Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-07-15
A RAILROAD TRAIN HuRLED
DOWN MOUNTAIN.

The correspondent Of the Cincinnati Ga.
sette gives the following vivid description Of
a terrible accident to railroad train on tho
road between Nashville and Chattanooga,
which occurred few days since:
AN AwFtL srEcTAcLr.
Our<rain was about half way down the
mountain, (the grade being very Steep and
about two miles from Cowan, at the foot of
the grade. The next train was following us
at the usual interval. when suddenly, either
through the carclessness Of the engineers, the
negligence of the brakesman, or because tn,
brakes were out Of order, and would not
work, the train behind us started forward
with the rapidty Of lightning. and came
tearing furiously toward US. Our engineer
put on all steam in the endeayor TO escape
the engineer of the crazy train reversed his
engine, but it was all in vain The train
was under too much Roadway II was when
it had reached 10 less than a hundred yards
of ns, that | awoke"and looked out. Like
destroying demon, bent upon our anniha.
ton, seemed the terrible engine. It's wheels
were running ia q reverse direction, but un.
der the fearful force IL had previously ac.
quired, 1t would no longer obey the motion
of the wheels. II was sliding onward To de.
stroy US | and at times the wheels, fixed up.
on the track. and balanced between the two
forces, one urging the locomotive forward,
the other cndeavoring to pull it back, tore
from the rails stream Of angry fire. Then
the reversing force would hurl them round
for moment with the most awful rapidity.
TIE TRAIN HURLED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
As soon as I had fully collected my facul.
ti,s fSipppal law lhn .N I
rushed toward the hind end of the car, with
the design Of leaping out But by this time,
fortunately for me no doubt, the monster be.
hind ns had nearly reached the end Of Tho
car, and saw escape was impossible. The
next instant our lain was struck, and bound.
ed forward for fsw feet as IL shot from a
cannon. still, however, remaining upon the
track. In less time than it has taken me to
write the last dozen words, we were struck
again, and this time our car. with | know
not how many others, was thrown entirely
from the rails. The fearful speed at which
we had been going in our endeavor to escape
the pursuing engine, now insurcd our dc.
structlon A mad rush onward of about
twenty feet; dreadful sound as We ripped
and tore up the rails and ties underneath u.s.
then a tremendous lurch, hurting us with
fearful violence from one side Of the car 10
the other; and the huge box in which wo
were confined was rolling and tnmb,ing
down into gorge Of the Cumberland noun.
tains.
cannot even now think without shuddcr-
ing of tho stat, of intense consciousness in
which, for the moment, seemed to exist
It certainly could have been but a few see.
onds from the time our car first left tho track
until 1t rested amongst rocks and trees nd
bramblcs below; but those few seconds
seemed drawn out into an hour, and thou.
sand ideas went chasing each other through
my mind. have spont fearful moments on
many battle fields, from Perryville to Kene.
saw, but never one so fraught with unuttsr-
able horror as was that; and l fo,vently pray
God that may never know such another
The whole dread reality OF the situation
stood like an awful picture before my eyes.
fan palpably that the next instant sho'ld
probably be mass of quivering, shapeless
flesh; yet, strange to say, while the car was
turning over and over, speculntcd on my
chances for safety, and called to my mind
dozen instances Of har. breadth and almos.
miraculous escapes | did not as many are
said to do under such circumstances, recall
my past life, nor did bestow thought up.
on the future; all the faculties Of my soul
were concentrated in the awful present
Tho car stopped in its downward career,
and thought the danger was over; then
crash above, an' a~ain we turned over We
st 'ppcd Bu that last turn Of our car raised
in my mind Tia, ga that the whole Of tho
following train, with its |, connective, might
come down upon us. and grind MS all to pow.
der. Then came the burning, hoping, almost
dcspairing desire to get outside Of the ruined
car,