Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-07-15

DOWN "A MOUNTAIN.
The correspondent Of the Cincinnati Ga.
sette gives the following vivid description Of
a terrible accident to a railroad train on tho
road between Nashville and Chattanooga,
which occurred few days since:
AN AwftL sPKcTAcLx.
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 carelessness Of the engineers, the
negligence Of the brakesman, or because tho
brakes were out Of order, and would not
work, the train behind us started forward
with the rapidty Of lightning. and came
tearing fnriously toward US. Our engineer
put on all steam in the endeavor TO escape
the engineer Of the crazy train reversed his
engine, but il was all in vain ! The train
was under too much hcadway II was when
ii had reached to less than hundred yards
Of us, that | awoke'and looked out. Like
destroying demon, bent upon our annhila
ton, seemed the terrible engine It's wheels
were running in q reverse direction, but un-
der the fearful force il had previously &C.
Of the wheels II was sliding onward to de.
stroy us and at times the wheels, fixea up.
on the track. and balanced between the two
forces, one urging the locomotive forward,
the other endeavoring to pull it back, tore
from the rails stream Of angry FIRE. Then
the reversing force would hnrl them round
for moment with the most awful rapidty.
THE TRAIN HURLED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
As soon as had fully collected my facul.
ties, (stunned by the terrible spectaclc)
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 os had nearly reached the end Of tho
car, and saw escape was impossible. The
next instant our Tain was struck, and bound.
ed forward for fow feet M 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 cndeavor to escape
the pursuing engine, now Insured our dc.
structon A mad rush onward Of about
twenty feet; dreadful sound as We ripped
and tore up the rails and ties underneath us;
then tremendous lurch, hurling us with
fearful violence from one side Of the car TO
the other; and the huge box in which wo
were confined was rolling and tumb,ing
down into gorge Of the CHAMBERLAIN noun.
tains.
| cannot even now think without shuddcr-
ing of tho stat. Of intense consciousness in
which, for the moment, seemed to exist
1t certainly could have been but a few see.
onds from the time our car frat left the track
until it rested amongst rocks and trees nd
bramblcs below but those few seconds
seemed drawn out into an hour, and a thou.
sand ideas went chasing each other through
my mind. have spont fearful moments on
many battle fields, from Perryvile to Kene.
saw, but never one so fraught with nnuttsr.
able horror as was that; and forvontly pray
God that | may never know such another
stood like an awfnl picture before my eyes.
fat palpably that the next instant I sho'ld
probably be mass of Quivering, shapeless
turning over and over, speculated on my
dozen instances Of hair. breadth and almos.
miraculous escapesl 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 onccntratcd in the awful present.
The car stopped in its downward career,
and | thought the danger was over; then
crash above, and arain we turned over. We
st ppcd. But that last turn of our car raised
in my mind tn, "a that the whole oil tho
following train, with its |, comotive, might
come down upon us, and grind MS all to pow
der. Then came the burning, hoping, almost
dcspairlng desire to get outside Of the ruined
car.