The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-02-12

| glne, winch was 10 oe ID IeaoFneas eI eis'eu
o'clock that night. ,--..g ...ss t..., -.
"Well, the Budget came promptly at the
time, and the news was quite as favorable
as We desired, and much more SO than We
expected. Isuppose il was this fact iha,
so suddenly determined me to carry the in
teliigeHee on myself. AT any ru,e,f hasti-
ly resolved to go on the locomotive; and,
seizing the returns, / ran down TO the depot,
where the engine was ired up and whistIing
it's readiness for start. IL was but the work
Of a moment TO persuade the engineer ID
take me with him; for the fireman was no.
where to be found, and the engineer had re-
solved to run over the track alone. vol.
unteered at once to assist him as we'll as I
could, and Immediately mounted the engine.
"It was dark and wild, though warm
night, and everything gave indication of an
opproaching storm. FearfuIly black clouds
we're rolling up in the sky; and, what was
rather singular phenomenon at that season
of the year, the lightning was flushing vivid.
| y, and the thunder was muttering as grand
| ly as in a summer shower. But the excite.
ment Of success banished every sensation
of fear from my mind. Weboth knew that
we had the right of way; and, SO far as hn
man ingenuity and foresight cdUld protect
IGs, there was no danger in running OF any
speed at which steam could drive US. Care
fuI men had, during the day, been sent for
f@trd tdsee that each switch was in its place;
the night train from b was to wait for
our arrival; the roud was reasonably slraicht,
and, except the ordinary dangers from defee.
tive rails or axle trees, we had 'nothing to
FapprehenI. ..
sit was thirty miles, as said, to D..
"Whnt time can you make it in!" said
to the engineer, usT got upon the platform
with him.
IL once ran over the road in thrcn-quar-
ters Of an hour with an engine" replied
he. H'tH
"Make it n halfhour this time" cried /,
"and will give you'twenty dollars. Every
minute is worth fortune. .-....
must have been insane. The flush OF
victory, after SO maIy weeks OF enthusiastic
struggle, had almost, If not quite, turned my
bra,n., Just ut this moment the engineer
discovered thar the tight in front Of the en-.
CINE was burning din,!y, and threatening to
expire. With an dnaihema upon the ncgti.
gent fireman, he leaped down TO examine it.
The lamp had not been filled. n' ~
"F6r+God's sake," shrieked 7, when I
learned the fact, "don't stop for that triflt !;
/ can travel in the dark If you can. Yon
are not afraid! I continued, tauntingly. as
the engineer sill hesita'ed. @ " -
81 can ride 10 the devil as cooly us you
cam" he rtjoined cheerllv, and, rcsumng
his post, started the machine.
As we emerged from the station house, il
remember :hinking1 had never seen black
er night. The first motion Of the engine
had extinguished our light; not star was
TO be seen in the heavens, and the few lighted
windows which dotted the landscape here and
there only added to the gloom Of the scene.
Flushed and wild as was, experienced u
thrill of horror as the engine madly dashed
into the darkness. I strained MY eyes I'm.
til they ached, and held my breath and con.
tracted my muscles as if falIing-so fearfqlIy
rapid seemed the rate at which we were fly
ing. t Ttt l.F ''8.a
A new andrpleusnnter sensation coon took
the place Of this terror. None but those who
have actually experienced it, con imagine
the maddening delight which excessively
rapid motion produces, We werernder full
Fheadway. and with no load to 'retard our
speed. Now and then, a lighted window by
kthe Side ofthe track few pdst'ls like a me-
teor; while further off in the gloom, a soli-
tary taper would sometimes seem madIy
striving to emulate our pace--soon distanced,
however, andsoon lost. In less tine than
have been talking, we had arrived at little
village, where the street lamps were burn.
ing, and which | knew was just ten miles
from W. I Istooped down and examin.
led my watch by the light ofthe engine fire
We had travelled the first ten miles in less
than ten minutes.
"Faster!" shouted madly to the cngi
neef, as / crammed another pine stick under
the boiler. 4ad 5o ~2
BUTT was hardly possible to accelerate oul
speed. The wheels actually ledpe1 along tbs
rails. The few drops Of rain which occasion
ally fell stuck against my face like fine shot
i The steam whistle kept up an endless
shrek, as il the engine were some fionstroa'
4 goblin, tortured beyond endurance by an in
4 human 6end, while the deep bass Of the in
H creasihg thunder mingled with the wild rat
tie Of our wheels, and formeda chorus whicl
the Furies might have envied. AS my ear
we're gradually stunned by these complicat
ed noises, and myseyes 2wearied by their un
natural exertion, fanciel that Heard other
j noises, and saw other sights. which coul
have been only the product Of "a bewildere
\ brain. IS we dashed ibto SOME gloomy
gorge. I seemed to hear angry voices warn
ing and upbraiding me. AS we flew owe
n some lofty embarkment, I saw dark spirit
/ lin lie air, who waved me on with wild ges
II fnres. or stFuck al me with airy tblades!-