Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-06-10

whfeTwas unfortunately very slow time
not more than twelve or fifteen miles an
honr. Thus unavoidably consuming our pre.
! ciouS moments, We glided on TIL we reach ID
the station where we expected 10 meet what
we were now sure would be our last hin.
9erance. We stopped on a side track to wa,
for it, and there We had to remain trenty fire
minutes. just tas We concluded to 90 ON.
and risk the Changes Of collision, the cx.
pected train hove in in sight. ~.
II was safely passed, as the other had been
before; but judge of our dsmay when we
beheld red .Rag on this train alsol Matters
now began to look dark. Much precious
time, which we had reserved as a margin to,
burning bridges, was now gone, and we were
still tied down TO the slow regular running.
! Yet we could not retreat, and had no re-.
source but to press on firmly. This we did,
and ohs;ructed the track as well as We could
| by laying cross.ties at different places. We
had also cut the telegraph wire between ev,
cry station. '."''
Finally, when we were nearly TO tho sta
ton where we expected to meet the last
train, We stopped to take up a rail. We had
no Instruments for doing this, excepta n crow.
bar, and, instead Of pulling out the spjkes.
as we could have done with the pinch md
hurrs used for that purpose by railroad men,
we had to batter them out This was,slow
work. We had loosened this rail Mt one end
and Ell sht OF us took hold OF it to try to pull
the other end loose just az we were going
to rehnqnish the effort in despair, the rhisris
e an ehgsne an pursuit ssHn,fed az our ears :
The eilec, was magical. With one .convul.
slvc effort we broke the rail in two, and tum
blcd pell nell over the cmbankment. No one
was hurt, and we took our precions half rail,
which insured us time to pass the train
ahead, before our purSuers could be upon us.
We were not moment too soon, for we
were scarcely out of sight of where we had
taken up the rail, before the other train met
u.s. This was safely passed and when our
pursucrs came to the place where we had bro
ken the ral.they abandoned their own train,
and ran on foot ill they met the one we had
Ejust passed, and turned it back after us run,
ming with great speed. II
We were now aware Of our danger, and
adopted every eNpedicnt we could think of
to delay pursuit; bat as we were cutting the
wire near Calhoun, they came in sight Of us.
Then ensued the most terrible and thrilling
chase ever knewn on the American CONT
nent
! No instantly put our engine TO full speed,
and in moment its wheels were strk ing fire
from the rails in theirIapid revolutions. Tho
car IN which we were, rocked furiously, and
threw us from one side to the other like peas
ratified in gourd. Still on after us reient
essly came the pursucrs. The smoke of
their engine could be distinguished in every
long REACH, and the scream of their whistle
sounded in our ears around every curve. 1t
was still necessary for ms to cut the wire. and
in order to gain time for that, We dropped n
car on the track, aud, soon after anothpr,--
This left US with only the locomotive teader,
and one baggage err. Each time we stopped
t" cut The wfre, we would try to take up an
other rail but before we could loosen it's
lastenngs with our imperfect tools, tho an
prnach OF our enemies would compel US to
hasten on.
The thought OF new cxpcdient c,ossct
my mind, which saved US for some fine
longer. IL was to knock out the end of our
car, and drop the rails OH the track as we
ran. Soon after, in one of our necessary
stoppages to take care Of the telegraph We
loaded on some cross ties, which we threw
out IN the same manner. One rail reserved
for particular purpose. When we stopped
aSiin, took it, placed one end under the
tack. and let the other project upward,
pointing toward the advancing train. Ii was
very nearly cifectsal. The engineer Of the
tram in Pnrsrst, who arterward visited US in
iTrison, said that if it had been only an inch
higher, nothing could have saved the train
from wreck, because being so dark and small
It was not noticed till too late to stop. How.
ever, it was little too low to hook in the
bars OF the COW catcher as intended.
Our enemies pursued us with great deter
mInation. One man rode on the COW. catcher
and springing off, would throw the obstruc.
lions from the track, and Jump on again
while they had merely checked the engine.
So great was our velocity that the ties we
threw out bounced off the track but the
few that remained enabled us several times
to get out Of sight of thea. When this vas
the case, We would stop, and again try to
take up a rail, which would have given rs
leisure for the greater operation of burning
a bridge. -
BY this time we had few more instru.
ments, which Andrews and Wilson had sim
ultaneously procured from switch tender.
We worked faithfully, but each time, before
we had loosoned 4 rail, the inexorablo pur-
Suers were again visible -. -..... r. -. ..
! then proposed to Andrews a plan that az
forded hope Of final escape. 1t was to let
our engineer take our engine on out Of sight,
while We md on curve after putting tie
on the track. and waited for the pursuing
train to come up; then when they checked
to remove the obstruction, we could rush OF,
them, shoot every person or tbe engine, re.
verse it, and let It drive at will back as ],
came. 1t would have chased all the trims
following, OF which here were two or three.
back before 1t, ard thus have stopped the
whole pursuit for time This would have
required quick work, and some w bat danger.
Gus, as the trains were now loaded with sol.
diers; bat 1t afforded chance Of success.-
Andrews said was good plan--loolsud all
around, and then hurried to the cugine, and
| had no further opportunity of discussing
the subject. After We were ii prison, he
SAID ne was very sorry that We had not
made the effort jsn
All this time we were rushing through
towns and villages at terrific speed. Some
passengers came down when they flearl our
whistle, to 90 aboard but they all slrank
back amazed when they saw us pass with
the noise OF thunder and speed Of lightning.
Still more were they aslonished when they
saw three other trains dashrg by in close
pursuit, ana loaded with excited soldiers
rhns the break neck chase continued thro'
Dalton, Ringold, and other small towns on
the route
But it soon became evident that II could
not continue much longer We had taken
en- wood and water before we were SO closely
pressed, but now our supply was nearly ex.
ha'isted, and our pnrsners we've too close be.
bind to permit Us to replenish it. But be.
fore yielding, We resolved TO try one more
exPgdiebt.
For this purpose, we broke open the for.
ward end Of the only box car we had left.
and with the fragments endeavored 10 kindlc
a fire in it, Hai.we succeeded, we should
have detached it, left it burning on bridge.
and run sp nit III, n.