The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-04-11
TIE DAILY GAZETTE.
MISeFJ IAtE0DS.
A FEARFUL RIDE.
From tn. Gun berland Tel.gnpt

- From the Cumberland Telegraph
On Wednesday morning, as the
early coal train from the mines Of the
Cumberland ceal and Iron Company
were coming down the grade about 4
o'clock the train ran over large boul-
der which had rolled down from the
elnbankment Immediately uron the
centre Of the track. The locomotive
passed over it with slight damage,
but the balance Of the train, including
the tender, had every break ripped
out from one end of the train to the
other. The brakemen beco ming
aware Of this fact, and seeing in mo.
ment that the cars could not be con.
trolled, going down grade Of over
one hundred feet to the mile, thinking
discretion the better part Of valor, al
once leil the train. On il went, and
at each revolution of the wheel the
momentum increased until the veloc
ity became absolutely frightful. The
whistle sounded to put down the
brakes, bnt the only answer was a
wild, unearthly whistle reverberating
amongst the bla:k hills, ,A scarce
ly heard before it died away or was
drowned by the rattling Of the swift
revolving wheels npon the iron track.
At length the engineer becamec onvin-
ced that something must be the mat
ter.
Adjusting his valves, he began eau
tiously TO pick HIS way to the rear of
the train. As he advanced through
the thick darkness he tried to put
down the barkes Of first one and thea
another OF the cars. All were broke '
of or damaged by the rock on the
track. He at length felt his way
back to the two cars at the rear 'f the
train. Pulling ont the :ou ling pin,
he felt sure he could control them
when detached from the train. But
they were in the same conditlon--all
were broken. No control could lie
exercised over them. The train was
now running a. a frlghtful speed
What to do was the next question:
To lump seemed like certain death,
while to remain upon the train prom
Use i no eyenption from similar fate
A moments thought determined the
course Of the intrepid engineer
Clinging for a moment to the rear
car h. commen ed climbing down till
he could feel the ground with his feet
He then let all holds go, falling
ayaist the ground with inuch violence
but escaping with few painful Mnis'
es.
On went the train at furious rate.
The two detached cars were thrown
from the track before going a great
distance. One oil the other ron hop
pers had the trucks knocked from un-
der it, and was dragged some distance
completely ripping out the bottor,
but finally checking the train some
three miles above the town. lake it
altogether it was a fearful occurrence
and seen in the deep darkness OF the
night, whipping in and out amongst
the yorfos OF the mountain, with the
sparks and steam issuing from the
locomotive in vast colu m, or eau.
tiously climbing down to escape from
almost certain death, it must have
presented scene of fearful import
The name of the engineer was George
Myers.
How A FARhEH ESCAPED BEING
HAULED uP.-A .udicrous scene oc.
ours in State street some times, one OF
which happened few days since
A farmer had load of turkeys to sell
The turkeys were all nicely dressed
and ready for the larder, with the ex
ception that none Of them were head
less. Now, if the turkey is an old
'ecbbler' his l,ead will weigh a pound
a least, and paying fifteen cents for a
turkeys head in these times is not e1-
actly what any one is disposed TO do.
A citizen was examining the turkeys,
anxious to possess one but disliked to
paw for the head, when another citizen
came up, and seeing at a glance
the dilemma the first citizen MAS in
spoke to the farmer in contiaentlal'
sort of a manner, faying-'See here,
farmer, l just saw man up there
| (pointing up the street,) hauled up TO
I the Police Office by policeman, for
selling his turkeys With then heads
I on,
Did your anxiously inquired the
farmer in trepidation.
sOh. that's nothing, chined in the
trst citizen, Il saw three hau 9 up iol
the same thing, the other day, nno
they were each lined five dollars
You don't say co. excl lined the
farmer; why didn't know it was
agin the law. Well, ! can cut OIL the
heads easy enough and he put ms y;
Land in his pocket for~his knife. )
can cut them off before | sell any.
haven't sold any yet :.
SO you can il you hurry about H.
before the policemen get down here,
sail the second citizen. They ar'
coming down, and will be here IN les
than ten minutes
The farmer out with his knife, anC
8 of went some twenty turkeys heads
in the shortest space Imaginable.
First citizen then picked out tn
handsomest turkey he could find, ha'
it weighed, p;id Tor it and LETT.
Albany Transc' ipt.