The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-01-17
And Meant it; but al twelve o'clock

anu IeaVe lDe place Tor good next day.
Already | felt my brain reel as new
er had before. In an hour | was in a
land Of stupor.
1t vas morning. A waiter stood
ready TO brush my coat. l saw a grin
upon his face. Ny head seemed ready
to BURST; my hand tremblnd; looked
at my watch; | saw that | had only
just five minutes to reach the depot
JOS words came to my mind. Was
fit to take charge of an engine2 l
was not fit to answer l ought to have
asked some sober man. As it was,
only caught up my hat and rushed
away was just in time.
The San Francisco gittered in the
morning sun. The cars were filling
rapidly. From my post could hear
the talking-bidding each other good,
bye, promising to write and come
again, Among them was an OLD gen
tleman l knew By sight-one of the
shareholders; he was bidding two timid
girls adieu.
Good bye, Kitty--good bye Lue," I
heard him say don't be nervous
The San Francisco is the safest engine
On the line, and Guelden the most care
ful engineer / wouldn't be afraid to
trust every mortal l love in the batch
to their keeping. Nothing could hap.
pen wrong with the two together"
! said "Ill get through it somehow,
and 10. shall never talk to me again. 4"
After all it was easy enough. l reel
ed as spoke heard the signal. We
were off,
Five hours from i. to D., five hours
back On the last | should be myself
again / knew. saw red futter, & never
guessed what it was until we were
past the down train at u wrong place.
Two minutes more and we should have
had o collision. Somebody told rne.
| laughed. l heard him say, respect
fully:
"Of course, Mr., Gueldcn, you know
what you are about?''
Then | was alone, and wondering
whether l should go slower or faster.
| did something, and the cars rushed
on at a fearful rate.
The same man who had spoken to
me before was standing near me. l
heard some question.
How many miles an hour were we
making? / did not know.
Rattle, rattle, rattle l was trying
now to slacken the speed of the San
Francisco 1 could not remember
what should do. Was it this or that?
Faster-.-only faster. l was playing
with the engine like child.
Suddenly there was horrible roar
"a crash; | was flung somewhere. 1t
was into the water, By miracle |
was onl, sobered not hurt, l gained
the shore. stood upon the ground
between the track and the rivers edge,
and there gazed at my own work.
The engine was in fragments, the
cars in splinters; dead, dying and
wounded were strewn around-men,
women and children, old age and ten
der youth, There were groans and
shriels Of despair. Tive manned cried
out in pain; the uninjured bewaied
their dead; and voice unheard by any
other, was in my ear whispering "Mur'
derer!
The ncws had gono back to A, and
people came thronging down TO find
their lost ones. Searching for an old
mans daughter, / came to place un-
der the trees, and five bodies were
lying there in all theil rigid horror
, an old woman, young one, baby
and two little children. 1t was fancy
it was pure fancy. born of my an
gsish-thoy looked like--ohl oh! grea
Heavensl they were my old mother
my wife, my children all cold and
dead.
How did they come on the train
What chance had brought this about
J | gazed on the good old faco Of hel
who had given me birth, and the love
: ly features ofmy wife, on'the innocent
children | called them by name
there was no answer. There never
could be--never could bo. And as
comprehended this, onward up thu
b tack thundered another train. IT.
red eye glared on me flung mysel
before it; teIt it crush me to atoms
, His head is very hot" said some
body.
l opened my eyes and saw my wife
"How do you feel ?" she said ga lit
tie better?. ..
| l was rejoiced and so astonished b.
| the the sight of her that | could no
speak at first. She repeated the ques
ton.
: Il must be crushed TO pieces" sai(
t l, Tor the train went over me; but | fee
) no pain" @
"There he goes about the trail
again" remarked my wife. "Why
. Ned ?"
{. tried to move-there was nothing
/ the matter with me; sat up. l wa
: in my own room--opposte me a criI
r in which two children were asleep be
' side me tiny bald baby head. NJ,
Q wife and children were safel Was | de
lirious, or could it be?"
r "Jo," cried l, tell me what ha
. happened2"'
. 'lts nine O'clock" said Jo. Yol
came home in such a dreadful stat
t from the club that l couldn't wake you
n You were not fit to manage steam ant
}; risk peoples lives. The San Francis
+ co is half way to A, | suppose, an,
I you have been frightening me to dealt