Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-06-29


| A Perflous Position and Fortunate Escape
The following ia one the many thrilling ,nci
dents of the Uaiied States coast survey steamer
Walker. On the jersey coast last week >
The boats got bat short distance OF when the stea'
mer went. bow foremost. in 6vs fatboms wafer.
Mr.. Seawell the first officer, did not get into the
b Ats. but remained on the upper deck, near the
.n Ike stack. and AZ tho weasel slowly descended
i.. the Deep he olimhsiapon thst ,ffrl. the high
es, PARTON 81 the vessel upon which he could get
n f,nrng or hold by. While he was standing
there several men jumped overheard. ana ne Threw
fhem.,wn ladders, in hope that they would cling 70
them uutil picked up by some passing vesel:but.in
y minute or two he was compelled to look OUT Tor
lis own salty. He waited until the vessel took
the last plunr., and then jumped. head Foremost.
int tie sea With the view Of clearing the whrl.
pool occa.ioned by the sinking ship.
"A he sprang frward. one OF his feet got en-
tangled in rope attached to the part OF the YES
-. MON which be was standing and he WAS
standing. and he was drawn down till the steamer
rca,hel the bottom. lie states tina, while going
down he described several circles in the ed
ayiag waters. While in this perilous position.
nurh rel NJ it were. to the wrcck, he pulled
A DAB1iicAL Acr.-One OF the most hendish
nt,entts ut the destruction Of human lite which 1t
hs. been out lot to record in q long time. was
made n.t night on the New York Central Rail.
IL, y
eily in the evening neared Bufelo. We have
learned the particulars in detached pieces but as
'h1 Buffalo Express Of this morning gives them
nno.t-iy. we copy its account: About haf-past
,isht o'clock last evening. when the lightning ex-
res. train on the Central Railroad, IN charge ct
Conductor Gibson. due ut Buffalo at half past ten
lick was Gboat n mile and half east Of Penn
i.rok", the engineer: Mr.. Burr Stone, discovered
IN obstruction on the track. about twenty rods n
md Of the traip the reflector rendering objects
visible in the night only at about that distance -
with instantaneous presence Of mini and tirmness
- nerve he reversed his engine. applied the brakes.
IN ut the same monent whistled warning to
thr hnkesmen 10 increase the tension upnn the
whcpls; but bel re the latter could spring to their
posts the train had struck the obstacle. its momcn
,im, however, 81 n'arly checked by the powerful
action Of the brakes thni the collision produced but
~ i Oh, shock. and oceasioned no damage. even to
he Cowcatchsr.
Upon examination, it was found that n large
iilo # ties had been placed across the track by
some fenI or fents with the horrd intention Of
overwhelming the ualn and all its living freight
with instantaneous Destruction When those Oh
tenri discovered h,w nculoufv they had e.
rared the most terrible fate Of which any concep
tion can he formed they tren,hled If IN the pre-
.ence III tho danger i'sell : and even the lrave
gncer lost the nerve that had sustained him in
the fearful nial Of his courage, and which under
ia" blessing of Pr violence, had saved hundred
lives llAuching and -huidering with the thought
If what ''milht have been"
The ties mere removed with con-i,lrrt'lr labor.
nad inter a IctentIoa 1T about hA mn hour the
journey vas ,osumr! pl s,her in the centemnla-
lisn IT the incident tnat had interrupted ito
ci.iter Union, 23d.