The Shasta courier., 1866-08-04
SHASTA COURIER.
The wrong Side of the Curve.
AN Ex.ENGlNEER's STORY.

national artery, the baitimOre anu Ohio
railway, is the one l will relate.
In the Fall of 1861. having been detained
by business in the town of Cumberland,
was at last about to start for Wheeling,
when l learned by dispatch that the road
was occupied below Harper's Ferry by
force of rebels, and therefore no train would
pass.
This proved to be true in reference to or
dinary 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, 1 found that the engineer of the
coming train had been one of my old chums
ere had discarded engine driving for more
profitable business. My friend, Joe M,
was a cool, bold, skillful ENGINEER, and as
generous as reckless of danger.
As expected, l no sooner saw him and
stated my wish to go up the road, than he
swore, that special or no special | should
ride with him, if it was for nothing but to
see the fast time his engine Wildfre' would
make.
As we dashed rapidly along and went
through Black Oak Bottom, couple Of ill
looking fellows in citizens dress fired at the
engineer, but doing no damage. merely pro-
voked a laugh of derision from him Tor the
want of craftsmanship. On arriving at Oak
land, Nd, we were agreeably surprised by
receiving telegram informing US that a par
ty of rebels were making great haste to reach
the railway at a point many miles ahead of
us-also, they seemed to know who the spe-
cial contained, and would therefore use all
endeavors to capture or kill US.
There was but one car behind the engine
L. d i 1 IL.
go or stay, while Joe was having the tender
re-flled with wood and water
Mr.. Pierpont's business was too urgent to
admit of any possible delay; two of the
others concluded to risk the trip and I-weil,
if it's not too egotistical to say SOL had run
risks en 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 to start, the fire.
man. making a misstep on the running
board, " fell to the ground with such force 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 gentle
men who had accompanied us, he started di-
rectly toward me, asking me to come and
rum for him, as having no fireman, he
him, however, to consider me as his fireman,
for the rest of the trip, as he was best acauaint
ed with the road, so without any more ado |
doffed my coat, we jumped on and away we
went, past hamlets, through wildernesses of
stunted bushes, up grade and down hill, at a
speed rarely eqUaled. Our light train made
firing an easy task for me, and had fre
quent leisure to scan the beautiful 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-wndow of the
"cab," that he might better scan the track
ahead. A few miles south of the famous
Cheat River Bridge is deep gorge, with
precipitous. rocky sides.
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 a very
abrupt turn to cross the chasm, very deep
one, in line nearly parallel with the track
on the opposite side, for three quarters 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 grade around the side of the hill that
commanded view of the gorge-Joe and
both on the lookout-we saw ut q moments
glance, enough to make US concentrate our
thinking faculties, and act in a hurry what.
ever 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 piiing up some old ties,
logs, etc. while at the point where the curve
was the sharpest-before 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 with
in mile of them when we disc overed them,
and as we noticed them the shout came SIM
ultaneously from both of US" the wrong
side of the curve ~ The miserable fools
were pulling out the inside of the curve in
stead of the outside. In the latter case moth
ing could have saved US from running off the
track, and probably into the gorge. Our
single brakesman, seeing the danger-I sup
pose from habit-was commencing to tighten
tne brake, at look from Joe, | signalled
;, on brakes" Joe meanwhile opening the
.nroe'ie 10 Its widest extent as we dashed
GOWN the grade at positively frightful ve-
ioo''y' AS we neared them a party huddled
'ogeener near the track. / seized a light
suck Oh wood, intending. if possible. to hurt
somebody We were going altogether too
=" nv w ie"A suoif edhiuS ann at us and for
that matter, supposed our destruction such a
certainty that firing at US wonld be needless
l was posing the big stick of wood and
guessing at the rate of speed-I've had some
practice in throwing parcels from trains in
motion-when Joe suddenly pulled the whis.
tie rope. The hoarse shrek seemed to star.
tie them for an instant; they huddled closer
together, and l tossed the stick outward and
downward. had barely time to see it crash
through the group with the force of q thun-
derbolt, when, with jarring 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 al
most sure to make it mount the track again
On the track again, but few yards ahead o
US was the formidable barricade, and be
yond that the vawning chasm. Joe was
standing up now, with his eyes blazing, still
holding the throttle wide open, as he braced
himself for the shock l had grasped the
brake rod of the tender the instant / threw
the stick of wood-Crash my hold didn't
avail me, and l was pitched head over heels
against the fire box. and laid fat on nv
back on the footboard or floor of the engine.
Joe was suddenly jerked half way around.
: his back striking a little door in front OF
where he stood, breaking the door and shiv.
ering the glass to- atoms. But we were
through how, l couldn't tell, except that
we were on the track. and laundering over
the gorge. Joe's spirits rose with the occa.
sion. Extricating himself almost as sudden.
ly as he had been deposited in the little