Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-11-24
The Wrong Side Of the Curve.
AN Ex-ENaINEER's STORY.

AHicliS tilc UluilE lHClucntS tIiut our
ing the late rebellion were connected
with that great national artery, the Bal
timore and Ohio Railway, is one that
will relate
In the fall of 1861, having been de-
tanned by business in the town of Cum
berland, Nd, was at last about to start
for Wheeling, when | learned by des-
patch that the road was occupied below
Harpers' Ferry by force of rebels, and
therefore no train would pass. ..
This proved to be true in reference to
ordinary 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. On inquiry,
| found that the engineer Of the coming
| train had been Cne of my old chums
ere had discarded engine-driving for a
more profitable business. My friend
Joe NJ was cool, bold, skilful en-
gineer, and as generous as reckless of
danger.
AS / expected, | no sooner saw him
and stated my wish to go up the road,
! than he swore that, special or no spec
| ial / should ride with him, if for moth
ing but to see the "tast time' his en-
CINE Wildiire " would make.
Aswe dashed rapidly along and We're
| passing through Black Oak Bottom, a
couple of ill-looking fellows in citizens
dress fired at the engineer, but doing no
damage, merely provoked laugh OF
derision from him for their want of
Workmanship. On arriving at Oakland,
! Md, we We're disagreeably surprised by
receiving telegram informing us that
n party OF rebels We're making eNtraor-
dinary haste to reach the railway ut q
point many miles ahead of US. Also,
they seemed to know who the special
! train contained, and would therefore
use all endcavors to capture or kill us.
There was but one car behind the en-
| gine, and in it was briefly discussed the
question Oi go or stay, while Joe was
having the tender re-iilled with wood
and water.
| Mr.. Fierpont's business was too urgent
to admit OF any possible delay; two or
three others concluded to risk the trip,
ana well, il it's not too cgotistical
to say sol had run risks on railways
too often to back Out. because there was
danger ahead, while the rest concluded
to stay and trust to luck for the oppOr-
tunity of getting away.
| Just as We We're about to start, the
| fireman making a misstep on the "run-
lkng board, ~ fell and struck the ground
with such force as to break his arm.-
Joe hurriedly pickedup the poor fellow +,
! but time was precious Just then, so lcav-
| ing him in care of the gentleman who
| had accompanied us, he started directly
| toward me, ,askedme to come land run y
! for him, a., having no fireman, he
would have more than he could do
told him, however, to consider me his
! fireman for the rest of the trip as he was
best acquainted with the road so with
out any more ado l dotied my coat, we
| jumped on and away we went, past
hamlets, through wildernesses Of stunt
ed bushes, up grade and down hill, ut u
speed rarely equaled. Our light train
made firing an easy task for me, and L
| had frequent leisure to sean the beauti-
! ful ranges of the Alleghanies along
which we skirted. Joe was sitting as
was usual with him, with his left hand
on the throttle-lever, and his body half
out of the side window of the "cab, I"
that he might the better sean the track
ahead.
A few miles south of the famous
Cheat River Bridge is deep mountain
gorge, with precipitous rocky sides.
Ii is shaped like an hour-glass, wide
at each end, but tapering each way to-
ward the middle. The track runs fol
quite distance along one side of the
gorge, makes very abrupt turn to cross
the chasm, a very deep one, in a straight
line, and then, still curving inwardiy,
follows the gorge in a line nearly rarel.
lei with the track on the opposit side,
for threc-fourths of mile.
We were pitching along with that pc
culiar rocking, bounding motion, so diff
ferent from the jar ofOrdinary fast speed.
As we swept to tile top ofa agrade around
the side OF II hill that commanded view
of the gorge--Joc and j both on the
| lookout--wc saw, at n moments glance,
enough to make us concentrate our
thinking faculties, and act in a 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 hastely piling u2
some old ties, logs, etc: while at the
point where the curve wassharpest--be-
fore reaching the gorge-were several
more, tugging furiously at rail, one
end of which seemed to battle them, as
they pulled it outwards. We were
within q mile of them when we discov-
cred them, and as each noticed them,
! the shout came simultaneously from
both of us" The wrong side OF the
curve!" The ignorant fools were pull
| ing 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 sim
gle break snan, seeing the danger-I
suppose from habit--was commencing
to tighten the break, but at look from
Joe / signaled "oH Breaks" Joe mean-
while opening the throttle to its widest
extent as we dashed down the grade at
a positively frightful velocity.
AS we neared them, a party of them
huddled together near the track. |
seized large stick of wood, intending,
ii possible, to hurt somebody" We
were going altogether too swift to fear
their taking aim at US; and for that
matter, suppose they considered our
destruction such u certainty that firing
at US would be needless. was posing
the big stick OF wood, and guessing at
the rate OF speed---I've had some prae-
tice ia throwing parcels from trains
i'm 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 down
wards. l had barely time to see it crash
through the group with the force of a
thundeTbolt, when, with q jarring
plunge, the wheels on one side struck
the naked ties. That part Of the troub-
le We lldu IeiiIeu Uul liltlc, dS Tie 1l1De-
tus of the engine was almost sure to
make it mount the track again. On
the track again, but few rods ahead of
US was the formidable barricade, and
beyond that the yawning chasm. Joe
was standing up now with eyes blazin..
still holding the throttle wide open, as
he braced himself for the s.nock. I had
grasped the brake-rod. of the tender tile
instant ! threw the piece of wood
Crash my bold didn't avail me, and
! was pitched head over heels against
the firc-oox, and laid fiat on my back
on .ne foot-board or floor of the en-
gine.
| Joe was as suddenly jerked halfaround,
his back striking little door i'm 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 We're still on the
track, and laundering over the gorg.-
Joe's spirits rose with the OCCASION
Extricating himself almost as suddenly
as he had been deposited ia the little
glass door, he jerked a tin flask from