The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-08-24
DAILY JOURNAL.
A rHnILLING HALLWAY sxETcu

- S '""o"iuS IdllrOdu story In
mastery manner:
Some time since upon one of the best
our roads-a road in which all attention
given to the comfort aud safety of the pa.
sengers-one of the most rapid of the train
lett city, at its regular time, and all havn
care OF the train were quite satisfied that a
the movement was ordinary and right. Their
was no peculiar jar-no sudden change 0
sound The wheels went round rapidly as
racer could require, and the systematic an
well understood blow of the wheel on th
rail, succeeded by the roll when the contin
uous rail was reached, assured every bod,
that all was right.
a short time after the train had left, ont
OF the workman employed at the station
came to the Superintendent, bringing Will
him piece OF a long bolt, which he said h,
had just found on the track. II was, ht
thought, something appertaining to the cars
The Superintendent, with a thrill of feeling
recognized it as the king bolt of one of The
carriages. The train was TOO far gone. i'm.
deed, as several minutes had elapsed-sone
far beyond recall or reach. These exnress
driving wheels devour distance, so that voief
Is but mockery, and pursuit an impossible.
thrilled. he saw at glance that il was an
accident' the occurrance Of which il was ut.
teriy impossible for the conductor to ascer.
tain; and tleing ofthe engine, there would
De nothing to induce the engineer to close
ms throttle valve. The only hope was, that
ne car ty ats 'oeight might stay on the track.
lie took his course in prompt decision. The
trlumphs of modern art, by the blessing of
heaven, have placed an agency in advance
OF the locomotive.
He went to the telegraph, and this was his
message. Ii was calm one, and not one of
impulse or dsmay. "Eramine the trucks ON
the express train, and see if all is right."-
lie had thus fare done all be could. In the
meantime, on that train, the pleasant con.
versation-the absorbed reading -,be glance
at scenery--the recollection Of charming
hour passed away--or the hope OF glad wei.
come,--all the incidents that mark every
transit OF intelligent travellers, was in occur.
renee. There were those who could sleep
though quantity and Equality were disorder
ed and mingled.
By one OF those fatalities in telegraphic
movement, which brings news of the woful
disease To the friend whose return must be
the last and worst issue
i,as Passed-thIs dispatch Of the Superinten-
dent 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 cper.
ator at the first station did receive the mes.
sage, he comprehended in a moment, the ur.
gent necessity, and the imminent need of
haste. Lk'a man of sense, he pushed the
signal on, and To the very first place where
the telegraph could be used, he sent The Su.
perintendent's message. In all these bours
that officer could not take off his mind the
keen anxieties. There before hun was the
faith.ess .ron, and he knew that without il
every turn of the wheel brought peril. BET.
ter success attended the reissue of the des.
patch. Long before the hour for the train to
arrive, the instructions were read and the
superintendent had companions in his anx-
ieues. Ihey awaited keenly the minutes
when the train should be due. Ii came, rs
rushing, as tremendous in it's speed as ever.
FIRST the white steam showed itself over the
trees, then the tall, dark smoke stack, with
It's breastplate, the polished, silver concave
oil the lanternj then the sharp whistle to the
brakemen, and all was accomplished accu-
fately. 1he train brought up all right, and
the hurrying traveller plunged eagerly for HE
baggage. The conductor, stepping from his
tram with that quiet customary, business.like
found himself at once called bv
the station WeB, to keener action. He could
not believe that anything was wrong, for. as
a fact is declared of greater truth than a the.
ory, the miles ron with winged speed in
safety told Of complete order and security.
There was busy scrutiny about and IN.
der the train. The order Of the Superin.
tendent told that he was in earnest. Men
got under the trucks in places where. if the
locomotive should take but breath. thew
would be crushed; wheels were tried-brakes
and bumpers overhauled-
and nothing seen as defective, and the des.
patch that had used the Lightning to travel
upon seemed as it were-like the fire crv of
the Italians in Meslin, when they saw the
NOON ris-a false alarm. There was one
OF that examining party not quite satisfied
wish felt at liberty to give his name
That fsithful, earnest, constant, accurate of.
hcer-never absent-never neglectful; he
took that one more last hook, which seems SO
often to concentrate success, and discovered
that from one of the cars the king bolt was
gone!-and he knew by the fact that from
ing had been sent, that over all this Journey,
this car had been kept from destruction by
it's weight-by groove. That minute had
the value of life that cannot be recalled in
il.
II the engineer had seen any unusual OBJ.
lect before him1checked his spced-fouhd
his way impeded-given on steam again
the quick sudden move me Mt would have !, is
most probable, pulled the truck from the ca.
and written memories in fhe histories ms that
Gay. But so smoothly-so easily-wi,h sncb
steady tread-that engine n oved-tbat in
this unknown danger, its course was as safe
as if all strength Of iron had encompassed il
Heaven changes that dread word danger by
Its mercies.
When the Superintendent heard that hi,
train had reached its destruction safely, and
that his message was yet in time, for the re.
medy-the remainder Of that day he wore a
smiling and gentle look. The compressed