The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-06

/ could happen wrong With the two to-
gether." E on,
I said I'll get through It somehow, and
| 10 shall never talk to me again. After all
&c was easy enough. / reeled Is spoke
heard the signal. We were off.
Five hours from L to D; five hour.
back. On the last should be mysel
again. ! knew now. / saw red futter
and never guessed what 1t Was until VIZ
we're passed the down train at the wronl
place. Two minutes more and we shoule
have had Q collision. Somebody told me
I laughed. / heard him say respectfully !:
what you are about p &
Then Twas alone, and wondering wnetne'
I should 60 faster or slower. ala some
thing, and the cars rushed on At leariu
rate. The same man who had spoken U
| me before was standing near me. heare
some question.
How many miles an hour were we ma
king' didn't know.
Rattle, rattle, rattle was trying nov
to slacken the speed Of the San Francisco
I could not remember what / should do
was Il this, or was 1t that2 Faster OF
slower. was playing with the engine like
child.
Suddenly there was a horrible roar-a
crash I was flung somewhere. was II
the water. By miracle / was sobered
not hurt. l gained the shore. | stood
upon the ground between the track and
the rivers edge, and there gazed at my
work.
The engine was in fragments, and the
cars in splinters; dead, and dying, and
wounded were strewn ar0und-and men
women, and children-old age and tender
youth. There were groans and shrieks Of
despair. The manned cried out in pain
the uninjured bewailed their dead, and a
voice unheard by any other was in my ear,
whispering "Murder !"
The news had gone to A, and people
came thronging down to find their friends
The dead were stretched on the grass. ]
went with some of the distracted to find
their lost ones. Searching for an old mans
daughter, / came to place under the
trees, and found five bodies lying there, all
in their rigid horror-an old woman, a
young one, a baby, and two tiny children,
Is it fancy-was it pure fancy born of my
anguish-they looked like-oh! Heaven
they were my old mother, my wife, my
children; all cold and dead.
How did they come on that train-what
chance has brought this about? No one
could answer. l groaned, screamed,
clasped my hands, tore my hair.
gazed in the good old face of her who gave
me birth, on the lovely features of my
wife, on my innocent children. l called
them by name there was no answer
There never could-never would be. And
as / comprehended this, onward up the
track Numbered another train. Its red
eye glared on me; flung myself before
it feltit crush me to atoms
ellis head is extremely hot" said some
body.
81 opened my eyes and saw my wife.
"How do you feel 7" said she; ga little
better ?"
Twas SO rejoiced and astonished by the
sight Of her that l could not speak at first
She repeated the question.
81 must be crushed to pieces" said /
Z" for the train went over me; but l feel nc
pain"
"There he goes about that train again.
said my wife. Why, Ned 20
tried to move-there was nothing the
matter with me. l was in my own room
opposite me crib, in which my two chill
dren were asleep; beside me tiny bald
head. Ny wife and children were safe
Was delirious, or what could it be?
"Jo," cried |, "tell me what has hap.
penedW
"It's 8 O'clock" said 10. "You came
home in such a dreadful state from the
club that l couldn't wake you. You
weren't fit to manage steam and risk peo.
ple's lives. The San Francisco is half way
to A, l suppose; and you have beer
frightening me to death with dreadful
talk"
And 10 began TO cry.
1t was a dream; only an awful dream
But had lived through it as though itwa:
reality.
"Is there Bible in the house, 10 p
said /.
"Are we heathens ?" asked 10.
"Give it to me this moment, Jo."
She brought it, and put my hand on il
and took the oath (too solemn to be re,
peated here) that what had happened never
should occur again. And if the San Fran
cisco ever comes to grief, the verdict viii
not be, as it has SO often been, "1he engi
neer acaS dtaak!"