Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-08-08

one hundred doNars-an offer which poor .sBob' g
wife met with this query; "Mr. =, would you
sell one of your legs for hundred dollars2''
During the late war an incident occurred on the
Pennsylvania Central, which was related to me by
On eyewitness. My informant was with regi-
ment of soldiers going from Pittsburgh to Harris
burg, in a special train Between Johnstown and
the summit they were delayed by freight
train off the track, or apart of its cars off, This
they learned at one ofthe stations, and remained
there until they should be informed that the track
was clear. It was in the night, and most of the
thousand men on the train were asleep, uncon-
scious of their danger. Four heaviy-loaded coal
cars belonging to the train ahead had, by accident
become detached, and began the descent of the
heavy grade at speed which soon became terri
BILE. The engineer Of the special train heard the
roar Of the descending cars and surmised what was
the matter. In an instant he ordered his engipe
to be detached from the train, and put on steam
to meet the runaway cars if possible to break their
force and save his train. His locomotive was q
j. ,ge freight, and he had mo- ed several rods o.
head when the coal-cars struck him like thunder
bolt, and crushed his engine hack on the train /;
but his heroic courage had saved many lives His
engine was utterly demolished and many Of bis
csrs were also crushed but so had he broken the
force of the shock that no lives were lost. The
mans name was Story, and his grateful benef-
ciaries presented him some elegant silver-plate,
With the deed itself and their names engraved on
them. When asked why he did not abandon his
train, he replied, "Quick as lightning, thought
I had better die than to have those runaway cars
cut clean through my train, destroying hundreds /"
It was heroic answer. ..y.. q.
Let me relate one more incident in the same
line. That part of the Marietta and Cincinnati
Railroad, between Athens and the Ohio river, was
formerly made famous by the number Of its long
and high tresle-bridges With few exceptions,
these are now filed up, and the road is becoming
one of the best. Atone time the company were
in great straits, and many of their operatives were
unpaid Some of the men were desperate, and,
as the fact proved, dangerous. Ona certain even
ing, a train was approaching one Of these high
trestle-brdges. 1t was known that the directors
of the road were aboard, and some william bad de-
termined to throw the whole train from that bridge
The engineer, letting his train move at the ordina
~ speed, suddenly discovered that rail had been
displaced on the bridge. he seemed to know in
stinctively that the momentum was too great to
save the whole train; and he signalled the brakes
down and reversed his engine, tostop, if possible,
the cars before reaching the ohasm. Then, open
ing the throttle-valve, his engine sprsng forward
SO violently as to break the connection with the
train, and dashed to the awful leap. The bold
man, as this was going on ran out Of bis window
ON the engine and opened bis escape-valve. Whilst
standing there the engine went over with him ;
and, marvellous to relate, he, falling under the
huge weight, was preserved from being crushed
by the engine-beII at his side The train, for the
rescue of which he had exhibited such incredible
pluck, stopped just soon enough to escape the
horrible leap after the engine. This bold man
name have not heard but he recovered from
bis wounds, and is still an honored employee Of the
company.
We glorify our heroes of the battlefield and the
sea we stand all agog with amazed admiration if
some foolish man or more foolish woman ascends
Mt Blanc just for the name of the feat; we talk
about Alexander and Bucephalus, and Caesar in
the boat in the tempest; why may not my humble
pen gloriy the heroes of the locomotive engine,
who exhibit as noble and praiseworthy daring as
any heroes in other felds2 And they do this in
the constant service of the thousands Of families
who every hour of the twenty -four are represented
on the railways of the world. All honor. to the
heroes of the engine and ''ten thousand times ten
thousand, I" if they could, would respond Amen y
Macaulay has stanza in his 'sHoratius" which
shows what Rome did for one of its humble but
bold benefactors:
"They gave him Of the corn-land,
That was Of the public right,
As much strong
Could plow from morn tll night;
And they made him q molten image,
And II up high,
And there Il stands unto this day
To witness If lie."