The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-08

Guilty. But we observed on Il what VIC did mot
hke--a red flag, indicating that another train was
| behind.
This was most discouragine. for we had nov
hoped 70 have the road exclusively 10 ourselye 4.
but still we did not despair. However. we had
yet 70 run on regular time, which was, unfortu.
naielyfv veiy SLOW ,ime-not more than twelve OF
fifteen miles an hour. Thus unavoidably con.
snming our precious mOmcnts we plidcd on mi
| we reached the station where we expected to meet
| what we were sure would be our last hiudranee
| we stopped on side track 10 wait for il, and
| tntre had 20 remain twenty-five minutes Justa,
we concluded TO go on, aud risk the chance, of d
| collision, the expected train hove in sight
/ TWAS sately pa, sed, as the other had been be.
| iore nut Judge OF our dismny when we behcd o
| red Jag on this train alsOl Matters now began
| 10 lOok dark. Much Of our preC Ous time which
| we had reserved as margin for burning bridges.
! was now gone, and we were still tied down 20 the
| SLOW regular rate of running. Yet we could no.
| retreat, and had no resource but 10 press firmly
| on. This we did, and obstructed The track az
| wen as We could. by laying on crOss-tcs at DIFF
| terent places. We also cut the telegraph wire
! between every station.
| tinally, when we were nearly 90 the station
| where We expected TO meet the last train we
| stopped to take up rail. We had no instru-
| ments for doing this except n crowbar, and in
stead OF pulling out che spikes, as we could have
| done with the pinch hurrs used for that purpose
by nilroad men, we had TO batter them ont This
was slow work. We had loosensd this rail at one
end and eight Of MS took hold of 10 10 try 70 pulI
the other end lOoe. Just as we we're going %
relinquish the effort in despair the wbiste of am
engine in pursuit SOUNDED in our earsl The
effect was magical. With one conyulsive effort
we broke the rail in two, and tumbled pell neil
over the embankment. No ono was hurt, and we
took up our precious half rail which Insured ms
time % pass the train ahead, before our pursuers
could be upon us.
We were not a moment too soon; for we were
scarcely out of sight of where we had taken up
the last rail before the other train met us This
nd tUh
70 The place where we had broken the rail they
abandoned their own train, and ran on foot till
they met the one we had just past and turned it
back after US, running with great speed
we were now aware Of our danger, and adopted
every expedient we could think Of TO DELAY pur.
suit; but az we were cutting the wire near Cal
houn, they came in sight of us. Then eusued the
most terrible and thrilling chase ever known on
the American continent.
We Instantly put our engine to full speed, and
IN a moment its wheels were striking fire from
the rails in their rapid revolutions The car In
which we were rackcd furously, and threw us
from one side to the other like peas ratified IN n
gourd Still on after us relentlessy came the
nnTsuers. The smoke Of their engine couid he
distinguished IN ovyeeiy leGs reach, and the
scream of their whistle sounded IN our ears
around every curve. II was still necessary for us
TO cut the wire, and, in order 10 gain time for
that, we dropped car on the track, and, soon
after another This left us with only the loco
motive tender and one baggage car. Each time
when we stopped to cut the wire, we would try to
take up another rail but before we could loosen
It's tastenings with our imperfect tools, the ap.
prOach of our enemies would compel us to hasten
on. The thought of new expedient crossed nv
mind, which saved We for some time longer, IL
was 10 knock out the end of our car, and drop the
rails on the track as we ran. Soon after, la one
of our necessary stoppages 10 take care of the
telegraph, we loaded on some cross ties, which
we threw out In the same manner. One rail re- |
served fora particular purpose. When We stopped |
| nj ppn ny,l ,N,r tIo al
and let the other project upward, jOinting towards
the advancing train. IL was very nearly elfec-
tual. The engineer Of the train in pursuit, who
afterwards visited us in prison, said that II ithad
Oeen only one inch higher, nothing could have |
,ovod ,@tr train from wreck because, being so |
5arI and small II was not noticed till too late |
)" s,on However, II was a little too low to |
hook In the bars of the oow-catoher, as / in
tended.
Our enemies pursued us with great determina-
ton. One man rode on the cow-catcher, and, |
BpriDging off, would throw the distractions from
the track, and jump on again while they had
merely checked the engine. SO great was our
velocity, that most of the ties we threw out
bounced off the track; but the few that remained
enabled us several times to get out of sight of
them. When this was the case we would stop, !
and again try to take up rail which would have
given us leisure for the greater operation of burn
ing a bridge.
BY this Ginhe we had a few more Instruments.
procured from a switch-tender. We worked
faithfully, but each time, before we had loosened
rail- the ineXorable pursuers were again visible,
then proposedto to Andrews plan that afforded
hope Of final escape. 1t was TO let ourengneer
take our engine out of sight, while we hid on
curve, after putting a tie on the trrck aud waited
for the pursuing train to come up; then, when
they checkedto remove the obstruction, we could
rush on them, shoot every person on the engine,
reverse it, and let IL drive at will hack it came.
1t would have chased all the trains following, of
which there were now two or three, back before it,
and thus have stopped the whole pursuit for a
time. This would have required quick work,
and been somewhat dangerous, as the trains
were now loaded with soldiers but it afforded a
chance of success. Andrews said it was Il god
plan, looked around, and then hurried to the en-
gine, and / had no further opportunity of dis
CussiDg the subject. After we were in prison, he
said he was very sorry that we had not made the
effort.
All this time we were rushing through towns
and villages at terrific speed. Some passengers
came down when they heard our whistle to go
aboard, but they all shrank back amazed when
they saw us pass with the noise of thunder and
the speed of lightning. Still more were they
astonished when they saw three other trains
dashing by in close pursuit, and loaded with eX-
cited soldiers. Thus the break-neCk chase CON
tinued through Dalton, Rnggold, and the other
small towns on the route.
But 1t soon became evident that Il could not
continue much longer. We had taken on wood
and water before we were so closely pressed, but
now cur supply was nearly exhausted, and our
pursuers were too close behind to permit us 10
replenish it, But before yielding we resolved to
try one more eXpedient.
For this purpose we broke open the forward
end OF the only box car we had left, and with
the fragments endeayOTed 10 kindle fire in it,
Had We succeeded we would have detached IL,
left il burning on a bridge, and run on with the
locomotive alone. But the fuel of the latter was
too nearly gone TO afford us kndling wood and
the draft through the car, caused by our rapid
motion, blew our matches out. At length we
succeeded in kindling a small fire, hut the drz-
zling rain, which had been falling all morning.
was blown upon 1t, and prevented il from bum
ing rapidly enough TO be Ofuny service.
Thus our last hope expired, and our magnih-
cent scheme, on which we had SO long thought
and tOiled, was a failure. But one thing more
now remained-to save ourselves ii possible.
We were within, perhaps fifteen miles Of Chat
tanOOgn when we resolved 10 abandon the en-
Rinc. Having made rhis resolve, we did not cut
the telegraph wire, and them for the first time,
they succeeded in sending message ahead
of us.
This was no serious detriment 10 rs, but il
raised the widest excitement in Chattanooga.
The women and ch0ren instantly He'd from the
town, ANA sought safety in the woods and noun
tains. The whole military force, which was
CnCamptd near the place, came out aud selected
an advantageous position TO meet us. There they
planted cannon, feed trees across the track,
tore up the rails for some distance, ana waited
for our approach. Their orders were for them
TO make a general masgacTe-D0t 10 snare "a