Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-10-26
The Wrong Side of the Curve.
AN Ex-ENGINEER's STORY.


Among the many incidents that during the
late rebellion were connected with that great
national artery, the Baltimore and Ohio
Railway, is one that will relate.
In the fall of 1861, having been detained
by business in the town of Cumberland, Nd. !,
| was at last about to start for Wheeling,
when | learned by despatch that the road
was occupied below Harper's Ferry by a
force of rebels, and therefore no train would
pass.
This proved to be true in reference to or
binary trains, but especial with which
was the Hon. Mr.. Pierpont, and few other
notabilities, had passed before the rebels cut
the track, and was therefore approaching.
I On inquiry, / found that the engineer of the
coming train had been one of my old chums
ere l had discarded engine-driving for a
more profitable business. My friend Joe
= M was a cool, bold, skilful engineer, and
as generous as reckless of danger.
As I expected, no sooner saw him and
stated my wish to go up the road, than he
he swore that, special or no special, should
ride with him, if for nothing but to see the
.fast time p his engine g Wildfre" would
make.
AS we dashed rapidly along and were pass
| ing through Black Oak Bottom, couple of
/ Unlocking fellows in citizens dress fired at
the engineer, but doing no damage, merely
provoked laugh of derision from him for
| their want of craftsmanship. On arriving
| at Oakland, Nd, we were disagreeably sur
| prised by receiving telegram informing US
that party of rebels were making extraor-
binary haste to reach the railway at a point
many miles ahead of us. Also, they seemed
to know who the special train contained, and
would therefore use all endeavors to capture
or kill US.
+ There was but one car behind the engine,
and in it was briefly discussed the question
of 60 or stay, while Joe was having the ten :,
der re-flled with wood and water.
Mr.. Pierpont's business was too urgent to
admit of any possible delay; two or three
others concluded to risk the trip, andI-well,
if it's not too egotistical to say SOL had run
risks on railways too often to back out be-
cause there was danger ahead, while the rest
concluded to stay and trust to luck for the
opportunity of getting away.
Just as we were about start, the fireman
making misstep ON the running board"
fell and struck the ground with such forck as
to break his arm. Joe hurriedly picked up
the poor fellow, but time was precious just
then so leaving him in care OF the gentlemen
who had accompanied US, he started directly
toward me, asking me to come and "Iun' for
for him, as having no fireman, he would have
more than he could do told him, however,
to consider me his fireman Tor the rest of the
trip as he was bestacquainted with the road,
so without any more ado dotted my coat, we
jumped on and away we went, past hamlets,
through wildernesses of stunted bushes, up
grade and down bill, at speed rarely equal
ed. Our light train made firing an easy TASK
for me, and had frequent leisure to scan the
beautiful ranges of the Alleghanies along
usual with him, with his left hand on the
side window of the "cab,'' that he might
the better scan the track ahead.
few miles south Of the famous Cheat
River Bridge is deep mountain gorge, with
precipitous rocky sides. b
1t is shaped like an hour-glass wide at
each end, but tapering each way toward the
middle. The track runs for quite distance
along one side of the gorge, makes very
abrupt turn to cross the chasm, very deep
one, in straight line, and then, still curving
inwardly, follows the gorge in line nearly
parallel with the track on the opposite side,
for three-fourths of a mile.
We were PITCHING along with that peculiar
rocking, bounding motion, so different from
the jar Of ordinary fast speed. AS we swept
to the top of grade around the side of a
hill that commanded view Of the gorge
Joe and both on the lookout-we saw, at a
moments glance, enough to make us concen-
trate our thinking faculties, and act in
hurry whatever was best to be done.
There, on the straight track, just at the
near end of the gorge, lot Of men, in gray
uniform, were hastily piling up some old ties,
logs, ETC.; while at the point where the curve
was sharpest-before reaching the gorge
were several more, Juggling furiously at rail,
one end of which seemed to battle them, as
they pulled it outwards. We were within
mile of them when we discovered them, and
as each noticed them, the shout came stimuli
taneously from both of us" The wrong side
of the curve!" The ignorant fools were
pulling out the inside rail instead Of the out
side. In the latter case nothing could have
saved us from running off the track, and
probably into the gorge Our single brakes
mon, seeing the danger-I suppose from hab-
twas commencing to tighten the brake,
but at g. look from Joe signaled ''of brakes"
Joe meanwhile opening the throttle 70 its
widest extent as we dashed down the grade
at positively frightful velocity. T
As we neared them, a party of them hud-
died together near the track. Iseized large
stick of wood, intending, if possible, to hurt
9. somebody" We were going altogether too
swift to fear their taking aim at us; and for
that matter, suppose they considered our
destruction such certainty that firing at us
would be needless. l was posing the big
stick of wood, and guessing at the rate of
speed-Tve had some practice in throwing
parcels from trains in motion--when Joe
suddenly pulled the whistle rope. The hoarse
! shrek seemed to startle them for an Instant
| they huddled closer together, and tossed the
stick outwards and downwards. had bare
| ly time to see it crash through the group with
the force of thunderbolt, when, with JAR
ring plunge, the wheels ON one side struck
the naked ties That part of the trouble we
had feared but little, as the impetus Of the
! engine was almost sure to make it mount the
/ track again. On the track again, but a few
| rods ahead of us was the formidable barri-
cade, and beyond that the yawning chasm
Joe was standing up now, with eyes blazing
still holding the throttle wide open, as he
/ braced himself for the shock. / had grasped
| the brake-rod of the tender the instant |
threw the piece Of wood. Crash my hold
didn't avail me, and was pitched head over
| heels against the fre-box, and laid fiat on my
| back on the foot-board or floor IF the en-
CINE.
Joe was rs suddenly jerked half around,
| his back striking a little door in front OF
where he had stood, breaking the door and
shivering the glass to atoms. But we were
through; how, we couldn't TELL except that
we were still on the track. and laundering