each secondhand all this fearful
time that train at DeposIe was to De met
They knew it was TO be met Engineer, and fire.
men, and brakeman, and conductor, and the hardy
droverS that were the passengers, knew it, and in
their terrific speed they feared less if it might be-
for themselves than for the doomed train, through
which, and which, amidst dead and manged
men, and crushed fragments, never stopping for shrek
or sorrow, their train would 60 The miles they
were passed over man thinking of their exist
ence The train tore onwards. The men upon it
intensely conscious and the cattle appalled, by
sensation. The ngineer stood on his platform,
knowing that the widest and most appalling danger
about him, in shape or form irresistible if the
thread of safety snapped. The speed made leap
tor lie, out a more RAPID rusn 10 0eatn lie coulu
not retreat. The wheels refused the least adherence
to the brake. The ponderous train drove itself mad
ly on, and in instant more, Dcposte TO be
reached
Perhaps every mans experience shows. ii is most
probable, that on the train coming westward there
were those who were provoked at the delay which
prevented them from reaching Deposite 1t was, they
said, too bad to be behind time, (as if time not
often our shield from sorrows.) The train ought to
be at its card place. Indeed, if they were the mana
gers of the road the trains would be out of the
minutes Every usually has On it some of these
safe reformers who accomplish all impossibiities, it
being safe and easy to theorize. II did not ar.
rive, the grumbers were not yet on the road Well
was it for them that they failed for when the de-
scending train reached Deposlte it more stayed
stopped than the emerald waters do in their fall at
Niagara. 1t would have pulverized another had it
encountered collision. On it went-the engineer
feeling as if his heart might throb more, when
he saw that the train he expected to have crushed
was out of his way and unharmed
The level reached, the awful speed Stacked, and
though il was not brought up under control until it
had run miles beyond the place of stopping yet the
jourhey-the fight--the seven mile leap had been
8ccomniiseed safely