New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-05
A THRILLING RAILWAY SKETCH.

"Sentinel - Of the New York Courier and
Enquirer relates the following railroad story in
mastery manner: e@ 4z-s
Sometime since, upon one of the best Of our
roads-a road on which all attention is given to
the comfort and safety of passengers-one of its
most rapid trains left city at its regular time,
and all having care of the train were quite
satisfied that all the mosement was ordinary
and right. There was no peculiar jar, no sud-
den change of sound. The wheels went round
rapidly as racer could require, and the sys-
tematic and well understood blow of the wheel
| on the rail, succeeded by the roll when the
continuous rail was reached, assured every
body that all was right. sz
A short time after the train had left, one of
the workmen employed at the station came to
the superintendent, bringing with him piece
Of long bolt, which he said he had just found on
the track. 1t was, he thought, something ap-
pertaining to the cars The superintendent
with thrill Of feeling recognized it as the king
bolt of one of the carriages. The train was too
far gone; indeed, as several minutes had
elapsed, gone far beyond recall or reach.
| These express driving wheels devour distance,
| so that voice is but q mockery, pursuit an inn
possibility He kept cool, though every nerve
| thrilled He saw at q glance it was an acci-
dent, the occurrence of which it was impossible
/ for the conductor to ascertain; and not being
| of the engine there could be nothing that would
| induce the engineer to close his throttle valve.
The only hope was that the car by its weight
/ might stay on the track. He took his course in
prompt decision, the triumphs of modern art,
by the blessings of heaven. having produced an
| agency in advance of the locomotive. s s..
| He went to the telegraph-and this was his
message. 1t was calm one, and not one of i'm
pulse or dismay-" Examine the trucks on the
express train and see if all right" He had
thus far done all he could. In the mean time,
on that train, the pleasant oonversation-the
absorbed reading--the glance at seenery-the
recollection Of charming hour passed away
| or the hope of q glad welcome-all the incidents
that mark every transit of intelligent travellers
was in occurrence. There were those who could
sleep-though quantity and quality we're iisor-
dered and mingled
| By one Of those fatalities in telegraphie move
ment which brings news Of the woeful disease to
the friend whose return must be Immediate
after the last and worst issue had passed-this
dispatch of the Superintendent did not reach
the first station till the train had passed But
even in this exigency there was beam of hope.
Thus far at least the train had gone safely.
When the operator at the first station did re-
ceive the message, he comprehended in q mo-
ment the urgent necessity and the imminent
need of haste. Like a man of sense he pushed
| the signal on, and to the very first place where
the telegraph could be used, he sent on the su-
perintendent's message. In all these hours,
that officer could net take off his mind the keen
| an1ieties. There before him was the faithless
iron, and he knew that without it every turn of
| the wheel brought peril Better success at
tended the reissue of the dispatch. Long be-
fore the hour for the train to arrive, the in
structions were read, and the superintendent
had companions in his an4ieties They awaited
keenly the minute when the train should be
due It came, as rushing, as tremendous in its
speed as ever. First the white steam showed
itself over the trees, then the tall dark smoke
stack, with its breast.plate; then the sharp
| whistle to the brake-men, and all was accom-
plished accurately. The train brought up all
right, and the traveller rushed for his baggage.
The conductor, stepping from the train with
that quiet, customary business-lke movement,
found himself at once called by the station-man
to keener action He could not believe that
any thing was wrong, for. as a fact is declared
a greater truth than d theory, the miles run
with winged speed in safety told of complete
order and security.
There was busy scrutiny about and under
| the train. The order of the Superintendent told
that he was in earnest. Men got under the
trucks in places where, if the locomotive should
but take a breath, they would be crushed;
wheels were tried, breaks examined, beams and
bumpers overhauled, and nothing seen was de-
| fectiye, and the dispatch that had used the
| lightning to travel on seemed as if it was-like
the false cry of the Italian In MeslIns when they
saw the moon rise-a false alarm. There was
one of that examining party not quite satisfied;
I wish felt at liberty TO give his name That
faithful, earnest constant. accurate officer, abb
[ sent; never neglectful, he took that one more
last look, which seems SO eften to concentrate
success, and discovered that from one of the cars
the king bolt was gone; and he knew by the fact
that from the point of starting, the message of
warning had been sent, that over all this jaur-
ney, this car had been kept from destruction
| by its weight, by groove That minute had
the value Of life that can not be recalled init
i If the engineer had seen any unusual object