The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-11-27
THRILLING RAILROAD ADVENTURE.
A Ride OF a Runaway Train.
From an English paper.


five minutes of the time at which the Dill
mouth train was advertised to start. Mos
Of the passengers had taken their seats, bu
some Of them were standing on the plat
form near the carriages, bent ON having
last word with those they were about t.
leave behind them. There was the usua
hustle and excitement incident to the start
ing OF a train. Reckless porters rusheC
about with those abominable little trucks
the first notice of whose approach is an ug
ly shove, accompanied by ''by your leave
lrcm the heartless porter. A distressed lad,
IN the midst Of a chaos of boxes aud par
GELS, waiting for some one to put her ant
her precious accompaniment safely into th
train. Lost passengers looking vainly abou
for the train, which is all the time starin,
them out of countenanee. A newsboy
with vilainous cracked voice, crying ou
the 'Lon-non-peps," and the 'newnim
merponck. - These, with the usual lot O
idlers come to see them off, and the ticke
eXclaimers, and other busy satellites of the
train Itself, made up scene of unparal
leled life and activity.
1t was Wednesday night, and Wednesday
was the market day at Middlosham. The
The train was, therefore, heavy one, anC
nearly every compartment was full OF pas,
sengers. 1t was usually five or ten minute.
late in starting on Wednesday nights, owing
to the extra traffic. so that the occupants OF
the compartment in which | had taken my
seat were rather astonishcd when, the
pointer having barely marked mne minutes
past on the dial, the train without any pre-
paratory whistle moved off. | was under
thn mr. thot rh,,x%,,,,
another carriage, for such thing as start.
ing before time was never known to have
happened at Middlesham; but when we
moved past the long platform, passed the
entrance signal, and through the bridge be-
yond, 1t became apparent to us all that we
were really off. - a.
There was. simultaneous pulling out of
watches, and surprised looks passed from
one TO another, and to the still open door
Of the carriage, as the conviction was grad-
ually forced upon us.
swell, if this isn't queer move, |
should like somebody to tell me what it is, {"
was the exclamation of stout cattle.iohber,
who sat in the corner opposite me. As we
were all pretty much of his opinion as to
the queerness Of the move" nobody Of
tered to tell him what it was; some sat there
staring,'as if really quite oYerawed by the
Once convinced by the increasing speed
OF the train that We We're fairly on cur jour
npy, | rose from my seat, drew in the door,
which was flying back against the side of
the cayriage, and closed it firmly. In do
ing SO, put my head out OF the window,
and looking down the train, saw the light
from two or three other doors,
which had. like my OWE. been left 0pen..-
There had evidently been some misnanage-
meut about the starting Of the train, but as
L saw two arms put out to catch as many of
the doors, and the others would take no
harm before we came to Ackridge, wbich
was the name Ct the first station We would
come to, | sat down again i'll my corner,
aud made myself as comfortable as possible,
and prepared myself, as was my habit, 10
listen to the remarks Of my fellow>travelers.
These were four in number--the cattle
obber have already mentioned, his part,
ler and two Middlesbam merchants, who
lived some twelve miles, Or thcrcabout,
down the line.
The merchants commenced a brisk con-
Versation, the part of which that most in
.erested me, being the following:
First Observation-Disclosures thing, this
strike among engine. drivers.
Second merchant-Well yes; but | must
confess to knowing very little about it
merely saw short paragraph alludlng tc it
u this morning S Nc1cs. Have you heard
any lhing fresh about it?
First M.-The last | have heard Of it is
hat the men have sent in their months
notice. They demand considerable ad-
vance in the rate Of wages and an alteration
n the system on which their wages are cal
culated. A deputation Of them waited up
n old Rasper, the superintendent, yester-
lay They stated their grievances, and the
erms on which they would continue to work
and said that If those terms were not ac-
,eedcd to by the company, they would
strike. At this, old Rasper jumped up
from his chair, and told them that they
hey were lot of ungrateiul dogs; that
hey were better paid than the drivers of
Almost any other line in the kingdom; that
+ he could possibly do without them he
rould discharge every mothers son of
hem at once; that he would settle with
hem when the time came, and they might
De off and get on with their work in the
,hops at once; and he forthwith turned
every one out of the Office. He'll settle
With them, Ha! ha! Rasper by name,
md Rasper by nature, ha! ha!
Second M.-But this is very alarming
state. Is 1t not dreadful to think that we
DOOR passengers are at the very mercy OF
,hese malcontents, and that they have it in
heir power to do something horrible with
rs, merely to spite their employer.
First M.-Nu; | don't think there is any
ear OF that, for the passengers men have
aiken no part in the strike whatever 1t is
,nly the drivers of the goods engines who
yiven the movement the cold shoulder from
he first.
Second M,-Still these goods drivers,
With their intimate knowledge Of the line,
must have it in their power to do immense
injury to their employers, and the public as
we'll. Why the mere placing Of a sleeper,
,r chair, or a piece Of old iron on the
'ails, would be enough to send us all off to
he other world by express, and without
my return tickets.
They were both laughing over this dreary
oke of No. 9 when attention was directed
% he catte,jobber. He was leaning half
,ut Of the window and shouting "stop,
'top," at the tip-top Of his very loud voice.
On our inquiring what vas the matter, he
'eplied. excitedly, why, dang it!--if we
lain't been and passed Yeckridge Station,
md me and my mate had to get out there.
Here, hi! stop here, hil'' The last excla-
nation vas in sort of prolonged shrek,
which woke the echoes as we shot into and
cared through the tunnel
"My good man." | ventured TO remark,
you must be mistaken. They would never
hink of passing station like Yeckridge
Without stopping, and certainly not when
hey have passengers Booked for it.
Whether they sud or sudn't, they have
one it; why, lookl there's Bowlt's Smelt
Works, and we must be two miles, at least,
n the wrong side of Yeckridgel' and here
10 rnln nsed into annther indAfnitn t.hilO n