The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-03-11

sgains, the dizzy sAbankheHts on which
the track ives laid. At fsnkth the tsrtGin.
US was reached in safety. II Was then
six o'clock. Deep darkness h,d ser in,
snd the rain drizzled mOurnfully from the
lesden sky. 'aa 't'' t. '''''ai
Nj. May6eld Immediately sought the head
agent. and reported to him the the state Of
the line. The man Of wealth and power.
seated in his velvet cushioned easy chair
before glowing crate, laughed at the envi
neer's representations. .-',4
"Nonsease, Msy6eld What has happen.
Ell to your The train must run over the
road to-night. whether or no. You either
keep your situation this evening or renouncs
il forever-as you pIease;" and the gentle
man returned to his paper. sr % ssa
There was 4 struggle in Mstfeld's breast.
his situation was lucrative one. His wife
had been raised 10 luxury. Being turned out
Of business Oh one road would etfsctuaIly
prevent his being employed on anuther.--
He rose slowly to his feet. ,sI.
II viii Co." he said "ina on you rests the
responsibility !" ,.. ...,t -
The Eastern train which connects al.
Cliveville with the trains over the NJ. road
was detained by the bad weather considera-
Bile time, aud it was near eight o'clock when
Mayf eld's train started. The night was
black as Erebus. No human eye eou Id dis
cern the line OF the horizon; the sky was
iuky as the earth. The rain had, in meas
ure, abated, but thick fog enveIoped every
thing. The great polished "reflector," on
the front Of the engine, cast light but d
few inches--all beyond was black chaos.
Slowly. and with great core, Mayfeld
drove on. "Fiye Roads" station was pass
ed; the lights of Dorset and Litchfeld few
BY like the, torches Of spirits, and the train
plunged into dense forest known as White
hall. At the farther outskirts OF this forest
ran deep and narrow river intersecting the
railway. and passing beneath it through an
srched stone culvert. Myfeld reduced the
steam, and the ttdsty fireman and his as
sistant wound Up the brakes "Little Falls"
crossing was reached, Mayfeld blew the
whistle; in few moments they would be on
the bridge. With strainiug eyes Mayheld
sought to pierce the gloom. The dim light
Of the great latap hickefea fof second over
the boiling waters--a rumbing as II the
solid earth was rent in twain-a crash-a
pluhgs-and that freight Of human souls
hung suspended between time and eternity.
The bridge had been swept away. and the
ill.starred locomotive had plunged headlone
into the deep yawning abyss! Oh. the hor-
ror Of those brief moments between the
plunge, and the retGFn of realiz,tion to ter
ror frozen passengers. Tie lights were ex-
tineuished in the fall, and the occIpants Of
the cars, although uninjured. were in state
Dor derng on distraction. The conductor.
who was an Intrepid young fellow. seized
the fragments OF broken settee, and burst
open window. No sooner had this been
effected, thnn he sprnhg thro' the oPeningi
ard lGck,ly struck the ground Nth his feet.
The lower brakeman Joined HIM with a
lantern, which fortunately had been kept
burning. and the word which burst stimuli
taneously from each was,
"May6eld!" D., -a "a. ea.-f,
II have called Him, but received do an
swer," said the brakeman, while the cold
psior deepened on his stern. grieved face.
MayReId was his cousin.
Snaiching the lantern from the palsied
hand Of his companion. the brave conduc ctor
hurried forward. He passed the fearful
chasm on the overturned body Of a freight
car, and at length reached the locomotive.
Down an emb, nkment Of forty-fivs feet, il
lay, buried inswatef. E''+ t"'as@s. %
There was dwelling hotse near by, and
the inhabitants, Olarded BY the singular
noise, hsstened to the spot with lanterns -
Messcnger were Immediately dispatched to
the neighboring houses for aid, aud the whole
vicinity was soon alive with men. wo tner
and ehilaren. fockiug to the scene Of the
catastrophe. 4a, f aEcre aa .4ass
The passengeFs wefe released from their
horrid confinement; and with depressed fpir-
4 it's, the men set to work to reduce the water
about the engine. At the end of two Hour
Of hard lubor, trench had Been cut thorugt
the gravel, and the mad waters rushed in. :
fifteen mifutss served to reveal to the eye
of the anxious gazers, the overturned engin
q mere wreck, brokenund mutiiuted. g
"Who will descend with met" asked tn
conductor, Mr.. Slewyn, preparing to e.
u down.
u Mayfell's cousin and youug farme
stspBsd forward, slowly and cautiously, 70
the bank Of sand and gravel, cd long tor
= tured BY the food, was but q precarious foo
hold. They proceeded, and at last reached
Tie bottom. .sa...ta j.-, .a.., I.
The labor OF q few nom ents exhumed th
engine house FROM the heaps of broken ma
cbinery and the waste rubbish ofthe chahne
Mr.. Slewyfi pried open the door: - 7,
!. "Poor Mayfeld! Wretehed Lima !" B
4 exclaimed, passing his Hand over the body {
the engineer, whose faithful hand sti
8 grasped the safety.valvs. True to i
charge was William Mayfeld to the last.