The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-04-04
:" = NUUI- U1I5kIIEEtt OCT 't1ENg = . =
". r. SHERMAN, Major Genera


h AFEARruL RAILROAD R1DE.-A passenger
sends to the St. Louis Republican the follow
ing brief bat thrilling account Of a nrercAui
escape from terrible fate on the Pacific Rail-
road. - -. .-.>. =, 10y g Il. 49,.
The idowfr, train from Kansas City did not
arrive at Jefferson City until 10 o'clock on
"Wednesday night, and the sickness ofa mem
ber:of nay family compelled me to leave there
that fcarfulIY cold night for St.eLouis. ?:
Tie train consisted Of six cars,au well blled
with passengers among whom were two new
ly married couples, who started of from points
above when the knot was tied, on tnatrlmo-
NAL excursions Nothing worthy ofnote oc.
Cured until we had rcachcdswithin about tour
miles of Hermann, whieh;we did Ibetween IL
and o'clock Thursday morning, the recollec.
tioD of which will, the longest day l live, be
indelibly impressed on; my memory. Ihe
thermometer must have been several degrees
below zero, the passengers were crowded
around the stove, some lying down, endeaycr-
ing to. s!eep, others standing, holclng their
feet to get warm, and others who could not
get near the fires in consequence OF. there 6e-
ing no available space for them. to creep in.
were stamping on the floor, endeayorIng by
that means to keep the blood in circulation,
and cause some degree of warmth to perVade
the Inferior members, who all In second, and
before any one on. board had time to make an
exclamation, the cars commenced jumping to
such fearful pitch that the fires IN The stoves
were knocked about the floor, the lamps were
all blown out, AMI several Of the passengers
that had been standing around the tres We're
Eeither tumbledser to those whooccupIed seats
lin their immediate vicinity. z6r compelled to
hold on with hands and feet to the nearest
benches within reach. -. a.. ., =.
This scene could not: have lasted over ten
! minutts, bat to the unfortunate passengers IN
the cars it was ten of the most tcrrihcalty
momcnteus minutes that the human mind
could comprehend The lady passengers, and
! there we're quite a number on board, sat IN
! their seats nth their hands holding on TO the
! benches before them, and their faces present
ing the most fearful picture g horror and de-
suair. When the locomotmc was got under
! control and came to stand still, the passen.
! gers ran to the doc rs aud looked. out, and
merciful heaven! what sight was presented
| to the eye! ....-a.. ..:. -. .-...,. ..~ ..'
. The train had been running on the verge Of
y Gprecipice some thirty or forty feet in depth:
at the bottom of which was the Missouri
River, bearing, ,onits bosom fakes Office, moth
/ ING to be seen but snow-the wind blowI a
penetrating breeze from the North. and the
! hindmost cars careened considerably to the
river side and completely off the track. The
three foremost cars had, through the moss
proFidential coincidence, jumped on the track
and this circumstance was no doubt the sa
wing Of the lives of all on board, as had The
train kept of even one minute more 1t would
almost inevitably have gone down the prec'
pice into the river, and ali would hare per
ishcd. .s. s..:.--..rs.s ,.s ~. s+ase.-s: e-