The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-06-26

| L
to two hundred. for I knew we should
need it all to make some of the heavy
grades which lay between as and c..
1T was three miles to the next station.
With the exception of few curves. the
track was as good as the last. As we
darted around what commonly seemed to
be rather long curve. at the station. but
which was, at our high speed, short
enough, l looked at mJ watch; and we
had done it in two minutes and half.
Gaining shouted back to Roberts,
who was standing on the platform of the
coach
"'Look out for the heavy grade he
replied, and went inside the car.
| "The next six miles rose gradually
from. level, the first, to ten and half
feet grade, the last which lay between US
and the next station The fireman kept
her full; and now she began to get hot
The furnace door was red, and the steam
raised continually; SO that she kept her
speed. and passed the station, like a
streak of light in Eve minutes
"Now came nine miles like the last;
over which she kept pace with her time,
| and passed the station in seven minutes.
| "Here, for ten miles, we had twenty
feet grade to encounter; but the worst of
| it all was. at this place we would be
obliged TO stop for wood. / was just
going to speak 10 Roberts about it, when
| looked around and saw him filing he
| dor ha mil nd ,uhi ioh
had been placed there before starting
while he was gone after me.
Il believe we would have made this ten
miles at the same speed as before; but
through the carelessness of the fireman,
the fountain valve, on the left hand si6e
of the engine. got opeued. aud the water
rose in the boiler SO far as to run the
steam down to one hundred points, before
discovered where the difficulty -ay.
"At first. r berls didn't appear to no
ice the decrease of speed. and kept a,
work at the wood as il for dear life But.
presently, he looked up, and seeing that
the speed had decreased. be shouted:
Harry, we are stopping!' Aud then,
coming over to where l was. he said:
Why, here we have been ten minutes on
he last ten miles, anu believe we will
come to IA dead stand. if something is not
done. The speed is continually stacking
! What is the matter?"
Il explained the cause. He was ap
oareu,iy satisfied with my explanation
and after having tied down the safety
valve, he climbed back over the tender
exhortiug me to pat her through. fol
Gods sake, or We are beggars together
/ Just then. we passed the next station
having taken nine minutes for eight miles
We were now more than half over the
road; but we had lost nearly ten minutes
time, and had left only twenty seven min
utes to do thirty -four miles in.
Il had shut the water off from both N,
pumps, little back, where ! discovered
what was the matter, and she was nov
making steam finely down slight grade
From less then one hundred. with which
q we started over that teI,-mile stretch, sh
had two hundred pounds before we fin
ished it; and as the gage indicated n
. higher than that, and the valve was tie
= down. l could not tell how much owe
> two hundred pounds she carried, but sh
certainly carried none less the rest of th
journey. And well might she carry sue
an enormous head of steam, for, afte
passing over that ten miles in eight min
utes, there lay ten miles OF five feet up
grade, and fourteen miles of twenty to. th
; mile depression between US and @
and it was now eleven O'Clock and forty
seven minutes.
: "Now the engine was hot in earnes
The furnace door. smoke arch and chin
. ney, oil were red; while she seemed to
! onward, as if the very evil one himse
: operated her machinery.
'Six minutes carried US over that te
: miles; aud We darted by the last static
g that had lain between Us and c.
Now we had fourteen miles to go; and m
time showed eleven O'Clock aud fifty thre
:, minutes.
I'll live.' said / to myself, L vi
make IL: Aud we plunged down tn,
twenty feet grade with all steam OF
Persons who saw the train on that will
run, said that it vas SO soon after the
!. heard the first sound Of her appsoa..
: when the strange otjeci, which looked I
!. if it was fame OF tire, daIted by, all
!, then the sound OF its travelling died ava
: in the distance, that they could hard
> convince themselves that they had see
anything. IL seemed more like crealu
of q wild dream, than a sober reality.
Is "And now let me tell you. that no Ell
&c CINE ever beat the time We made on thol
fourteen miles. Those great wheel
'e eleven feet in diameter, spun round {
. swift that you couldn't begin to cou'
) the revolutions. The engine barely SCENE
70 to touch the track as she few along; al
= although the track was true as it was po
sibie for it to be, she swayed fearful
&c aud sometimes made such prodigiOl
I'd iolts, that it required considerable SIX
is for one to keep his feet. No engiI
would hold together, if crowded to