The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-05-27
sTAUNToN VIRGINIA. WEDNESDAY MORNING.

out among the strokers and the strokers' fami
lies, watching the first start of the new en-
CINE.
That was my plan. Alone I proposed tt
leave my friends house, alone I proposed tt
brave the blasts from Clifton Bay and t.
watch the initiatory movement Of the Clifton
Cyclops.
didit. In the darkness of the carly win
ter evening left that house where SO many
happy associations babe me stay, to say moth
ing Of the discomfort of rising at $50 A. u.
and making toilet by the burnt out ashes o.
the ohanbergTEatte, and proceeded on ny lone
ly walk. : @ = -
I felt like frozen harp, in which ice was
like music twaEgiag o. my strings. reseh-
ed tho Clifton depot and the Clifton Cyolops
stood before me It was huge affair. ]
won't attempt to describe it. fear / could no
more do so than Mrs Toodlss succeeded in des-
cribiug in technical terms the precise portion
Of the vesselss rigging fgnm which Farmer
Ashfeld's brother fell and lost hSis life. ''''
Some strokers' wives, with their babies in
their arrns-aetgally their babies stood
grouped il che background. Red lights
cleaned here and there like 'the GaiEese Ian
terms in an illumination scene at the theatre.
Tommy, the engineer who was to superin-
tend the trial trip Of the Clifton Cyclops,
stood near, and | dattered myself that | had
scraped warm enough acquaintance with
him by asking after his wife and children,
to prevent his expressing any surprise at my
appearances Hlon the scene alone and at that
nnseemly hour. Nay, having taken the first
step, like the ghost of Madame de Dcffard' .
celebrated witticism. | had determined that the
rest was easy. and that / would accompany
Tommy on his trip.
mage up my hind 20 ensconce myself IN
seen in some nook of the Clifton Cyyclops,
there to await Tommy's advent, and trust to
fortune and to the darkness to conceal ms
until after the locomotive had commenced to
move. managed to do this. Fortune and
the darkness were, upon that one occasion,
only too propitious
In the black dress had put or, and in
the back Of the Cyclops where I had hidden
myself, | was completely invisible. / had
scarcely concealed myself when the Cyclops
gave tremendous jolt, and then STOOD stock
still, amid shout and afterward silence from
all around. Only for second though. for
the locomotive Immediately commenced to
move, at first With SLOW, then 9Th a con-
staptly increasing rapidity and / afterward
learned that the shock had been caused by
the jolt against the Cyclops of balast-eri-
giEe that was out OF repair, and which the
men were trying to remove from the track
| returned to my congratulations, and the
ballast train, did not hear Tommy step into
the Cyclops' | was pleasantly surprised
therefore, when the locomotive commenced to
move. In lsss' tlap minute it began to
Move with unusual rapidi.y, so that upon
looking up to see how Tommy took my pres
ence was surprised to hear loud voices in the
rear, which sounded like cheers Of triumph
over Tommy's skilllul manipulation of the
engine. At the same time was amazed and
COMPOUNDED to see no Tommy there. But
there he must be, thought, although he
must, unfortunately, have forgotten to bring
his lantern, and all was midnight blackn ness.
| stretched my arms out, and with thrills
creeping over me, felt as carefully as | could
all around the narrow space in which was
confined. Then the shuddering truth, which
seemed to seize my heart in hands of ice,
came holle tt me:s Tie ialt from that bal
last engine had set in motion the machinery
of the new locomotive. | was alone upon it.
ID the chill ard BLACK midnight, plunging
with madness forward at constantly inereas-
ing speed: AND the terrible black fend,
snorting and dealing destruction and breath
ing fire and smoke, was fleeing forward with
me in its irsn arms, and rushing with mani
ac ecstasy into the very teeth of death and
mutilati0n. =
There must have then occurred blank in
my consciousness, tor no effort can fill the
void Of torgetfulness which then emptied my
soul. Something of the stupor Of faint
must have succeeded the first wild thrill.
After while, hoHevef,,iI aYoke to what
writer's of Stories .foir magazines would term
the "agonizing sense Of my position. 20 -
My position ! What was it !?
Flora" asked ID myself is Ii! tbs yog er i
A young lsay-no, a certain aged lady
supposed to be sane, the daughter of wealthy
(but respectfully parents, alone at midnight
upon a rampant locomotive, which vas going
at no lower rate than sixty miles an hour, and
which she expected every moment would col
Tide With some enormous sister cyclops and
be dashed into million splinters .'~
felt the rush Of the wind through my
hair and across my features. Il was terri
bly, cold and violent, aud seemed to tear my
locks AND rasp my skin.
The darknesss was So thick almost thought
| could clutch it piecemeal, and hold it in
the hollow of my hand From the peculiar
changed sound, I knew we were going
across the long wooden bridge, and at the
same frightful speed The ice crunched and
grated, and smashed its jaws and sbarpened
its huge fangs against the moorings; the
bridge the ratters seemed to split.
When we got about what guessed to be
half way across, the hideous Cyclops gave a
leap and wrench that made me jump and
scream which only remember I thought
must be loud enough to reach to the end of
creation. 80
How the engine get safely over chat bridge
| leave the workmen who build bridges aud
the contractors for locomotives to explain -
That bridge passed. I grew calmer, and be-
gan to take straightforward louk at matters
II was plain We should go on until the steam
lungs Of tie Beast were exhausted, Or until
a collision or running off the track smash
ed it into heterogeneous collection Of old
iron, and manned me for life, if it did not
kill mo I had M mower Ia Stan thc yh.n