Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-13

A THRILLING INcIDENT.-In returning
from Philadelphia about the middle of August
lo4o the cars were crowded. and my compan-
ion in the same seat found out to be loco
motive engineer, and in the course of our con-
versatlon he made the remark that he hoped
he had run his last. trip upon locomotive.
Upon making bold to ask his reasons he gave
the following story, and since then have found
it out to be strictly true;
Give years since, l was running upon the
New York Central Railroad. My run was
from B to R-. 1t was the light
ming express train, and was what its name de-
notes, for it was fast. have seen her throw
her SIX foot driver so as to be almost invisible
to the eye. But to my story.
About half mile from the village of B
there is a nice little cottage but few feet from
the track. AT that time young married cou-
pie lived there. They had one child, little
boy about four years old bright, black-eyed,
curly-headed little chap as ever you saw. |
had taken great interest in the little fellow,
and had thrown candy and oranges to him
from the train, and was sure to see him peep
ing through the fence whenever my train
passed
One fine sunny afternoon we were behind
time, and running fast; we did not stop at
B and | was to make UP one hour be-
fore reaching r. We came up at ire
mendous speed, and when sweeping around
the curve, my eye following the track, not over
two hundred feet ahead sat the little fellow
playing with kitten which he held in his lap
AT the sound of our approach he looked up
and laughed clapped his little hands in high
glee at the affrighted kitten as it ran from the
track. Quicker than the lightning that blasts
the tall pines upon the mountain top whistled
clown brakes, and reversed my engine but
knew it was impossible TO stop. Nobly did the
old engine try to save him. The awful strain
ing and writhing of its iron drivers told but
too plainly Of the terrific velocity we had at
tanned was out of the cab window and
down on the cow-catcher in a flash. The little
fellow stood still. | motioned him off and
shouted; his little black eyes opened wide
with establishment, and merry laugh was
upon his lips. / held my breath as we rushed
upon him, made desperate attempt to catch
him, but missed and as the little body passed
/ heard the feeble cry of Mother" and the
forward trucks crushed his body to atoms.
o, God, that moment; l may live, sir, to
be an old man, but tie agony of that moment
can never be erased from my memory. The
cars stopped some rods from the spot, and l
ran back as soon as possible. His mother saw
the train stop and a fearful foreboding flashed
upon her at once. She came rushing frantic
ally to the spot where we stood. Never shall
! forget the look she gave me as she beheld her
first-born shapeless mass. | would have
given my whole existence to have avoided that
moment | have seen death in all its forms
upon railroads have seen men, women and
children mangled and killed. have seen all
this, but that little innocent boy as he looked
up into my face, and killed almost in my arms,
it unnerved me, and from that day | made
solemn VOW never to run a locomotive any
more.
The young mother is now in the Utica Lun-
attic Asylum. From the hour her boy was
killed treason had left its throne" He stop
ped and wiped the tears from his eyes, and
said, "You may think it weak in me to shed
tears but l can't help it." no. / replied,
but think it noble; and sir, would to God
every man had a heart as large as yours"
l have often thought since how few are
those who give one passing thought to the
man of strong nerve, and stout arm, who
guides them through darkness and storms,
with the speed of the wind, safely to their
journeys end. They do not, for moment,
turn their attention to the iron monster that is
dragging them forward with fearful velocity,
to meet friends and relations. They do not
realize that the man who guides the fiery
monster holds their precious lives at his com
mand, and that the least negligence on his
part would cause sorrow and mourning in
thousand homes that are now waiting the re-
turn of the absent loved ones.