Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-03-09
FAYETTEVILLE, TENN, THURSDAY MARC ., 1854.

II
> about2' The nature of the groun
/ was all that saved the mail train
: A little plane on ons side had bee
cut down for graveB and the roa
lay siding, while on the right han
an embankment vent down
considerable distancS and in a smal
pond or pool at the} bottom of thi
bank, were the victims of our spec,
and Thompson's prt sence Of mind
namely, the locomotive, the dirt cars
and the Cur in which were the hof
ses, the latter, of course, kilt intire
ly. Our engine struck the hind
most Of the dirt cars with the mos
terrific force, and literally piled tn,
whole train over the other upon the
engine, aud the impetus still keeping
up With n violent strain to the right
the locomotive, and in fact the whole
con Icern, had gone over in one mass
of the road and out of the way -
Come, Mr., Collins, cried Thompson,
We have not half n minute to lose;
on board and springi4g on the ma
chine, we were piling down the road
at an awful rate, to ma ko up for lost
time.
''On reaching the next station, we
found that everything iiloveable in
front of our engine had been carried
away, our lamp, cow-kiler, rails and
wood work; but the heavy, solid en-
gine-head had literally acted like a
cannon bull; and swept the whole
gravel train off tho track, AS if it
had been SO many bHh,!lesof straw.
'' on look pale, man, said ThonI-
son, as We got down from the engine
IN the station house at Worcester
81 feel pale, said |. by the way,
it appears you raised yeur steam
when you eaw that train ahead. Did
you know i was trainY'
81 cannot say much about that,
he replied with II strange look about
the eyes. The fact is, I-knew there
was something ahead, that we were
going thirty five miles an hour, and
that 10 bring up was totally out of the
question. 4 be only chance was in
running the thing down. | have
played the S hme game before, and | |
should again if my life was hanging
on it. You must do. something, and |
You must. do it in short.mctre. But
let me tell you one thing, Mr. Col
Ii!Is it is the last day,that red headed |
Stotchman, the plague rot him, will I
lrive train ON the Worcester road
'"What has happened, Charles?'
asked my wife Of inc, rs | entered /
the sitting room of my house in I
WorcesteE for went no further than
this placeH you look moro like a
ghost than II living man
"0ut Of curiosity looked in the
glass, and it was literally the fact,
that my cheeks were a CHASTITY white,
my hair was wet as if ] bad been
tucked in the river; in tact, | was
Ihe exact picture Of a criminal who is
led for execution.
"' Happened, Mary was my re-
ply, this has happened, that | have
taken my last ri, 10 as shecial agent
on a mail train, If the house must be
sold over our Heads, And when !
detailed the aboye circu instance. I
Horrible, horriblel' exclaimed !
the poor girl, unable to keep the
tears from flowing down her cheeks,
what an awful escape from din awful
death. Grant Heaven that You nay
never go again.
i learned beyond d doubt, for
made every inquiry, that Mr.. MoGil-
lies, tho driver Of the gravel train,
was m intemperato man, and had
been seen hanging about the grog-
shops of New Windsor that after
lloon. Rum was the cause OF this
near escape that | had from a horri-
BILE death, and | would say, in con
cluslon, never, on any occasion, ride
ON special trains, and beware of
strong drink as you would a raging !
yoison'